2017-2018 Memories
How do memories translate into our art work? Each month, participants created a piece of art based on their own memories. Art teachers created a body of work that portrays their memories using a variety of mediums and methods. Each class was designated to share and critique I art piece per participant, focusing on critiques, open dialog, and contemporary artists. Teachers examined how memories influence and inspire their craft.
Linda Crawford
Alana Conlin
Carolyn McGrath
Emma Ballachino
Ellie Mannherz
Over the past few years, I have enjoyed collecting different papers and fabrics, knowing I wanted to eventually use them create a piece of art . Most of the fabrics I used were from when I redesigned and decorated my room. Besides teaching art, another passion of mine has always been interior design. I have also always had a love for elephants. I had seen an inspiring elephant collage in a shop in New York City. That artwork was what sparked my idea to use my collection of paper and fabric to create my own elephant collage. It now hangs on my wall in my newly designed room!
This painting was inspired by my boyfriend and his love for cars. He has spent many years restoring old Mercedes and now works on Aston Martin cars. His all time favorite car, from his own collection, is his bright orange Corvette ZO6. Having just bought a new house , he realized he needed to sell his Corvette. I decided to create a painting of his car, to give to him as a birthday gift , so he could always have to memory of his beloved Katie the Corvette.
This work is not yet completed, however, it is an abstract depiction of a stream. This stream runs along a walking path in the woods behind my house. It was a source of inspiration for this memory artwork because it reminds me of all the times I used to walk my black lab named Trot. Trot always loved water and would try to submerge himself in any body of water whether it be a pool, stream or even a puddle. Trot passed away two years ago. He was 12 years old!
In this wheel thrown bowl, I hold onto a variety of objects, each with their own memory attached. I made this bowl specifically to have a place to collect items that remind me of a certain time in my life . For example, the green puzzle piece was apart of a larger clay puzzle peace sign made by my campers at the Fenn camp where I work in the summer.
At the beginning of this school year, I unfortunately developed a full body rash from a caterpillar in Maine. The rash was extremely itchy and uncomfortable. I ended up having to miss a few days of school which brought me anxiety being a first year teacher. My boyfriend new how much stress I was under and surprised me with a bouquet of flowers which made my day. I wanted to keep this memory, so I decided to flatten the flowers between a few books. Once the flowers were flat, I arranged them to create a composition that was interesting to me. I then photocopied the arrangement. Lastly, I used an ebony pencil to outline the details in each flower.
This artwork is a work in progress. I plan on adding zentangle designs to each letter of the alphabet. I will then add color using special watercolor brushes. The brushes were given to me, as a gift, after completing my Field Study II, through Framingham State. During this Field Study, my Supervising teacher was using these brushes with her students. I was very intrigued that these brushes hold water and release water with a little squeeze. These brushes will always remind me of my time spent at North Andover Middle School and all of the new materials and ideas I used and learned.
Jackie O'Rourke
When I was a child I was terrified of vampires, which was initiated by the movie Salem’s Lot by Stephan King. I would sleep with anti-vampire paraphernalia just in case I encountered a vampire or a vampire appeared outside my window. As I got older I was intrigued by vampires and watched every movie I could. This image was influenced by childhood nightmares.
I always loved the band Nirvana and was saddened when Kurt Cobain the lead singer passed away in 1994. My son Devin has recently become a huge fan of the 90”s music, particularly Nirvana and Kurt Cobain. I was inspired to create this drawing for my son and to honor the talented young musician who was gone much too soon.
The willow tree was influenced by my childhood memories of my grandmother. There was a large willow tree adjacent to the driveway and it was the first image I always saw when we turned into their home. I believe the memory of the beautiful, flowing, giant tree has evoked my love for willow trees.
The next 4 images were inspired by my uncle Jimmy who passed away this year. He was a wonderful kind man. He lived in Vermont on a beautiful piece of property that he shared with his husband. He had a passion for animals particularly his cows. I was inspired to create two cow sketches and an encaustic painting in honor of his kind nature and loving ways. I also created a graphite drawing to honor his fun-loving nature and his giving heart.
