emilyhoutz

Painted Furniture Beginnings... more is still to come

2011-10-18T10:22:00.001-05:00

In HS the art club got the privilege of painting the stools used in the art classroom. I painted mine like Edvard Munch's Scream painting. I thought I did a good job replicating it. It even survived my art teacher sitting on it before it was completely dry. The school stool inspired me and when I went home I found a stool there I could paint. This lovely metal stool was in my dad's workroom. I loved painting on it and always keep my eye open for more of these. I was unfortunately broke when a bunch of them were being auctioned off a few years back. I just love the colors in this stool. It had planted a seed inside of me, a love for the application of beauty/art to practical, functional things. Not everyone appreciates wall art, but if you have an odd piece of furniture that needs some TLC, consider creating a work of art. I have found that when I do this, those pieces that are lucky enough to have me paint them become favorites.

Pen and Ink

2011-10-17T09:08:00.000-05:00

All are 6" x 6", Pen and Ink, on Bristol

I'm back again... lol

2011-04-03T18:38:00.000-05:00

Okay, so since I've re-emerged I have also been getting really busy in the studio. Here is some updates of what I've been up to:

I have rolled out my dot-com... www.emilyhoutz.com is now the go-to place for everything I do and all I am connected to online and in the art world. I really had fun designing it this week and after a little frustration getting it live online, it's it there and ready.

I am marbleizing paper with some help from my daughter, Allison who is 8. It is quite the process and I have converted my entire studio to this project until I'm done, maybe about a week. I am taking pics as I go. What will I do with the marbleized paper? 1. I will use it in my stamped art (see below). 2. I will make origami boxes with them just like when I was a kid. :)

I am also back to beading fairly regularly. I make glass beads using a torch and this is really fun. I am waiting for some bins I ordered to arrive that are just the right size for glass rods. I am all for a nicely organized studio. I was lucky enough to introduce someone new to the art of making glass beads. It really is fun to know other people who also make beads in my same town.

Stamped art? Well I have made a few stamps recently that are about 4" x 6". These will serve as focal points for some art that might be called collage but barely. I will layer paper, like marbleized paper, behind a stamped image as sort of a frame/mat before matting and framing. My mom was lovely enough to pick up some more stamp blocks for me to carve on her recent trip back to Omaha. They have a Dick Blick and I am jealous. Thanks Mom!

I also redesigned the Wichita Handmade website (www.wichitahandmade.com) and am pleased with the more custom look than we had before.

I think that's everything that I've been up to lately.

I'm Baaaaack!

2011-01-12T12:46:00.002-06:00

Hello,

It has been sooooooooo long since I posted, but I am creating a Facebook Fan Page and wanted to link to my blog so I thought I had better update it. I will start updating a little more frequently.

I will post things going on in Wichita Handmade. An ETSY street team that I am involved in.

Also, I will be posting, as usual, things going on in my studio. The big news there is not what's going on in it right now, but that I actually have one! We bought a house last March (that has kept me really busy) and the entire basement is my STUDIO!!!!!!!!

I have workspace to paint, make glass beads, draw, assemble, carve stamps, make jewelry, and whatever else I feel inspired to do! It should be fun so keep an eye out!

I will be working on my fan page and updating this blog for a little bit and had better get back to it. Have a nice day and stay warm.

SALE

2009-05-08T10:49:00.003-05:00

Art sale tomorrow:

Secret Gallery

300 N Meridian

Wichita, Kansas

9:00 am - 1:00 pm

a bunch of artisans from Wichita Handmade will be bringing their wares to sell!

Also, check out the website @ www.WichitaHandmade.com

Happenings

2009-01-26T15:41:00.003-06:00

I may have graduated last month (Hooray!) but I am keeping busy. Today I am applying to grad schools which can be an expensive proposition. I am really anxious to know where I might be come fall.

Also, I have been busy getting my Etsy shop filled with anything and everything I can. Tomorrow I will add about 70 wine charms I made from glass beads that I made. It has been fun and interesting figuring out the Etsy stuff... now hopefully I will get a sale sometime soon (hint, hint).

