Delightfully Creepy.
So as another semester wraps up, I have more work to show for it. I have struggled to learn how to use some of this software and not rely on my use of shading and painting. I kind of love this new avenue to create art.
My brothers and I have been performing together as of late………….. and I lOVE IT!!! This is a slightly rough recording, but whatev.
I’ve been delving into the world of graphic design and it’s an interesting test for me. As a painter, I rely on my ability to create depth with shading and color mixing. That isn’t as available through the graphic world of solid colors and scalable vector format. I definitely am enjoying the process of creating posters for upcoming shows by using subtle typography and color contrast.
As the summer has progressed I have been relying on authors to help guide my artistic inspirations. I have been making my way through Jules Verne’s classic, “Journey to the Center of the Earth”, and am blown away by the mind of this amazing writer. Verne had such incredible vision and insight for a time before science really discovered much. I did cheat by watching the old film of it. I love the giant lizards, lurking under layers of the earth, waiting to attack. Such a vivid and imaginative story! I did just finish my favorite author’s final piece: Micro. This was a half-finished novel by Michael Crichton about humans being shrunk down into the micro world, surrounded by insects and predators at every turn. It was not hokey or reminiscent of “Honey I Shrunk the Kids”, but it was gory and terrifying. There are moments of heart-stopping suspense when the characters are in a wasp’s underground layer and at the mercy of the giant, terryfing female. It gave me more ideas about how to bring prehistoric insects to life by thinking of the realities of the current micro world. Overall, it’s an amazing read and a fantastic finale for my late, great hero.
This is Paul the Dinosaur….and he’s amazing. He’s a member of Poultry Film Productions, which is my and my brother’s film company. This is his film debut.
Alright…..
So I’ve been plugging away with my sculpture of an abstracted leopard seal. It’s been interesting working with these new materials.
I have to bring up that I finally went and saw Jurassic World and it was AMAZING! The end of the movie is just about the best thing in the history of the universe. Not to exaggerate or anything, but that is totally true. It was phenomenal and I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t seen it… or who has, for that matter.
Last night I was finally able to watch the concluding season of one of my all-time favorite shows, Mad Men. This show has been so beautifully done throughout the years. Many people have voiced their dissatisfaction and confusion over the series finale; it wasn’t big enough, nothing changed. On the contrary, I feel that it ended just how it needed to. In a show about sexism and the endless mysery that follows Don Draper, it is incredibly satisfying to see Joan stand up for herself against the ongoing sexual harrassment, and for Don to leave everything behind and find himself. Here’s to finding oneself and to Christina Hendricks for always kicking ass.
So over these last couple months I have learned how to weld. It was amazing, challenging, and totally terrifying. Through the process I burned my self several times and nearly broke my hand, but I fell in love with it. I hope that I am able to do it still, but it has taught me a lot about shape and form.
So, it’s summer and I’m ready for the next stage of things. Over the past few years I have been getting my Visual Arts degree and I am happy to say that I have it. I was privileged enough to be able to show and perform at the Fallout Gallery with my brother, Calvin. I also got the opportunity to give an artist talk. It’s fascinating to get up in front of a group and give a presentation about myself. What am I doing with my art? I finally realized what I’m doing. I want people to feel the same way that I felt the first time that I saw the T-Rex in Jurassic Park. I want people to feel the way I felt when the low strings served as a precursor to the fin slicing through the surface of the water in Jaws. I want people to experience the juxtaposition between fascination and fear…… because it’s everything! Finding your purpose in what you do is amazing.
This summer will be a time to take action and create, show, perform, and live. I am very excited for what the future holds!
This is one of my favorite photographers ever. His story and journey of meeting this incredible leopard seal inspired me so much. This is one of the best photo series ever.
ASHLEY L WIERMAA 