My blog has moved to my website www.feliciafollum.com
My artwork tends to focus on social issues. I combine drawing, watercolor, ink and graphic design to create socially conscious work that communicates with the audience. In addition to creating art my passion extends to a desire to use my work to help others. Two ways include teaching kids art and helping to raise awareness.
I have been blessed with several incredible opportunities while here in Brazil!
One if the most exciting art opportunities I have had is this opportunity to be in an art exhibition with several local, extremely talented artists. The reception will be tonight!
You can see my drawings on the black panels in the background. I drew one a day while in the South of Brazil. Prior to coming to Brazilia, I spent one week in Foz do Iguassu touring and one month in Joinville working with US-Brazil Connect teaching English.
The artwork in the front is from some of the kids 300+ that I had in workshops while here in Brasilia.
I can't wait and will be sure to share more photos!
Ella: Any reason is a good reason to shoot off fireworks in India... Me (to Ella): Let's celebrate being in India by shooting off fireworks
One of my favorite days in Delhi was concluded by shooting off fire works and drinking King Fisher.
In
between touristy activities, time and workshops at Sanskriti Kendra,
art galleries and museums we were able to spend time with two artists
that my professors had lived next to and had gotten to know while they
lived in New Delhi, Delhi, India. It was great for several reasons. It
felt like it was a truly genuine Delhi experience. Also, Ella and
Prashanto's neighbors had just moved out the day before we went to hang
out so we even spent a couple days in our professors old house.
Before
shooting fireworks we walked from their place to the market, bougt
ingredients for supper, ate kabobs, visited the ATMs with AC, went into a
couple temples, and even purchased drinks at the liquor store, which as women in Delhi late at night was quite the experience.
After supper we shot fireworks and returned to where we were staying, beautiful Sanskriti.
This installation piece was inspired by my comparison of American
methods of dealing with trash and other countries. America tends to hide
our trash even though we have way more trash than most countries. I
compared this with the crazy amount of trash in the streets in India and
other countries I have visited. In addition to the visible differences
trash is often upcycled and reused in various ways. The reuse of trash
and recycling leads to various jobs as well.
The main topic in “The Locust Effect” breaks my heart. It is basically the argument that I made for my final project in my Ethical Philosophy of Global Justice class.
Violence and crime affect the poor. Trafficking, rape, and other forms of violence are problem of an unequal distribution of resources.
Though this book is specific to the developing world, it was seeing this poverty in my backyard as a kid that helped me to really see the problem of poverty for what it is.
Matt Damon recently put out a video with Water.org. The video really made me start thinking about what I saw in Haiti. I created this poster in response to some of the children....
...and I created the video response below to talk more about my experience in Haiti, why I think it is important to help other abroad as well as locally and to show off my graphic design world water poster.
I found this (well actually a friend shared it with me, knowing my fascination with all things art and India and social change through art and religious culture...) incredible campaign fighting against domestic violence in India. It compares Indian women to the Hindu goddesses addressing the contrast between women being beaten and worshiped.
Before I begin a graphics project I tend to ask several questions to help me get a better understanding of what the client desires.
Here are the questions I ask.
1. What is your business? Name? What do you do? Ideas? Images?
2. If you had to describe your desired/typical clients in a short paragraph what would you say about them? Age? Gender? Style? Culture? Class? Etc.
3. Is there anything else I need to know?
Other questions that may apply
What imagery are you leaning towards?
What are you trying to say with the imagery, that is not being said in the text or business name?
Do you want this type, image, or color heavy?
What questions do you ask your clients before beginning a project? Are they similar? Is there anything I forgot?
Thanks to all of you who have fought for what you believe in and are fighting for justice in your country and abroad today.
Here are a variety of ways to celebrate Memorial Day, originally Decoration Day.
1. Volunteer at the local soup kitchen (when I was in high school 70% of the homeless population was made up of veterans)
2. Donate used items to a shelter or other organization designed to help get people back on their feet (fight the war against poverty in your own backyard)
3. Spend time with a veteran with a disability today (or an elderly friend/neighbor.) Talk to him or her about how America has changed in their lifetime.
4. Make a gift basket, bake cookies, or cook supper for families with a parent overseas
7. Take an immigrant out for coffee. Learn his/her story. People who escaped hardship, brutality, or other negative aspects of their home country often have an extreme sense of pride in America.
