Catching Up and Allied Arts

These last few weeks have been quite a blur. They have gone so very fast and I'm sure the next few will be just as hectic.

Since I last checked in my work has been accepted at Allied Arts in Richland, Washington. 

Only one piece went up since I was accepted only a day before new work wa to be hung. 

The awesome sauce news...that one piece sold in less than two weeks! Which means that the others will go up soon as well...

if you would like to see more timely updates on where my work is, be sure to like my Facebook art page. 

East Meets West: Artist Statement

Triptych: Unknown God
Watercolor
Unknown God 18x30
$350
Jesus or Shiva 7x18
$75
7x18
$75
(Prices for prints)

East Meets West is the result of the mixing of two distinct cultures and worldviews. As a student of Religious Studies and Philosophy, I find the mixing of religion and the lines that separate culture from religion fascinating. In the field of religious studies the term that is applied to the mixing and combing of seemingly contradictory religions and cultures is syncretism.

Talents, Mixed Media

My experiences before, after and during India have led me to create some works dealing with the meeting, clashing, and synchronization of my own religion, Christianity, and the beautiful aesthetic of Hindu culture. Eight months after traveling to India I am still trying to process my experience and have continued to immerse myself in the culture that I find so beautiful. To my surprise, returning home and actively observing American culture is teaching me almost as much as being in India did.

I find that learning about other cultures allows growth and a greater understanding of the world around you that can only be experienced when two worlds meet, clash, and synchronize with each other. East Meets West is just that, a syncretic mix of the Eastern culture and my own Western world views.



For more information or to follow my exhibition please check out the Event Page or my Facebook page.

#TheLilyPadProject Update Video

#TheLilyPadProject update Video

 

I have prints and greeting cards for sale! 
 
Check out my Portfolio to see Card Packs

All individual cards $5 each

Assorted Card packs (pick either watercolor or prints)

3 cards = $14
4 cards = $17
5 cards = $22
6 cards = $25

India Inspired Art

Be sure to check out my Indian Inspired Artwork in my Facebook gallery. I will be adding more to this album as time goes on and as more work is displayed in public. If you are interested in purchasing work please message me on Facebook or email me at FeliciaFollum (at) gmail (dot) com.

Some of the topics that my Indian Inspired Artwork addresses include Women in India, Trash, and the Mixing of Religion and Culture. 

Keep an eye out for my Artist Statement about my India Inspired Artwork to learn more and see how the body of work develops.
 

Watercolor Travel Kit

This is the travel kit that I will be taking to India with me.

 Watch the video to see how I fit all of my watercolor paints, water, two bowls, an eraser and even a brush in this little guy.

 You can also hear a bit about where I have taken my watercolor travel kit.



Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more art and India travel videos.

Talent Showoffs: Water LIlies+ Social Justice

I recently had the opportunity to have my artwork in Talent Showoffs, a local event for artists and musicians.  Here is the Artist Statement that I used for the event.

Felicia Follum, Water Lilies (Untitled), 11x15

My work combines social justice themed Fine Art with graphic design techniques and processes. I tend to use a variety of mediums. Through research and brainstorming I strive to develop a creative language to talk about current social issues as diverse as African American hair, the LGBTQ community and Christianity, and world water.


The work on display tonight is from my in-progress series dealing with human trafficking and sex slavery. Though water lilies are beautiful plants the eco system 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 human trafficking. The most basic, yet significant, comparison is the function of the lily pads. Each pad takes back energy to the root, which would otherwise shrivel up and die in the mud.

Since I am still in the process of creating water lilies to represent those who have been trafficked in the United States, there are many directions in which this body of work could travel.

Please check out my Facebook page or this blog to keep up with my work and learn more about the symbols and comparisons I am making.

Waterlilies and Prostitution

lily pad painting (early stages)

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.

Here is another example of how I am using water lily to represent and talk about sexual addiction.

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.

Snake and lizard Wall

Here are some of my snakes and lizard in-progress and finshed paintings.  I have 2 more in progress and 2 completed.  My completed works are currently in the University of Wyoming's Coe Library as a part of the Student Art League Exhibition, Encounters.

Chuckwallas

I am currently working on a series of snakes, lizards, and frogs. When people who are unfamiliar with watercolor or ink they tend to be surprised to watch the piece progress. When I was learning watercolor we had a joke that you have to ruin and then save it if you want a good piece in the end.

Here is my painting of a Chuckwallas from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science Snakes&Lizards exhibit.

This seems to be true for many of my paintings. They all go through a rough patch or two right before they work out.

These rough patches are what keep me going. I love the challenge of fixing what seems to be ruined.  

The finished work is up on my studio wall…

Subscribe to my newsletter to see the finished Chuckwallas and other paintings before they are seen online or at my open studio (August 17, from 3 - 7).

If you are interested in attending  my Open Studio Party RSVP or learn more follow this link.

Backpacking Artwork

My travel watercolor kit

I love love love water media.  I have been using ink for some time now, just recently took a watercolor class, and have fallen in love with both.  This past weekend I had to opportunity to go backpacking and painted some quick studies (two watercolor paintings and one ink drawing).  Which is your favorite.

Click here to see more watercolor photos.

You can read more about my backpacking and camping watercolor kit here. 

Staring out of our tent

The fire pit in the afternoon

A friend sitting by the fire pit

  

Backpacking Art Kit

I am currently packing up for a backpacking trip. It has been too long, almost 3 years since my last trip, and the last couple weeks, arguably months, have been way too busy, stressful, and painful for my own good.

I photographed some of my supplies figured I would share my traveling art supplies that I will be taking on this trip. I took a similar set to Haiti with me.

Keep reading to see what is inside this little guy...

Encounters

My final exhibition as a University of Wyoming student is a group showing put on by the Student Art League and is located on the third floor of Coe Library on the way back to the rare books library. This body of work will be up through the summer. If you get a chance to stop by it will be well worth the trip.

"This show features work from a small group of art students that represent the Student Art League at UW. Through the use of different media and techniques, this particular body of work focuses on human experience with animals. These encounters may be real or imaginary, and they ask the viewer to examine their own encounters, either those that took place in reality or those in dreams."

To see more of my snake and lizard paintings, check out my other scalia posts or my Facebook page.

University of Wyoming Art Museum

My painting (See more watercolors on my Facebook page).  Be sure to like it...

I am currently in my first painting class at the University level.  I have really been enjoying the process of learning to work with watercolor and certainly plan to continue to utilize the media.  I love using ink to draw and think that the two mediums will work well together.  The painting of the American Heritage Center/University of Wyoming Art Museum was a study we did the second week of class.  Achieving the dark color was a huge challenge.

Photo by Jason Urban on Pinteresting.com