Oh! I have an art show this Friday at Twist in Wichita, KS. If you're near, come out and see it. I will be showing my child paintings and will offer a discount for sales during the show. That is really exciting news actually. Maybe I should've put it first.

I also have an interview this week for a gallery manager position. Wish me luck for the interview. I really need to make some money as I wait to see what grad school develops.

Share the Wealth - Buy Art!

2008-12-05T13:31:00.002-06:00

Announcement: Just in time for Christmas!

I thought I'd let you all know first that you can now buy my art directly from me! Please check out my etsy shop, you will find a link on the left sidebar. If interested in a piece you see on the blog that is not on the etsy shop, let me know and I will move it up in line.

Thanks and enjoy!

Take my survey!

2008-10-18T10:39:00.002-05:00

Hey fellow art appreciators. Thanks for viewing my blog. I have added a survey at the bottom to get a feel for what is most appreciated here. Please take the time and let me know what you like. Also, check back in about a week for more pictures of work and talk about writing an artist statement!

My Show: On-line

2008-10-07T09:49:00.002-05:00

My show at the RSC Gallery ended on Friday. Here are some images of the show. Overall I had good responses and reactions. Later I may post some of the comments that were left. Thank you for looking.

New Painting!

2008-09-11T10:30:00.003-05:00

(Click Image to Enlarge)

Untitled
Oil on Canvas
16 x 26

Finally I got a painting relating to smoking. This topic is a strong one for me personally. I felt strong enough about it to do my English 2 research paper on the topic. The paper was more specific about my research and personal feelings about the topic than the painting is. The reason for this is that I do not want my paintings to be a grouping of my beliefs, but rather a springboard for any viewer to navigate their own viewpoints. Hopefully this process will either change or solidify your personal viewpoint. Everyone has heard that smoking is bad for your health, it's even printing directly on the packaging. But what isn't always stressed is the effects of second-hand and streamline smoke on children. Streamline smoke is the smoke coming off the end of the cigarette. It is different from second-hand smoke because it doesn't go through the filter and thus contains more toxins than second-hand smoke. Without going into all the research and findings of the harms smoking causes children, this painting suggests a relationship that appears enticing yet harmful. Not only can this talk about children exposed to smoke, but teenagers that are drawn to smoking at an early age through peer pressures. If you want to know all the effects of smoking on children, I have a link to the surgeon general. Feel free to educate yourself on the topic, unlike some people.

The beginning of the end

2008-08-22T21:21:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was my first day of my last semester of undergrad! In a few short months I will have a certified degree of art! I cleaned my studio at school and readied it for production. I am in full gear getting ready for my show next month. I ordered the postcards today which will have one of the "fetus fotos" on the front. I spent today at my mom's studio where she helped me get a couple ceramic pieces done for the show. Just wait until you see them! (Photos will follow after firing). I will keep you all updated as this semester progresses. Thanks for following my life and my work.

Summer Update

2008-08-05T22:46:00.003-05:00

Ok, so there's not much to report, I haven't been in the studio all Summer but I did complete two more classes leaving only four for the Fall and then I AM DONE! I have a few pieces in mind to finish before my solo show at the student center on campus. The dates of the show are Sept. 22 - Oct. 3. I will print postcards closer to the date (and when I know when my opening party will be). If you would like a postcard let me know, personally I collect them from artists I know or like. I would love for everyone who can to come to the opening for a fun party. I am soooo anxious for this semester to begin, because it is my last and I thought it would never come.

As an aside, my daughter starts Kindergarten next week (yikes! biting nails. shaking head. crying.) She is getting excited and seems to be less nervous about meeting new friends now than before (she is a shy girl).

