TERRANCE GRAVEN
  • Blog
  • CURRENT ART
    • Lay Still
    • Inverted Torches
    • Breath Body
    • Vanitas Painting
    • Legs Painting
    • Silhouettes
    • Mourning Armbands
    • Mourning Pins
    • Delightful Way
    • Rx Tablets
  • FUTURE ART
    • Mourning Handkerchiefs
    • Willow Wallpaper
    • MercuroChrome Paintings
    • Hang Your Heart
    • Mini Eye Portraits
    • Gold Trocar
    • Mortality Staff
    • Black Substrate
    • Body Supports
    • Body Positioner
    • Hand Holder
    • A/V
    • Glass Body
    • Self-Portrait
    • Scrying Mirror
    • Hospital Gown
  • FINISHED ART
    • EXHIBITED
    • Transition
    • I Transition I
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A Day in the Art Studio

4/29/2016

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I started the day by doing a test with two different crackle mediums. They take a couple days to dry, so I will make my decision on my next visit.
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Then I created a box for casting the prescription pill. Next visit, I will construct the retaining wall, however I may not need it if I decide to cut the mold afterwards.
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Next I started experimenting with the clear eyecaps. I tried several different combinations, but decided that just one pearl inside was enough. 
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Organizing Your art

4/27/2016

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Today I started preparing a Power Point presentation for "Organizing Your Art". This is a class that I've thought about teaching for quite some time. I may incorporate some professional development topics as well.
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Hair Flowers

4/26/2016

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I created four hair flowers today, but only like three of them.
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Art Group Meeting

4/26/2016

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Today my artist friends and I had another stimulating meeting. Unfortunately, one of the regular attendants is not able to make it for some time due to scheduling conflicts. The group is small, but great.

Ch 1: Section 9-12, pg. 23-34

Reading:

(pg. 23) To love ourselves we must grow avid. We need both to feel hungry and to eat. If we experience hunger but find eating too dangerous, we can’t create. Instead we find ways of further ruining our appetite. For example, reading the newspaper from cover to cover, watching television hour after hour, etc.
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Hungry-Mind Anxiety

(pg. 24) Hungry for what exactly? Just hungry! Famished. Hungry to understand. Egoistic. Grandiose. “Curious” hardly captures this hunger. Ravenous–to understand the universe. Anxious to make worlds out of words, pictures, sounds, ideas….

...What were you supposed to do with that shadow? In pain on the sofa, confused, failing yourself, you feel the vision evaporate, the moment pass….

...Too many people end their art careers here, before they’ve begun them, because they mistake this moment for a tragic one. This is what must be tolerated if you are to be alive: data taken in, deep connections made out of conscious awareness, projects begun in a split second and abandoned in the next split second. This is pain, but not tradegy. This is hungry-mind anxiety…
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(pg. 26) ...The productive artist lives with this. She knows that something wonderful and terrible is going on, something difficult, something important and uncontrollable. She also knows that this will happen again and again, and that she is lucky if this happens again and again, for it means that she is oriented correctly toward her own wish to create, that she is a creator at the ready…

Exercises:

1) Affirming Your Appetite
Today I spend an hour glutting on pictures of Victorian mourning pins and the amazing dark packaging. Afterwards I sat down with three books on the medical field in art. I marked some of my favorite pages and made a few notes.

2) Imaginatively Analyzing
  1. How does a sculpture differ from an installation?
  2. Why chose working on a sculpture over an installation?
  3. How can I better explore existentialism in my work?
  4. How does my work relate to Abject Art? How does that matter to the creative process?
  5. How does my work relate to Grotesque Art? How does that matter to the creative process?
  6. What do I want my audience to experience?
  7. How can I encapsulate both qualities of an aversion to face difficult realities, with intense exquisiteness and curiosity?
  8. Does working semi-abstract turn off potential audiences?
  9. How can I give suggestive qualities without pandering to literalness?

