Susan Williams

Project 1 – Boxed Mind The box remains a central part of my art work, so I decided to look further into its meaning. The definition of a box is a container, which is an object that can be used to hold or transport something. Synonyms of a container are a vessel, a casket, and pottery. In this sense, one could consider the human mind a vessel that stores memories. This concept was intriguing and worthy of further development. Focusing on this concept, the human mind became a space comprised of various compartments. Each compartment ranged from a single level to multiple levels. The multi-level compartment were for the more complex thoughts and feelings; places that needed more space to breathe. As I planned the sculpture, I envisioned a mandala, made with various shaped boxes instead of circles. Originally thinking about using paper to sculpt, my vision began to change as I cut out each individual area. The piece needed to be more solid and sturdy, so I brought in the natural elem

  Found objects: Lunch Box Moss and rocks Glue gun and toothpicks  Various rock sizes Final diorama  The purpose of this project was to use found objects that have one meaning but when combined have a different one.  “Found” coming across an object by chance or unexpectedly - Oxford Languages definition. The thrill of thrift shopping is finding an object by chance, one that usually holds significant value to a person whether it’s monetary or sentimental. In this case, while hunting a local antique store I found a Yogi Bear lunchbox. It brought back memories of being a kid and taking a classic metal lunchbox with the flip latch to school every day. There is just something about the rattle the handle makes when your carrying it that stirs memories of my childhood.  This was the perfect found object to use for this project. An ordinary lunchbox, meant to hold consumable food items. However, it takes on a new meaning because of the figures that were painted on the box. The figures being Yo

The nature of these assignments was to create a replica of  item in clay and then duplicate it by making a mold.  Inspiration: My inspiration came from a series I’m doing for illustration about flowers and trees that have held special meaning from my life. The realization that these flowers would not be on earth without the pollination process of bees drove this project.  Process: My initial replication was more precise in form. It was created based upon my initial sketches. I created it out of polymer clay and another with air dry clay. Each bee had a head, thorax, and abdomen. I was able to fit a set of legs but they were unsuccessful when I tried to use the mold for replication. Therefore, my bees in the final depiction have the three body parts and wings.  I used two separate methods to build the mold. The first was where you measure equal portions of blue and pink liquids then combine to create the silicone used for the mold. I placed my clay bee into the bottom of a paper cup and

  Planned diagram Final Composition Final sculpture Side view of final sculpture Needed the wire to be closer, attached corner bracket and hot glued so the it would stay in place. Attaching the wire to hang Foam board layout Plaster covering Initial Paint  Laying flat on floor - photo studio For this project the assignment was to use insulation foam board to create the base of a sculpture. I cut the foam board into various squares and rectangular shapes and layered the pieces to create a design. In order to get the pieces to stay together I used cut up skewers and glue to attach. Once the base was completed then joint compound was applied. I brushed on two layers of the plaster. The plaster used was from last year and the consistency was a bit more watered down the new compound that was delivered after I was complete. Since I used a brush to apply the compound, it left brush strokes which I used in my final design element. It took 24 hours for each of the coats of plaster to dry. I spr

For this project the criteria was to use an eight foot 2x2 piece of wood to create a formalist sculpture.  When creating this piece I wanted to a work of art that had a topsy turvy aesthetic. The bottom 2x2 is resting on a hard edge, while the other pieces connect off each side.  I cut and sanded out divots into the corner edges all along the interior angles of the wood. Each piece was sanded down to remove blemishes and to create a relatively smooth surface. To fasten the pieces together I used a countersink drill to make the initial holes and then drilled in two screws for each piece, creating stability. Once completely together, the divots were painted white and the remainder was painted black with acrylic paint. After drying, I made a design decision to scratch off the black layer to reveal the white underneath. Reminiscent of old country style, which goes against the more modern look of the overall piece.  If you look closely, one of the side pieces is attached differently than th

  2D Project - create an image using 2 objects in various sizes to simulate foreground and background fading out of view.  For this project I used two Willow Tree sculptures created by artist Susan Lordi to compose my project. As a military widow these two sculptures hold significant meaning. The foreground is composed of more Hero statues as it signifies more of the immediate grief after suffering loss. As you move toward the middle there is hope and grief mixed together. The background contains more hope then grief as you begin to find yourself again and move forward in your journey. Willow Tree Sculptures Hero and Soar Hero sculpture shadowed from various angles