Thursday, October 24, 2013

New work

I am very excited to announce that I will have three new pieces, in addition to a set of prints from my thesis, showing at the Abecedarian Gallery in Denver, Colorado.


Modest x 4: Han, Kowynia, Paulson, & Voss
Abecedarian Gallery
Denver, CO
November 1 - December 14, 2013
Opening Reception: Friday, November 1st, 6 - 8 pm

Here is a small preview of the new works! 

two thousand light-years away



in the forever cold a dying star


I'm greatly looking forward to attending the opening reception and meeting the other artists. If you're in the Denver area please come and view the show! 

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Never Contented Things


Just writing to share that I am having a paper jewelry sale, with the goal of raising money to afford materials to begin producing jewelry again. 

Here's some background, from the profile description for the Etsy store:

Never Contented Things was created in 2009 by Erin (yours truly) and Zoë, best friends and former roommates from Chicago, based on designs found in some of my fine art work. At the time it was a side business for both of us artists, who met while we were earning BFAs in photography from Columbia College Chicago. 

In 2010 I began graduate school to earn my MFA, and ultimately moved to Philadelphia to earn an MFA in Book Arts and Printmaking from the University of the Arts, forcing the company to go on hiatus. Zoë stayed in Chicago where she works as a photographer for an auction house, and still creates her own artwork (often printmaking). We miss each other terribly. Be sure to take a look at her fabulous photography, which can be found on her website.

in May of 2013 I graduated with my MFA, and am now excited to return to Never Contented Things as a solo venture, joining the wonderful craft community here in Philadelphia. 

Never Contented Things consists of handmade works, predominantly paper jewelry. Some of the aesthetic is shared with my own fine art work. I am willing to do custom work, so if you like the work but don't find what you're looking for, let me know! 

Also, please follow the Never Contented Things blog. Don't forget to look at Zoë's amazing artwork and drop her a line as well! 


Below is a photo of my beautiful sister Shannon from her wedding, showing the custom hairpiece I made for her.



Friday, June 28, 2013

Thesis and after...

This post is well overdue; my apologies!

Below are some images from my thesis show at Rosenwald Wolf Gallery at the University of the Arts. The closing reception was April 26th, and we had an excellent turnout (thanks again, everyone!). My friends and classmates Karen Hardy and Sarah Hulsey were in the gallery with me (be sure to check out their work, it is amazing). Below are some photos taken during the opening; unless otherwise stated, the photos are by my classmate Mou Zhu

 Callie looking at one of Karen's books.

Behind these 11 ft. tall black felt curtains, installed with the help of gallery exhibition coordinator Michael Ciervo, were my animations.

A group in conversation. Sarah's work is on the left and Karen's on the right.

My friends Erin and Allen looking at one of Karen's amazing paper pieces.

Me talking with Meghann Hickson in front of some of Karen's work. 
Photo by Aubrey DiDonato. 

Sarah, Karen, and I standing in front of my light boxes and one of my pressure prints. 
This photo by Karen's mom.


Below are some installation images.  
I took these.














...and now, I have graduated, school is done, and I am back in reality. Fortunately I am also back working part-time at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, as a conservation technician, and I couldn't be happier about this! Philly, and the wonderful people I have met so far in it, have been wonderful to me.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

animations

As my thesis show came down today, I figured it was time to share my thesis animations online! You may find them on my website. Let me know what you think.

Thanks to all of my friends, family, classmates, faculty, and my wonderful thesis committee. Couldn't have done it without you.

Some photos from the thesis exhibition to come soon. 

Monday, March 25, 2013

platen press workshop

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of taking a platen press workshop with Philadelphia artist Donna Globus. I had never printed on a platen press before, and it was a lot of fun! The workshop yielded roughly 100 business cards - it was a 2 color, 2-up process, with hand-set type. The fonts were Goudy Openface and Baskerville.

Thanks to Donna I finally have a hand-printed business card, and not a moment too soon. The platen press requires a lot of hand-eye coordination, and with both hands. Yet another time when I was grateful for my skills driving a stick shift; it really wasn't too different!
(also, please excuse my quick images... I just shot these really fast at my work bench.)



Sunday, March 17, 2013

Pressure prints: the plate

These are a few images of the paper I have been using for my pressure plate to make the prints for Once the wondrous vastness filled us (Comet of Coggia, 1874). The paper is handmade kozo from Jang Ji Bang outside Seoul, South Korea. You can see the transition in the embroidery over time - growing as the image is embroidered, and vanishing as I cut the embroidery away. Also notice the crease that has formed in the paper, due to the impact from the pressure of the Vandercook.