3) Meal Planning
Appetizer
  1. Caprese Salad - Sometimes keeping things simple is the best. The power of threes often creates a stimulating relationship. With two materials or themes, there are four different relationships (1, 2, 1:2, 2:1), with three, there are fifteen different combinations (1, 2, 3, 1:2, 2:1, 2:3, 3:2, 1:3, 3:1, 1:2:3, 1:3:2, 2:3:1, 2:1:3, 3:1:2, 3:2:1).
  2. Power Salad - Creativity provides complete fulfillment. Not only is creating art good for you, but it is healthy, so consume and do as much as possible.
Entree
  1. Tempura Sushi with Spicy Cream Sauce - I enjoy layers and layers of richness and complexity. One experiences a different experience with every bite. Or in the case of art, every time you look at it or read it, you find another complex layer, rich with symbols and meaning.
Desert
  1. Salted Licorice - It’s an unusual experience that may only appeal to a few, but to those who love it, they are usually fanatical.
Beverage
  1. Martini - Just because something may seem simple and made from a few materials, doesn’t mean it cannot be enjoyed for its subtleties. Make the few materials carefully and superbly.
  2. A cheap imported wine - It does not take a lot of money to have an enriching experience. Also, there are A LOT of wines that one can be easily drink right now. It may be overwhelming where to start, but just pick one and drink...don’t spend too much time researching which wine is the best, because it is subjective. Just commit to buying one and remain aware of the experience. Is it delicious? Is it complicated and full of layers? Is it too strong with one ingredient? What about the experience or taste do you respond to?

Goals for this week:
  1. Mock up armband with hook and eyes - began by laying out the pattern, marking it, laying out the fasteners, and threading my sewing machine. Finally, I finished the mockup, but with only one set of hook and eyes.
  2. Buy two vest buckles for armband - completed
  3. Make hair flowers for 10 minutes - worked for 30 minutes
  4. Peruse 3 Sculpture magazines
  5. Go to Dick Blick to buy crackle paste - decided to buy two different kinds
  6. Work on film breakdown for 15 minutes - instead of working on the breakdown, I spent more time incorporating my new ideas into the rewrite of the script.

Goals for next week:
  1. Peruse 3 Sculpture magazines
  2. Do another test with crackle pastes
  3. Research how to sharpen a knife with a curved blade
  4. Cut out pieces for second version of armband
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Finished first version of armband

4/25/2016

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This was a rough test of the first design version of the mourning armband. I used hook and eyes, but the next one will feature straps and vest buckles.
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Started armband mockup

4/23/2016

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Today I worked for a little bit on the armband mockup. I'm still trying to decide if I should offer two or three rows of fasteners.
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Glutting on Medical books

4/23/2016

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One of the exercises in Eric Maisel's book is to have a "hungry mind" and spend some time absorbing voraciously. I got three books the medical field in art from the library and spent an hour perusing and admiring the pages.
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Weekly art meeting

4/19/2016

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Today I met with my art group to discuss Chapter 1: Section 5-8 of Eric Maisel's book Fearless Creating.

Reading:
Take risks. Break the rules. Don’t be afraid to fuck it up. One surprise is worth a thousand ideas. What is a mistake?

Accept your idiosyncratic goals. Feel autonomous. I am a creator. I am the god of my world. Do not conform.
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Exercises:

1) Work naked
I worked naked for a while, but it did not feel wild or challenging. Nakedness does not inspire wildness in me. I did not encounter the work differently and most of the time I kept trying to imagine a different scenario that would challenge me more. I want to “nurture wildness”.

2) Your wild faces - I shared my four drawings.

3) Healthy tameness
Before I go into a situation where I know I will be likely to get caught up in sheer energy, I will spend a minute to breathe and sit quietly. Afterwards, I will create a list of things I wish to accomplish, so that I can keep clear about my goals. I will breathe and then begin working. I will continue to support this quality by having occasional check-ins with awareness.

