Team Members BIO and comments

Entries: July 7, 2008

July 14, 2008

The following critiques, comments and biographical notes were submitted by AmeriCorps volunteers to create a booklet documenting the making of the Mesquite Historic District ceramic mural. 

Johanna Royo

The wall on Campo Street was achieved through collaboration and one selected design.  As a starting point for ideas, each artist sketched an individual plan for the wall.  Some artists used a computer program such as Adobe Illustrator, while others (myself included) simply used paper with colored pencil, marker, etc. After we completed our designs, we collectively chose Robyn Midi’s composition for its bold expression of color and stylized desert landscape features.

Glazing the design upon the tiles didn’t require great artistic skill, but it did take hand strength to squeeze little bottles of glaze for several consecutive hours.  The glaze colors were designated through a number labeling system to take the guesswork out of the color scheme.  This may have made our work more technical and less creative than if each of us had had choices in the matter; however, it did allow the project to be completed quickly and efficiently.  

            The process of glazing tiles brought about valuable and challenging experiences. I learned that it takes great creativity and soul searching to do monotonous work. We found ways to insert intellectual stimulation through imaginative conversations and wonderful sessions of Scrabble.  In the end, the greatest satisfaction came from the inspirational words of Ken Wolverton, who aided us in seeing the value our work will bring to the heart of the community

Rebeccah Lopez

            At the beginning of this process I was excited to be involved with the design and layout of the mural. My art form is ceramics so working with tile was very familiar. I am naturally drawn to organic forms and wanted to incorporate that into my designs. For my initial design I began to think about plant life native to Southern New Mexico. This included prickly pears, and various flowers. I chose to use very vibrant colors to make the image pop and to emphasize detail within each image. I enjoyed this process because it allowed me to express myself on a two dimensional level. After the group chose the final design we were on our way to transferring, outlining, and glazing each individual tile. This process to me was very time consuming and tedious. After a couple of days of repetitive application of various glazes with my fellow AmeriCorps, I found myself wondering how all of this would come together.  We tried very hard to not kill each other and found ways to entertain ourselves, one being the game of Scrabble. On the final day of glazing we all realized that we had finished. This was a bit of a surprise given that we still had at least a week left. Once Ken started to piece together each tile one by one, the mural started to come together. I was happy to see that all of our long hours were finally paying off. This process was not what I had hoped it would be, but turned out to work out in the end. I am looking forward to seeing the final installation.

Catherine Disanza  

            As a performing artist, I am not used to being involved in visual projects. However, this year I have tried to expand my perspective as a performer to include a focus on the visual, viewing the stage as a canvas. So any opportunity to think in visual terms helps me as a performer as well.  

            In the design process, I enjoyed the opportunity to think creatively with very open possibilities. Working with computer design programs was new to me, so the process was a challenge. Though I enjoyed design work, I was more impressed with the work of some of my colleagues than my own. I was excited about the design that Robyn created, which became the basis of our mural.

            The glazing process was at times tedious and tiresome because it involved less creativity. It was difficult to envision the finished process while working on a micro-scale by glazing individual tiles. However, I enjoyed opportunity to bond with my colleagues in a relaxed environment. I'm sure that seeing the completed mural will be very exciting and make this part of the process worth the effort.

            This project enabled me to gain a lot of respect for public art pieces and all that goes into creating them. I also really enjoyed working with Ken, who was enthusiastic and encouraging throughout the process.

Robyn Midi

As an art major I was excited initially when I found out that we would be spending the summer working on a mural project. When I later discovered that we would be working with tile, my enthusiasm wavered a bit as ceramics is not my strong suit.

Meeting Ken and seeing his past work and what can be accomplished with tile and glaze got me more interested in the project. We approached the mural from the perspective of painters which for me made the entire process much more comfortable, I was able to use my knowledge and skill with painting and drawing and apply it to the design of the mural.

I enjoy working with color, my idea for the mural design was to use simple shapes that were easily recognizable without going into too much detail and then fill them in with lots of color, something that would be easily recognizable from a car moving at 30 mph, but would also be aesthetically pleasing to someone pausing to stand in front of it.

I spent many hours on the design of the mural and coloring it. My enthusiasm again began to wane in the monotony of squeezing bottles of color onto tiles in sections, without having any mental image of the greater picture and final product. As the test tiles come out firing by firing, and get put together I am pleased with the result. The fired tiles are very similar to what I had in mind for my initial design, but you can also see the artistic liberties taken in the application of the glaze. I am very proud to see my work on these tiles and am excited to see it completed and hung.