Censor Baby

2008-04-26T18:45:00.002-05:00

Censor Baby
Oil on Canvas
26 x 36 ish

Censor Baby is my latest work, completed only two days ago. I wanted to break into the post birth stages of my concept, away from fetuses for now. The issues of childhood are more concrete in people's minds than issues dealing with the pre-born. Pre-birth issues are made abstract by the conversations we have about them currently. My thoughts are that if we thought of unborn babies as just babies many of the issues would be more clear cut. Clear cut as in widely accepted like the issues involving young children. One of these issues I am attempting to deal with in this painting is Sexual Abuse. It is definitely a difficult issue to talk about yet not talking about it can lead to a silent acceptance of it. I find painting a valuable language to talk about such issues. Everyone can understand an image and more can be said in a brief viewing than a thousand words. Also, images stick with you. If they have any impact on you at all, an image can stick with you and reemerge later. For this image I chose a baby for various reasons: one is to push the extreme in order to create a stronger reaction, another is that babies are still innocent enough that a photo of a baby without any clothes on is normal and I am not trying to change that. But as soon as I put censor bars on the same image it creates a very different reaction. Atop this reaction is the fact that the censor bars on the painting are magnetic and removable. A viewer might ask: should they be removed? can I removed them? what would people think about me if I did? The whole idea is to get people to think about their actions and how it might reflect upon them and affect other people.

Announcement:

2008-04-24T12:44:00.002-05:00

I have been invited to have another solo show at the RSC Gallery here at WSU for next semester. The show will run from September 22nd until October 3rd. It will feature my more recent works such as the fetus paintings and photos and any work I may create before then. More details are sure to follow as I choose an opening date and send out postcards. I hope you will consider dropping in on my show if you are in Wichita during that time... I know you have enough advance notice... maybe too much, but I'll remind you later. Thanks!

And now...

2008-04-17T13:32:00.002-05:00

Okay. So the blog and you are caught up to this point. I don't have more artwork completed that I wanted to include at this time. If any past artwork becomes relevant I will include them, but for now this is it. I do have one in the works and what will have from now on is I will post them as I complete them. You will have an up-to-date account of what I am doing. So thank you for looking at my blog and my art and please continue to do so as more become available.

Untitle: Fetus 2

2008-04-17T13:14:00.005-05:00

(Click Image to Enlarge)

Untitled
Oil on Canvas
16 x 30

Where to begin? There is a lot going on in this painting. Maybe if I walk you through its development it will at least make more sense to me and is as good as any other order of information. So here goes. I knew I wanted to implant if you will a fetus into a chrysalis as a metaphor for the womb. When thinking how to represent this and trying to stay along the lines of my previous diagramical rendering style I recalled some architectural drawings done with this blue background and white linear elements. I liked how the background in the architectural drawings was never a perfect flat blue. I incorporated this element by scratching words into the wet blue paint of the background. I was happy with the effect. But what words did I use you ask? I found the text of a presidential speech talking about human rights before birth. I used choppy pieces of the entire text for space reasons but picked out key phrases about acts signed to protect unborn victims of violence and such and finally to conclude a phrase pulled from the text stating that "human life is a gift from our creator." The text does not stand out and would be difficult to follow if reading straight through but some key words do pop out which is more than you get in the binary code of the previous image. I felt it successful when my daughter asked what the words say - at least she knew words were present.

0 + 1 =

2008-04-16T14:36:00.005-05:00

(Click Image to Enlarge)

0 + 1 =
Oil on Canvas
28 x 36

A common discussion regarding unborn human rights including that of pro-life or pro-choice is the debate of when exactly does life begin. I wanted to present this question in an image. To do this I brought together the two elements needed to create a human life. I left the rest of the question open. Personally, I don't have a clear picture as to the answer either. My biology class this semester has forced me to rethink my previous opinions especially when presented with the issue of stem cell research, but that's another painting. The egg and sperm were actually an answer to a technical issue. I knew I wanted the binary code in the background, but what to put with it or over it? I wanted the code as just that - code. But rather than throw random 0s and 1s on the canvas not knowing when they meant I wanted them to mean something relevant to the painting. The answer was fairly easy to find. The code is a short passage from Genesis, not even a whole verse. It says, "God created man in his own image." Now I had to think of imagery to put with it. I didn't think a fetus quite fit but with a little thought I pictured an egg and a sperm and recognized their forms' similarities to the 0s and 1s. Ah ha! What better connection to the binary and to the fetus? None! I titled this "0 + 1 =" as a simple mathematical equation for which the answer is "a human life." (side note: for all you literalists out there, I enlarged the sperm compared to the egg as a formal device to closer relate it to the number reference and for no other reason.)