Goals for this week:
  1. Spend 20 min. on AIR application - read over the Vermont Studio Center website and half of handbook
  2. Research storyboarding for 15 minutes - found a few on-line applications, but I don’t like the aesthetic style of the storyboards
  3. Email Andy re: storyboarding - completed and he suggested doing it by hand
  4. Mock up armband - waiting until I receive fasteners
  5. Work on art binders for 15 minutes - did not do
  6. Make hair flowers for 10 minutes - did not do

Goals for next week:
  1. Mock up armband with hook and eyes
  2. Buy two vest buckles for armband
  3. Make hair flowers for 10 minutes
  4. Peruse 3 Sculpture magazines
  5. Go to Dick Blick to buy crackle paste
  6. Work on film breakdown for 15 minutes
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Wild faces

4/17/2016

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I woke up especially early today and worked on an exercise in Eric Maisel's book Fearless Creating entitled "Wild Faces". He suggests drawing your wild faces and naming them. He then asks, "How does wildness manifest itself in your life?"

​Craving for Drama
- I have drama for tortured and suffering, while manifesting this trait as rebelliousness.
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​OCD
- I created 50 rows of 50 pinpricks on top of this drawing while counting each one. During my creative process, I have problems letting go of perfectionism, which can sometimes interfere with experimentation and discovering side projects. Conversely, I sometimes use this trait when the art piece involves repetitive actions or multiple objects.
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​Anger and Rage
- I created this drawing by roughly scraping paint straight from the tube. I then crumbled it up and used the drawing as a stress ball.
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​Sheer Energy
- Late at night, as I settle down to sleep, I will suddenly get a vivid creative vision that I then must sketch or make notes. Although I cherish the trait of imagination and creative energy, it can feel like getting caught in a whirlwind. In my studio, I will sometimes experience this as a tornado of spinning energy, thus the tangled and spiraling thread on the drawing.
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Collage Group Meeting

4/17/2016

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Met again at the public library for a day of creating collages. We had a newcomer named Joe show up.
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My collage for the day
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My works in progress
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Mark's work. He set himself a goal to only work on a collage for no longer than one hour.
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Mark working
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Mark's work in progress
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Alex's collage
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Alex's collage that one opens it to reveal a polar bear.
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Joe's work
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Worked today in my studio

4/16/2016

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I started today by conducting a test on the plastic eyecaps I recently purchased. The adhesive worked perfectly and then sat for awhile thinking about different design ideas.
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​I decided to experiment by trying a photo transfer onto a black background. Although I could see using this technique for a subliminal effect, the colors and definition are not pronounced enough for this upcoming project.
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Then I experimented by painting black the back of a piece of glass.
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​Finally, I completed my recreation of an old mixed media piece I created several years ago. I was never able to photograph it before it sold, so today I took pictures.
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Late night exercise

4/15/2016

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Tonight, I was reviewing the exercises from Eric Maisel's book Fearless Creating. I started the exercise by sketching a couple of self-portraits that I will make into large pieces.
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two art openings

4/14/2016

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I started tonight by attending an artshow that John Waters curated. I got to briefly meet him, which was really nice. I was not impressed by the show overall, but took a few pics regardless.
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This "art" completely annoyed me and left me feeling angry.
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Afterwards, I headed over to my friend, Andy Vogt's art opening for his 20 + long installation that I helped install. Another artist featured her art as well.
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Notice if you can, the moments where the chalk is very bright yellow. Wonderful!
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Fearless creating meeting

4/12/2016

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Met with my art group today to talk about Chapter 1: Section 1-4, pg. 1-12.

Exercises:

1) Potato
THINK - At first I was surprised that the potato was not as hot as I thought it would be; the exercise was much easier than I thought

FEEL - It put me in a strong sense of nowness; was just starting to get into it when I was interrupted by the apartment owner.