8. Journal about how your family came to America. Most of us were immigrants at some point in time.
9. Pray for world peace, freedom and justice for all and be thankful for all that we do have in our country.
Another Proud (Beautiful) American
Do you have any family traditions for Memorial Day? If you do add them to my list. If not which idea above sounds the most intriguing?
Wether you have a BBQ, place flowers on a tomb, hold a flag, or hold a protest, I would suggest taking the day off and spending some time outside. I hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend, however you choose to spend it!!!
As many of you know I was fortunate to be able to take a trip to Haiti
last summer (2011). The goal of our group was to build a chicken coupe in a
small village community while spreading the Good News.
One of the cultural differences led to the Haitian males taking away
most of the American women’s jobs while working on the chicken house (polaye
in Creole). Though frustrating for some of the ladies in our group, this was a good
thing for two reasons. First, I strongly believe that it was our job to
equip people rather than do for them. And second (third, fourth and
fifth), this dynamic led to me being surrounded by tons of kids, and the opportunities to lead art lessons,
learn some Creole, and having the chance to spend quality time with one
of the older girls. One-on-one time with a role model of some sort is a
major need for many young women in Haiti. In fact if I go again I plan to take nail polish to share with the young women (probably women of all ages).
The photo above is me
teaching some of the order girls and young boys how to make paper beads. You can read more about the Upcycled paper beads in my tutorial. I also took around 60 friendship bracelet kits (just cut string ready to be braided or knotted) Using art to connect with people was a unique and beautiful experience. I went in with no Creole and some of the older kids knew how to count to 5 in English and say Miami. The art lessons allowed me to make friends with one of the families as well as some other kids and leaders in the community. Using art allowed us to teach each other basic language skills but also forces us to use sign language (actually having sign language experience was more beneficial than my Spanish) and other forms of communication such as body language and sounds.
I would love the opportunity to go back to the small village again, to
show the kids that it was not a one-time event, but rather a sincere
investment in their lives. I also have a small amount of money to take
back from selling my art in response to the first trip.
I hope everyone has a fantastic Black History Month!!! I wanted to share some artwork with you from my last exhibition titled "Make it Plain."
This video shows a piece names 1982 and talks about why I chose to create 230 nooses. The song playing in the background, Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday, was also written out in one of my books. As you will see he goal of my noose artwork was to help people understand a bit more about African American history and the racism that existed and to some extent still does exist. You can see images of the finished piece at the end of the video.
With estimates as high as 27 million slaves world wide and hundreds of thousands in the US it is obvious to me that much of my time needs to be spend on the topic of human trafficking. Through research that has gone into my Lily Pads series I have found a vast array of resources addressing human trafficking and would like to share some of my favorite with you.
IJM - Simply put IJM is a human rights organization that aids in the rescue of trafficking and other victims. IJM can be found on Facebook. There are advocacy pages for many states that can update you with specific information for your state. Find the Wyoming IJM Advocacy Group page here. To find your state search "___________ IJM Advocacy Group." If your state doesn't have one contact JusticeCampaign@ijm.org.
Photo taken in Art Alley, SD to use for inspiration.
Arts Aftercare - Arts Aftercare helps create art therapy kits to send to aftercare facilities throughout the world. Art is one of the most powerful tools when it comes to working with children, people who have experienced trauma, and when there is a potential language barrier. Currently 10% (or more) of all my sales will go to Arts After care. You can see more on the Arts Aftercare Facebook page.
JUBILEE - Curtis Romjue founder of Arts Aftercare is also a part of a not-for-profit band raising money for Arts Aftercare and other aspects of fighting slavery. You can find JUBILEE on Facebook.
Polaris Project - The Polaris Project has an international hotline that you can contact about all things trafficking. They have several databases and registries for all of the state and provide a plethora of other resources including a variety of trainings. As you read this enter their toll free number into your phone. 1-888-3737-888 Polaris Project Facebook
Not For Sale - This organization is working on behalf of vulnerable communities and offers apps that allow you to check how products have been made. Free2Work - This app grades brands on a A-F scale based on how they relate to child and forced labor. Slavery Map - Maps stories of slaves world wide The Underground Church Network - An invitation to all who have a faith based community. There is a specific branch for the Jewish community.
Many women's shelters, safe homes, police departments and other organizations have some training or knowledge on the topic. Though there is a good chance that they are not fully qualified to handle a trafficking situation.
What are some of the most helpful resources you have found on human trafficking and sex slavery.