It's the beginning of the end...

2008-04-16T13:34:00.002-05:00

Today I had my last appointment with my adviser. As we finished and I said thank you I made sure to point out this fact. It is the last time I will register at WSU. This realization leads to another - that next semester will be my last semester at WSU. I will graduate in December of this year with a BA. At this I am both excited and sad. I guess one might say it is bittersweet. As I am picking my last classes I am running out of options which is an indicator of what I have completed. I may sound like any senior or graduate, but I thought this day would never come (even though it hasn't just yet, but I see the light at the end of the tunnel). I just kept taking classes and going to school like business as usual, not really seeing an end or even looking for it. Maybe that's what makes seeing the end such a surprise. I guess I don't know where I'm going with this, but today's realization hit me and I felt like sharing. Now maybe I'll get back to posting my images... I have a couple more before I'm caught up (or you're caught up because I already know what's coming).

Figure 1

2008-04-15T12:59:00.004-05:00

(Click Image for Enlargement)

Figure 1
Oil on Canvas
20 x 24

This is where it gets interesting, at least for me in process and for those who have viewed this piece. It definitely is more loaded than the previous images. Done with a schematic drawing in mind, the fetus is represented as more of an idea, something in the works, and as a finished project. I used different branding or labeling devices such as the fetus logo stamped both in the corner of the page and on the fetus itself thus showing ownership of the idea. The other brand/label comes on the forearm of the fetus in the form of numbers. This can be read in a couple ways, my initial intention was to correlate it with the identification tattoos given to camp prisoners. This process dehumanizes its carrier by removing the use of ones name. I hoped to correlate this to fetuses and the continuing discussion of when a human life begins and would it be so easy to terminate such life if names were used. Essentially this is a back door attempt at my concept, somewhat of a devil's advocate approach. This seemed to be more successful in group critiques and evoked empathy from the viewer for the subject.

Untitled: Fetus

2008-04-15T12:51:00.003-05:00

(Click Image for Enlargement)

Untitled: Fetus
Oil on Canvas
26 x 36

For this painting I wanted to represent the fetus in a warm and safe environment. I also wanted to stylize it somewhat to encourage a positive reaction to the image itself. I wanted to portray the fetus as aesthetically pleasing as I could. I wanted to draw the viewer in and then to hopefully gain more respect for the fetus in the process. To this end it was successful, but did not drive home my concept as much as following paintings do. This painting is what I call an important stepping stone to the next ones. As a side note, my five-year-old daughter saw this painting and her first question was, "Mommy, what is that baby doing in your throat?"

Circle of Life

2008-04-15T10:19:00.008-05:00

(Click Image for Enlargement)

Circle of Life

Oil on Canvas
28 x 34

This is an image of an umbilical cord formed in a circle to emphasize the connection between mother and child. It is suspended as a fragile representation of this relationship. The cord is the same colors as the background as though it has absorbed the background or is reflective of its surroundings. The colors are pulled from skin tones of just born babies. This is the first painting approaching this concept. I may use the cord in future paintings as a symbol of this life connection.