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I loved this exercise so much, I acted on it again. This time the potato began to fall apart and I suddenly had a sinking feeling that the task had been ruined. Then immediately, I changed my mind to one of playfulness and ended up with chunks of potato flying everywhere around the room. It was hilarious and a great analogy for my thinking process when it comes to creating projects. I sometimes hold myself back from "failing" and making a big mess.

2) Hushing

A deconstructed hospital gown has been re-sutured back together again. There is a portrait of Aesclipus painted on the front. Perhaps the sutures are also featured on the front by replicating the constellation.

3) Act: Holding
I did not complete this exercise.

4) Baby steps - Write one sentence, look at blog of paint, just picture one scene, etc.

Friday - symmetrical white kitchen, white shirts for Dad and Lawrence, Dad places blood hand on shoulder and blood runs down, both take off shirts, boy kisses Dad when he straddles, both take off pants

Saturday - pictured the actor that would play Lawrence and downloaded many pics of Asa Butterfield

Sunday - all white kitchen, white tablecloth, actors in white
Lawrence and Dad wear the same thing. Long-sleeve white shirt with slick black hair. Armbands? Dad wears class ring...perhaps the boy wears it when spilling milk? Bright overhead light shining a spotlight directly down.

When boy puts his hand on Dad’s shoulder, one notices that the boy also has a bite mark on his hand.

He pushes Dad onto the floor and straddles him, kisses him, looks for knife. He picks up the knife and holds in palm(?) Perhaps the boy looks and stares at the knife and it begins to shake. Or film backwards and knife flies into his hand. 

Overhead CU shot of Dad and milk begins to form a puddle around his head.

Monday - Thursday: did not complete

Friday: Instead of walking to a van, Lawrence walks down hallway to a door. He opens the door and walks down to the basement where Dad is standing.
    Basement: subconscious, taboos, hidden, hell, lust
    Kitchen: nourishment, mother, feminine, love

Saturday - Dad digs in the basement floor dirt to find a plate of food.

Sunday - When Lawrence straddles Dad, he grabs Dad’s blood hand and places it on his chest. Dad’s hand lowers out of frame, smearing dirt and blood down the boy’s body. A medium CU of Dad’s head reveals a puddle of milk forming around his head.

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Goals for last week:
  1. Pour one more casting - cast one using the last of Hydrocal and Ultracal mixed
  2. Paint one casting black - decided to wait until I have built up a texture
  3. Test crackle medium - applied a surface coating first and then a thick application of the medium
  4. Make box for prescription pill and create retaining wall - did not complete
  5. Add three projects to website - I added eight projects to website
  6. Layout three projects for printing (body positioners, gold trocar, painted hospital gown, mourning handkerchief) - I laid out two projects for printing
  7. Buy fasteners and pins for armband - Bought two different sizes of pins and eye and hooks size no. 3
  8. Work on film breakdown for 20 minutes - Instead of working on the film breakdown, I started a website where I can keep track of all of my “to do’s” and inspirations.
  9. Review AOM - did not complete
  10. Check Sculpture magazine re: online resources for 10 minutes - Looked at AIR’s and Call for Art sections. Added a few to favorites list.
  11. Work on art binders for 15 minutes - Worked on art binders for 1 hour and then another evening for 40 minutes

Goals for next week:
  1. spend 20 min. on AIR application
  2. research storyboarding for 15 minutes
  3. make hair flowers for 10 minutes
  4. email Andy re: storyboarding
  5. mock up armband
  6. work on art binders for 15 minutes
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Another day in the art studio

4/10/2016

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Today I cast another headblock using a mixture of Ultracal and Hydrocal. I now have four complete casts and can take a break from this task. Next task is to starting creating the gold contraption that hugs the bottom feet.
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​Note to self: I can get 4 casts from a 10 lb. bag.
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Working on art binders

4/8/2016

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I spent about 40 minutes tonight organizing one of the binders that I have entitled "Sculptures: Tangles". Most of the work has aesthetic qualities that are somewhat chaotic with knotting, hanging, and interweaving.
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Working on Art binders again

4/7/2016

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Today I spent over an hour sorting through pictures and placing them in sheet protectors. I also printed up labels for the spines. I still have quite a ways to go in placing more pictures into their proper binder.
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Art meeting postponed until next week

4/6/2016

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Our art group decided to reschedule for next week, but in the meantime we are to check in about our week's goals.