 I am happy to report that yesterday I finally finished printing the pressure prints for this project! I don't know the exact count yet, but I have something like 500 pressure prints for the two animations. Also we will have the postcards for our thesis shows soon; if you'd like me to mail you one, email me your address at epaulson.photo@gmail.com .

Friday, March 15, 2013

Once the wondrous vastness filled us

A still from Once the wondrous vastness filled us (Comet of Coggia, 1874)


From part one of my thesis animation. Getting closer! 

Monday, February 25, 2013

Aurora Borealis

A small embroidery I made this past fall. Have I mentioned lately how much I love French knots? And how one day I will see this in person instead of merely making time-consuming, unrequited embroideries?



6" x 7 1/2"

Saturday, February 23, 2013

awe and wonder

Watch this video! An incredible reminder of the wonder of the universe. 

Monday, February 11, 2013

new website

I am pleased to announce that I finally have a new website! 

I will have a blog as part of my website too, but unfortunately it does not contain an rss feed as far as I can tell, so I will still be maintaining this version of watermelon sugar. I may post different things on that blog; I maintain the prerogative to decide that at whim. 

Thursday, February 7, 2013

thesis semester.

I'm working and working towards my thesis installation date of April 12th. The closing reception will be April 26th. I'll be showing at the Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery with my friends and classmates, Karen Hardy and Sarah Hulsey, who are both amazing artists. More info to come later.

I have the best thesis committee ever, my dream thesis committee, and I couldn't be happier!
Daniel Heyman
Tara O'Brien
Mary Smull

I'm still working on Mondays in conservation and it is just what I need right now. A day of quietude to clear my head, always delivering small breakthroughs while I am away from the studio, repairing these beautiful manuscripts that are inspiration in and of themselves.

This semester I have the privilege of an independent study in tapestry with Warren Seelig. The process is slow, but meditative, so of course I love it. It is my hope that the future will bring many tapestries.

When I am in the studio, this is the main thing I'm doing:

embroider --> pressure print --> embroider --> pressure print
repeat. times infinity.

Our end of semester visiting critic is one of my favorite artists, Andrea Dezso. This simultaneously makes me outrageously excited, and terrified beyond speech.

More to come later - possibly even an image or two!

Sunday, January 27, 2013

a still from an animation

I have been busy with the stop motion animation that will be a large part of my thesis. It will be a long while still before I am ready to share the actual animation, but I thought I would share a still from it so you can start to get an idea.

This image is from the part of the project entitled Now we fill the wondrous vastness (Space Debris, 2012). It is a pressure print of an embroidery of fishing line into paper. 


Wednesday, January 23, 2013

This time I'll carry these with me (after Lenore Tawney)

Tomorrow is the opening reception of the long-awaited Lenore Tawney exhibition at UArts! The exhibition of work by the Book Arts MFA students and the undergraduate Fibers students in conjunction shares its opening reception.

Read more about the Tawney exhibition here and the student exhibition here. The panel discussion will be of particular interest to all those familiar with her work. I am thrilled to be a part of this show and am incredibly impressed by the work of my fellow students; each piece is different in its own right, yet honors Tawney through the use of her materials.

Below are images of my piece installed as part of the exhibition. I'm much happier with this installation than the incarnation at our WIP show this past fall.







If you're in Philly, we hope to see you at the events! 

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

time and folding.

I made this last spring, from 400 pieces of tracing paper origami.


details:




Friday, January 18, 2013

Mumbai

Earlier this month I visited Mumbai, Maharashtra, India to attend the wedding of my beloved sister, Shannon, to my new brother-in-law, Sachin. The trip was unlike anything I have ever experienced, and I am so happy that I was able to be there to share in the magnificent ceremonies and to meet our new family! Here are some of my favorite photographs of my own from the trip, excluding the ones captured at the wedding ceremonies.

rickshaws driving through the market



a store of nothing but bangles

that's fog spelled smog

the open laundry



 Gandhi's house

 Gandhi's library



sisters

 the Gateway to India

the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel







the Jain temple


there was an old woman who lived in a shoe...

the Hanging Gardens




I hope you enjoyed these! They are a tiny memento from that whirlwind, dream of a week.