Current Graduate Student Work
Paul J Dodez
Catherine Reinhardt
Lori McPherson
Paul J Dodez
Sweetwater, Tennessee
Area/s of Emphasis: Interdisciplinary
I've always been a seeker who loves to play. I am interested in my art being an extension of my being. I use art as an expression of my thoughts or ideas and as a way to understand my life and its relation to the cosmos. I like having a direct relationship with the media I use. I want to understand the media while manipulating it and learning from it. The forms I create are ritual objects. These ritual objects are made from a meditative state where my energies automate forms. These forms serve as tools for self-discovery. Art is my serious play, which allows for great risks and deep personal growth.
Catherine Reinhardt
Daphne, Alabama
Area/s of Emphasis: Painting & Printmaking
I am drawn to and inspired by the forms, colors and life sustaining processes of the natural world. My fascination with the story of a plant or process, fed by folk knowledge, scientific understanding and a conservation mindset , frequently leads me to find parallels and contrasts to our human experiences and our own complex struggles to survive and thrive. My paintings, prints and mixed media pieces, which often combine printmaking, graphite, and oil explore connections between human experience and the natural world in hopes of creating poetic imagery that celebrates both.
Lori McPherson
Connecticut
Area/s of Emphasis: Painting
Having been influenced by the Abstract Expressionists, I'm attempting to re-discover color/texture and bold mark-making while figuring out how to make it relevant in a post-modern world. Presently, the content involved in my work is more formal, working with contrast and texture. Abstraction fosters an excitement in me that grows from working with unsure outcomes so each piece becomes a new experience. I work by mainly focusing on how color/texture work together with abstract forms. Nothing is predetermined except the beginning layering process. I keep myself flexible to give the painting what is requires at the moment.