​Goals from last week:

1. Spend 15 minutes on Artist in Residency programs

     I spent 30 minutes today researching and creating a deadline schedule for upcoming AIR's.
2. Pour first casting
     I've pour three now! Plus another that was a disaster...I learned a lot from it though.
3. Sharpen knife for 20 minutes
     I spent 20 minutes sharpening and then took it to a professional to get their opinion.
4. Carve one torch
     I carved one torch, but left the end undone. I made a decision to wait on that until I several to do at once. I will use a belt sander instead of doing by hand.
5. Mock up armband
     I did not mock up armband because I need to first purchase fasteners. Andy and I went to fabric store, but they did not have the correct size. I will have to buy on-line next week.
6. Work on art binders for 15 minutes
     I've been putting this one off for a long time and once I got started, I ended up working for 1 hour and 15 minutes! I still have a lot to do to complete this chore.

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Goals for next week:
  1. Pour one more casting
  2. Paint one casting black
  3. Test crackle medium
  4. Make box for prescription pill and create retaining wall
  5. Add three projects to website
  6. Layout three projects for printing
  7. Buy fasteners and pins for armband
  8. Work on film breakdown for 20 minutes
  9. Review AOM
  10. Check Sculpture magazine re: online resources for 10 minutes
  11. Work on art binders for 15 minutes
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A half day in the studio

4/5/2016

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As I suspected, the casting did not turn out. However, I'm using the section that did set up properly as a test for faux finishes. I applied some crackle paste to a small section to see what that would look like.

After cleaning up the mold, I poured another casting and this photo shows what it looks like before I clean up all of the flashing.
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​​I also worked on a better pour spout for the prescription pill. It is made from plumber's putty.
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Work on Art binders

4/3/2016

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This week I committed to working on my art binders for 15 minutes. Once I got started, I kept going and ended up dedicated to the task for 1 hour 15 minutes. I made a small dent, but still have a long ways to go.
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A step backwards in the art studio

4/2/2016

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Tonight I attempted to pour a third casting, but I added too much plaster and started to stir it too early. The result was I'm sure a mess, but will find out next time I visit the studio to open the mold. I must admit that I was already tired and really hungry, so my frustration level was extremely high.

Then I started working on a small mold for a prescription pill. It is so tiny that not sure how it will turn out. On my next visit to the studio, I will began by making a pour spout out of plumber's putty. This will attach to the pill in the mold.
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    AUTHOR

    Terrance Graven is a San Francisco artist whose installations incorporate sculptural elements, performance art, costumes, sound pieces, and theatrical lighting.

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  • Blog
  • CURRENT ART
    • Lay Still
    • Inverted Torches
    • Breath Body
    • Vanitas Painting
    • Legs Painting
    • Silhouettes
    • Mourning Armbands
    • Mourning Pins
    • Delightful Way
    • Rx Tablets
  • FUTURE ART
    • Mourning Handkerchiefs
    • Willow Wallpaper
    • MercuroChrome Paintings
    • Hang Your Heart
    • Mini Eye Portraits
    • Gold Trocar
    • Mortality Staff
    • Black Substrate
    • Body Supports
    • Body Positioner
    • Hand Holder
    • A/V
    • Glass Body
    • Self-Portrait
    • Scrying Mirror
    • Hospital Gown
  • FINISHED ART
    • EXHIBITED
    • Transition
    • I Transition I
  • CONTACT