Spring Semester 2008

2008-04-15T10:05:00.003-05:00

My current work this semester is dealing with a heavier issue than I have worked with previously. Using the fetus fotos as a springboard I have launched into a child advocacy cause through art. I want to deal with issues of quiet (or not so quiet) child abuse stemming from adult selfish behavior. What does this mean? you ask. Well, a prime example and the subject of my English term paper is the effects of second-hand smoke on children. I won't go into all the details of the specific effects smoking has on children, just suffice to say that it's bad. In the paper's title I called smoking the accepted child abuse and I supported that claim with facts from my research. This issue is an ideal example of what I'm shooting for because I view smoking as a "selfish behavior" on the part of adults. The fact that this behavior is selfish isn't the end of the story but that it negatively affects innocent children surrounding this behavior is my key point. Children of smoking adults can be negatively affected for the rest of their lives even when removed from the adverse environment. It can be a learned behavior to become smokers themselves but even if they do not smoke later in life, these children can face life altering health issues from the early exposure such as asthma, allergies, etc. Okay, I said I would go into the details so I'll just leave it at that. After all, this is just one issue I want to touch on but is a good example of the other issues that may present themselves in my current art. Smoking is one issue too that I have not made a piece about as of yet (so don't look for it just yet) but only because I haven't developed a satisfactory method for this issue. I want to get it right. Please look at the other paintings though and keep in mind my goal. You will find I have already employed several ways of getting at the issue and dealing with different aspects of it. I will post one painting at a time in order to talk about each with a little more depth. They are not a series that can be talked about as a whole like some of my previous work. They deal with a similar topic but can be viewed individually. Unlike some of my other work that I feel is more complete as a group, these an stand on their own. Thank you for viewing my art and please feel free to comment.

Fetus Fotos

2008-04-14T20:20:00.006-05:00

First, to answer most people's first question - it is not a real fetus. It is a sculpture I created for my handbuilding with clay class. For the project I made an ash tray in the shape of two lungs as bowls. Inside one lung was a stiff, a body about four inches in length that looked like it belonged in a coffin. The other lung housed this fetus. It was interesting that smokers were drawn to the ash tray for its size and depth. I left the clay unglazed so the surface held all the ashes and soot. It collected the junk from smoking just like a smoker's lung or a smoking mother's unborn child. It was also interesting to watch smokers use the ash tray and jokingly put their cigs out on the stiff's face or anywhere inside the lungs. However, the fetus was continually avoided. It was virtually clean when the ash tray broke and I re-purposed the fetus. Below you will find the first venture into the fetus as I photographed the form under a projector with patterns or words. I took these shots because I wanted to have the fetus come to life through art. We take pictures of our kids from the moment they are born and especially on significant occasions. I wanted to include the fetus stage in this significant periods of life. This very well could be my daughter (or a photo of a sculpture of her). Something I could put in the scrapbook. Also, this is a sag way into my current stream of paintings. This is the inspiration point for them and the initial imagery. Watch future posts for correlations.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial, DC

2008-04-14T20:01:00.003-05:00

(Click Image for Enlargement)

Vietnam Veterans Memorial, DC
Oil on Canvas
30 x 40

I hoped to capture the experience of being at the memorial as I experienced it. I painted the wall with swirls from my fingers to represent the many touches of visitors as they connected with the names of loved ones or such. Not directly connected to any names I felt uneasy about touching the wall and abstained from doing so. The figures are taken from a photograph I took while there.

Figure Painting

2008-04-14T19:56:00.005-05:00

Figure Painting
Summer 2006
Oil Paint
16 x 24
Live Models
3 hour sessions
(click image to enlarge for details)

Allison

2008-04-14T19:52:00.005-05:00

(Click Image for Enlargement)

Intro. to Acrylic
Fall 2005
Acrylic on Canvas
16 x 20
Inspiration: DeGas
Model: Allison, 3 years old.

Kent Photos

2008-04-14T19:40:00.005-05:00

This is a series of my brother Kent who is the subject for two paintings previously posted. These photographs are each 8 x 10 prints from 35 mm film. Initially I intended this photo session to be used for source images for paintings but they turned out better than I had hoped and good enough to stand on their own. I wouldn't want to try to "improve" them by painting them. They do the work of a painting. I also thought they could make interesting emoticons. What do you think?

Kent

2008-04-14T19:21:00.002-05:00

This was also created during the Spring semester of 2006 in into. to oil painting class. It measures 24 x 30 inches. When Painting Kent I have two goals I could employ. The first being using paint methods that bring out his personality so much that it outshines his perceived disability. You will see this done in the previously posted painting with the blue background. You immediately see his personality, but if you were to meet him (or people like him) on the street you would see his down syndrome first. I wanted to get around this. That leads to my other goal which I employed in this painting with the yellowish background. That is to apply various filters to the image that it would mask his disability from being immediately recognizable. However, the filters are not so strong that it eliminates these unique features, because they are part of him. I just wanted to give him the chance we have and that is to be seen or not seen for who he is, not what he has. It is okay with me that viewers even overlook this image to a degree rather than him standing out from the crowd because of his features.