Becky Burgoyne
This collage represents the food my sister and I grew up on in the 1980s. Processed food was becoming the norm, and convenience was king. Why spend your precious time peeling, chopping, boiling, and mashing potatoes when you can sprinkle “Idaho Spuds” flakes into boiling water and feed your family in minutes? I paid homage to my mother’s infamous recipe, “Souper Rice”: brown a pound of hamburger while you make a box of Minute Rice, then mix the two together with a can of condensed Cream of Mushroom soup.
My sister-in-law, Amanda, and I both struggled with fertility issues. We each experienced very different circumstances surrounding our pregnancies, but share an understanding of how amazing and terrifying it can be to finally feel a healthy child grow inside your own body after years of heartbreak. She welcomed baby Evelyn into this world on April 9, 2018.
When my grandfather passed away in 1992, my grandmother, Grammie, never spent another night in the house they built together. She slept at her sister’s house for a time and eventually moved in with my aunt while insisting on maintain the house on Miles Street. She kept her clothes in the closets, picked the mail up every day, and set the lights on timers. My father and his sisters encouraged her to sell over the years, but she refused. In 2010, she casually offered to sell the house to me and my then fiancé, Andy. We were stunned by the gesture and graciously accepted. In the years before her passing in March, Gram was able to see us get married and start a family of our own in the little house on Miles Street.
My grandmother, Nanna, was a very glamorous lady. She always had her hair and nails done, a full face of makeup, and a perfectly coordinated outfit with just the right accessories. She worked at the jewelry counter of O’Coin’s, a department store in Worcester. She showered my sister and I with gold and jewels over the years, but they never reflected our personal style or interest. She believed that children should be seen and not heard, and her children and grandchildren were required to convey the same level of perfection she did.
(Artist’s Note: This collage is transparent, but does not photograph as such.)
(Artist’s Note: This collage is transparent, but does not photograph as such.)
In continuing to look the part, my Nanna took many, many pictures to show future generations how happy and well-dressed we were. We couldn’t touch the Thanksgiving dinner until she had captured just the right angle to show off the food and her extensive collection of dishes. My sister and I had to stand in just the right pose, in front of just the right flowers to immortalize our matching Easter dresses, complete with hats and bows. During one particularly memorable trip, she wanted to capture the family eating a perfect picnic by the Cape Cod Canal. We weren’t allowed to eat or move until a passing sailboat had sailed into the frame to create the perfect image.
When my sister and I were around 8 and 10 years old, Nanna decided to make a dollhouse for us. She would routinely take us to the dollhouse store and let us each pick out one thing. My sister always chose a pet for the house, and I would choose something colorful and fun, like a miniature gumball machine. My grandmother would encourage me to choose something more subdued to match the décor and I always obliged. Thirty years later, Nanna’s Dream House is still in pristine condition, because the children were rarely allowed to play with it.
Peter Glenn
This mixed media collage portrays an old man, nearing the end of his life, reflecting back on memories good and bad. I've always enjoyed creating characters and portraits, and giving them a narrative. The majority of my work for this art share revolved around my own memories, so I was looking to move in slightly different direction.
I have so many fantastic memories of travel and exploration with friends. So many times those travels take us to warm and distant shores. Working mostly in two dimensional mediums, working with clay was a real treat.
There are few memories I look bad on with more fondness than fishing with my dad, my brother and my uncle. These are some of my first memories, and at the same time some of the most recent- wish fish a lot.
In this particular case, the memory was also the medium. It had been years since I worked in linoleum or block printing, and I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it. I hope to do many more prints in the near future.
In this particular case, the memory was also the medium. It had been years since I worked in linoleum or block printing, and I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it. I hope to do many more prints in the near future.
Growing up, my friend Luke lived on an old farm on the other side of town. With what felt like countless acres of trails, fields and swampy wetlands- we spend hours blissfully exploring. There was a massive rooster that was very much the king of the yard. He would crow all hours of the day...not just in the morning. I think a hawk might have eaten him eventually...I can't remember.
In middle school, there was no place better than Mr. Scanell's art class. We listened to WAAF and made some pretty impressive claymation videos. Mr. Scanell's class was also the first time I worked with wood-cut and linoleum carving. I loved carving through the soft blocks, creating texture and line work while the hours slipped away. This Bison print was all about returning to that medium...The smell of the fresh block, the feel of the carving tool, and the satisfaction of a nice crisp print.