Solo Exhibtion: The Marks of Summer and Fall

In “The Marks of Summer and Fall,” I presented works on paper and canvas created through the technically humble yet emotionally transformative act of repetitive mark-making. While moving through clouds of anger, grief, loss, and dissociation during 2023’s relentlessly hot summer, I leveraged the act of making the same simple marks on a surface, as a ritual for connecting with self, calming anxious thoughts, and focusing on the present moment. 

A more raw exhibition

For this show, I opened my sketchbook, offering the viewer a ragged collection of ink sketches that capture my lack of control and anxious energy during a summer of loss. Unrestrained and imperfect marks show my need to make, move, and do anything but dwell in the reality of that moment. A series of works on paper plainly referred to as the “70105 Series” act as inky vessels to capture excess energy and conflicting emotion. 

The Practice of Mark Making

Mark making describes the different lines, dots, marks, patterns, and textures we create in an artwork. I expanded my definition of Mark-Making to include collage, cutting out a variety of ink marks from Saa and Bamboo paper and carefully layering and weaving them together. The large collages on raw canvas that constitute the “In Transit Series,” show movement toward clarity and peace and a weaving together of frayed self.

Together, these works illustrate a personal and emotional transit, one that is still unfolding. More broadly, the exhibition asserts the usefulness of repetition as one tool for the mark-maker to find focus, calm, and peace.

An intimate venue

In the heart of bustling Bangkok, the Public House Hotel provided the perfect backdrop for this more raw and experimental art show. The hotel's various public spaces transformed into an intimate gallery where my repetitive mark-making became a visual diary of emotional highs and lows.

Mark-Making Workshop

After the exhibition opened I hosted a workshop to share my approach to Mark-making. Mark-making is a wonderfully flexible approach to making artwork and a great place to start when developing an abstract art practice. 

During this workshop I shared my specific Mark-Making practice using my favorite tool, the sponge brush. We investigated the nature of the mark itself, practiced movement and control of the brush, and learned about pattern building and composition. 

By the end of the workshop, the students walked away with their own beautiful works on paper and a new sketchbook packed with tips and thought starters for their own mark-making projects.