Kent

2008-04-09T19:14:00.001-05:00

Oil on Canvas
18 x 24

I painted this one in Intro. to Oil Painting, Spring of 2006. I have another on of my brother Kent, watch for it in a later post. I think the image speaks for itself.

Ribbons

2008-04-09T19:00:00.001-05:00

Ribbon Paintings (beware a psychedelic nature). I created these Fall of 2007. They are Oil on Board, 18 x 24. I wanted to work more abstractly and objectively- paint for paint's sake sort of thing. To begin, I realized and utilized a theme in many of my paintings, drawings, photographs and other projects - stripes. I used stripes in my child paintings, I used stripes in my fetus photographs (watch for that post to come), and I used stripes in graphic design assignments - I love stripes! So I definitely wanted to do something with stripes. Ribbons were a natural source for stripes since I see ribbon as one long stripe itself. A ribbon is a unique object in that it is essentially two dimensional, but when twisted, folded, knotted, looped - it is pushed into the third dimension. The forms possible and created by ribbons are ones that I enjoy, slap a few stripes on there and you get art!

Epilepsy Series

2008-04-09T18:46:00.002-05:00

I created this series in the Spring of 2007. The first four in the series are 48 x 48, Oil on Board. The last four are 18 x 24 irregular, Oil on Board. I created this series as a reflection and closure to my experience with childhood epilepsy. Each image means something and is significant and may raise questions. However, I would like to deal with those questions as they come. First, though, I want to see what people think without any leading, especially anyone who might've experienced similar things (if you did, I would love to hear your response). Thank you for checking out my art!

Child Series

2008-04-09T14:59:00.001-05:00

I created this series during the Fall semester in 2006. They are Oil on Board, 18 x 24. I was investigating the discrepancies between how children view the world versus how adults do. This stems from my personal awareness of my perceptions as a child and those now that I am an adult. One of these concepts is time. As a child, Summer lasted forever with lots of outside play, it seemed I would never grow up (who wanted to?), and waiting five minutes for mom seemed like an eternity. Today I can barely hold on to Summer long enough to notice it, I still don't feel all grown up, but five minutes is something that all to often eludes me. I have several ways to bring the concept of time into my paintings: I used a single horizon line like a time line in the background and as the only element in the background of any painting, I used the bubble, and just the use of children eludes time too. Another concept I incorporated is a child's world being secluded from it's surrounding, as in a world of their own, such the omitting of such distracting surroundings. Also, the inclusion of child-made drawings further implicates a skewed reality. Many of the clothing the children are wearing have striping. This is not particularly conceptual but a personal preference. Finally, the children are are me and my siblings, keeping the information personal to me but hopefully it is still relateable to many viewers.

Thank you for viewing my Child Series. Please let me know what you think!

Art Show Images!

2008-03-01T15:09:00.001-06:00

Child Paintings (for lack of a better title):

2008-03-01T13:19:00.000-06:00

As an introduction to my first series I have attached a link to an article about my solo show of this series. It appeared the the Wichita State University campus newspaper, The Sunflower. I need to finish photographing all the paintings so I can post a slide show of them. Thank you for your interest.

The Sunflower Article: Emily Houtz, Artist

Watch this SPOT!

2008-02-29T15:04:00.000-06:00

I am pleased to introduce my blog.

Mission Statement (of sorts):

It will be devoted to chronically my art "career." Watch for upcoming posts of art that I have created in Undergraduate. I will begin with images of painting series in the order that I produced them, there will be three series. Once I get you caught up, I will post things as they come - when I complete a painting or series. I will also through in some retrospectives that were not included in the three series when I feel like it or when prompted by other happenings or if it relates to what I am currently doing. As if I needed to state: I reserve the right to alter these statements as I see fit, when I see fit.

Thank you for your interest in my first personal blog. Feel free to visit my family blog.