Initial design from week working with Ken to brainstorm design idea

Second panel of final design

ASHLEY EMMERT

When it came to brainstorming for design ideas, not being from New Mexico and therefore not knowing much about the local vegetation, I attempted to incorporate what I knew about mythology. One of my favorite American Indian myths is “When Raven Stole the Sun.” I also used another prominent character, coyote, which is always playful, somewhat mischievous, and in life for the pure pleasure it can offer. Once I realized the design for the wall was heading in a more vegetative style, I stemmed off from these two characters, designing either side of my central idea with desert and river, for the Rio Grande, with either desert plants or more green plants respectively. My design ideas were not incorporated in the end, but I am still attached to what I came up with. However, if I had known at the beginning of the process that we should have been focusing on a different design, I think I would have felt better about the time I dedicated to the design process if I could have helped work on the preferred design rather than putting hours into a design unused. In the end, my own personal design ideas did not make it into the mural and I do not feel the pride of partial ownership that students and artists have felt on past projects who were able to contribute their own design into the final project.

I count myself fortunate to be able to see the process for the first time, working with ceramic tiles and how the business of putting up a mural works. It’s nice to know the days of squeezing paint out of tiny bottles onto tile will result in contributed art piece in a city I lived in and grew to love.

Rebecca Kiernan

In the initial phase of the design, we created sketches for the wall.  It was interesting that we all came up with similar regional themes for the mural without being prompted to do so.   Ken was instrumental in pulling together and critiquing our images, and Robyn was responsible for the final design, which became the mural. 

In the second phase of the mural process, the design was projected into actual size, and then traced onto ceramic tiles, where we filled in the colors.  This was a long and tedious process, but it was a great way to get to know those working closely around us, as well as Ken, who is fun and interesting to work with. 

The final phase of the mural is the firing and installation of the ceramic tiles, which we will not be a part of.  This is the process that I would like most to be involved with, so as to learn new skills, but time does not allow for it. 

In hindsight, I would have liked to have contributed more creatively to the project.  Working on the mural was very monotonous once the design process was over, and the fact that we would not be able to see the mural as a finished project added to the tediousness, however I am sure that the final product will be a wonderful sight for those who will drive past to see.

Sarah Pfohl

Local flora, specifically the circular, flat/faceted form of the prickly pear, inspired my initial design ideas. Over the course of our ‘design week’ I worked to craft images in response to the themes and elements I found we collectively gravitated toward- the mountains, local flora and strong color statements. I aimed to make strongly graphic designs such that, in execution, an overall design structure could be easily maintained while personal choices, in terms of texture, patterning, etc., could be made in larger areas during glaze application.   

A desire to understand more deeply how visual art can have positive social impact and create change brought me to Las Cruces/CYC/Alma as an AmeriCorps. Working on this project has added a new dimension to my understanding of the ‘activist artist’ and given me fluency in a new approach and medium I will actively seek out more opportunities to use.

Born and raised in Central New York State, Sarah Pfohl received a BFA in Drawing from Pratt Institute in 2005.  

July 7, 2008

Abby Lansing graduated from Otterbein College with a BA in Art and a concentration in Visual Communications.  She has enjoyed her experience working with tile and has lined up a new mural project for the fall of 2008. 

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David Carbajal - very difficult at times ... but reminding me how fun it is to be apart of something so big

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Johanna Royo is a voice/music teacher with a BM and MM in vocal performance.  She will be moving to Tucson, AZ in the fall to pursue a Ph.D. in Music Education at U of A.  Thanks to the artistic merit of Ken Wolverton, Ms. Royo has found the color-by-number process to have been a transformative experience.

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The brilliant music composer, Justin Raines has a BM in Music Theory and Composition from NMSU.  "As soon as the feeling in my finger tips returns from all the glazing, I' m sure the experience will be somewhat valuable.  Ken was cool."

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Rebecca Kiernan has a degree in English with Secondary Education and a minor in art from Geneseo State University in New York.  "Working with Ken for a whole month has greatly sharpened my coloring abilities."

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Caity Disanza graduated from Emory University with a BA in Theater Studies.  She began her career as a actor at age five with one line in a Christmas play, "I have a birthday party for Jesus at my house!"  She has been involved in visual arts but has enjoyed the opportunity to connect to her inner child by coloring by number.

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Lu Lu Wang -- "I'm very happy to have the opportunity to learn the technique of painting on tiles and creating wall murals."

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Rebeccah Lopez has an BFA with an emphasis in ceramics.  She plans to return to school in the fall to receive a degree in Early Childhood Education.  "I have really enjoyed working alongside Ken Wolverton and with my fellow AmeriCorps artists."

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Robyn Midi hails from Northern Vermont. She has been a part of mural projects in the past but this is her first experience working with tile.  She finds the process extremely tedious and time consuming but thinks the image will translate beautifully onto the wall.  She has enjoyed her time exploring the Southwest and can't wait to return!  When she is not painting by number, she enjoys painting, drawing, bookmaking, going on adventures drinking coffee and being outdoors.

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