Water Lilies are beautiful plants but the ecosystem that they have adapted to survive in is not so glamorous. The root system and underground workings of the plant are extremely complex and parallel the system that supports trafficking.
In my current artwork I am using lily pads to talk about human trafficking and sex slavery. For those of you who have been wondering how water lilies tie in with sex trafficking, keep reading. If you already have an idea, enjoy the pictures, look at more of my in progress lily pad art and keep reading just in case there is something new. Be sure to like my Facebook page while you are at it.
Detail of lily pad (early stages)
For starters, I am comparing of the underground root system of the plants to networking system of human trafficking, prostitution, and sex slavery. The intricate roots are located in dirty, slug and leech infested waters several feet below the surface. Traffickers and pimps manage to go unnoticed and stay just below the surface under the guise of a massage parlor owner or one of many other professions. The dirty water tends to be hidden by the beauty of the flowers much like the happenings in the sex industry are disguised by the women with tough skin and fake smiles.
Waterlilies can often have up to 50 lily pads all connected to, and working for, the one root system. In larger species such as the Amazon Waterlily these lily pads can grow up to 6 feet in diameter. The edges and underside often times have sharp spines and air pockets. The lily pads bring back chlorophyll to the roots and the beautiful flowers often bring back oxygen and allow the plant to reproduce.
Beginning of some watercolors and upcycled shrinky dink
With their impressive size it is no surprise that this gorgeous and aggressive plant can easily take over a lake and choke out all other life in a body of water. These plants have learned to adapt for survival even if it is at the expense of other life. Many of the women and children in the industry have been forced to survive often times at the expense of each other. This keeps them submissive and trustworthy allowing the viscous cycle of sex slavery to continue.
These are just the basics of my analogy for this body of artwork developed by significant research. As I continue to research and develop the ideas further I will share more.
I created this handbill design in response to the controversy surrounding a "law criminalizing the homeless" which was passed in Denver this past May.
I have always enjoyed being around homeless people, helping them, and learning from them. Experiences while living in Rapid City included volunteering monthly at the Mission, reading the Bible with a couple people when I worked at a downtown Bible and Book store, and volunteering for Food not Bombs. These experiences in addition to spending time with various homeless people in downtown Denver have given me a unique perspective and understanding of individual's situations.
Many of the stories I have heard help one to see the humanity in those living in poverty. Once you start to hear and understand why someone is living on the streets, it becomes easier to empathize with them. Many homeless are war veterans struggling with addiction and mental disorders, or women and children who escaped abusive situations.
TO lean more about the law check out the following links
As many of you know I have been creating a series of artwork focusing on the water lily.
This video is composed of my Rocky Mountain Water Lily photos from this summer.
I took all of the photos in Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone National Parks.
Which photo is your favorite? I like the colors in the last one the best.
I had a large variety of work on display. My current work took up about half of the space. Snakes and lizards on one wall and water lilies and lily pads (see image) on a second wall. I had some of my posters as well as a portfolio of my Make it Plain show on display. Some photographs of the building just for fun and jewelry were on display as well.
I am so very thankful for everyone who came to my Open Studio night. We estimated that between 60 and 80 people trickled in and out. The studio space is pretty small so it stayed full most of the night which made the evening go quickly.
If you were not able to make it, be sure to subscribe to my monthly newsletter, follow my Facebook page and keep up with this blog to see some of what you missed.
It was great to share my art with everyone. There will definitely be another studio night in the future.
1. I gained an understanding about communication and languages…. though I am not sure how, this concept/new understanding could be used in the future. Read more about communicating while in Haiti. Communication Part 1 Part 2
7. Poster on children and death (or other) statistics. Knowing that Mikindy, a 2 month old boy that I held, is much 10 times more likely to die by age 2 than an American child, is pretty sad.
8. This trip brings back memories of the Home Depot clay pot factory in Tecate, Mexico…Maybe a poster could be created on this…This concept (and others) could easily be morphed into another zine.
9. I would still like to Create jewelry for the girls next time I go back (could create one small bracelet for every photograph, or other Haiti work sold)...Though creating jewelry would be great, it would also work well to cut the embroidery floss and teach the kids how to make bracelets. This might mean more to the kids.
10. Think of more art projects for the kids to take back (I made bracelets and paper beads with the kids. They loved both)
11. The political graffiti had great textures...not sure how to use this
