For my Problem in-lieu-of-thesis, I proposed to execute a related body of work using "horse" as subject. It was my intent to investigate what effects the limits of "horse" instead of "figure" had on the content of my work.

This problem concerns the feasibility of combining the elements of light and clay in a sculptural concept of design. The study has determined various procedures of combining the sculptural ceramic forms for the internal inplant of light sources. Specific questions posed were 1. Can the surface decoration be enhanced by external and internal lighting? 2. How does each surface quality, raku, and low-fire salt glaze differ with the interplay of light? 3. In what way may two surface qualities be applied to the same sculptural ceramic forms? 4. How does scale effect each of the pieces?

The purposes of this Problem in Lieu of Thesis are: 1. To explore the use of stretched fabric over constructed wire armatures to create sculptural forms that suggest the potential for flight; and 2. To evaluate the artistic merits of such forms as they relate to an interior architectural environment.

I proposed to base my thesis work upon an exploration of the ideas of the strength, power, and tenuous quality of metals, using a variety of metals in combination with appropriated and deconstructed forms to create cultural narratives. In this exploration, I addressed the materials of metalsmithing and their traditional use.

It was my intent that the formats work harmoniously with the printed matter, conceptually, aesthetically, and functionally. Specific concerns addressed were 1. How did the format contribute to a clearer understanding of the print concept? 2. How did the functional design and construction of the formats contribute to or detract from the successful unification of print and format? 3. How did the aesthetic design and construction of the formats contribute to or detract from the successful unification of print and format? Five formats were constructed, several consisting of multiple parts. A comparative photographic record of each print, as originally conceived and subsequently displayed within these formats, will be presented for evaluation.

The intent of this study was to construct a group of forty wheel-thrown vessels, comprised of four forms, in series of ten. The surface of these pots was to be enriched through the use of various materials and techniques. These included slip trailing, brushed slip, glaze and over glaze colorants. The decorative theme I pursued was based on abstract floral images. I admire both the ordered structure of plant forms and the slightly imperfect symmetry contained within their various parts. I have attempted to express their gestural quality and delicate nature in my surface decoration.

The questions I have addressed in regard to neutralization were as follows: 1. How important was the figure to the environment? 2. How far could the figure's physical presence be reduced and still contribute to the concepts of the painting? 3. How vividly was the figure presented while still complying with the requirements to meet neutralization? 4. Did color and texture aid in neutralizing the figure, and, if so, how? 5. Did the scale of the paintings have any effect on the neutralization process?

As the Chair-Woman series has progressed, I have explored the various means to enhance its interpretation. I have determined that materials such as wood and fabric result in a more intimate reading than bronze. However, I have not explored how scale and proximity to other objects will affect the reading. The questions I am seeking to resolve relate to possibilities for expanding the meaning and significance in the Chair-Woman series.

In developing the ideas for this project, one of the major questions to be addressed was how well this method of combining prints, drawings and jewelry into a single collage would contribute to expressing the themes of intimacy and secretiveness already present in the individual pieces. It seemed that surrounding the jewelry with an environment that shared and repeated the private qualities of these objects would increase the intimacy of the work.

I proposed that two factors could be adjusted in a series of rings in order to achieve total control of implied movement: Proximity and angulation of components. Through careful adjustment of these two factors, I theorized that the implied motion in a ring series could be accelerated, slowed, or omitted altogether.

I developed twenty-three stains to use in low-temperature salt firing for my work. The stains that i made were compared to the commercially made stains to determine the similarities and differences. I felt that after much experimentation using a variety of different oxides in different amounts and calcining these amounts together in an electric kiln (heating the oxides up to about 1733 degrees Fahrenheit) that I was able to produce stable and consistent stains.

For centuries, books have been a traditional way to display prints. Contemporary artists' books have become more than simply a method of displaying prints and have, in fact, become a relevant medium for artistic expression. It has been important to my work that each of my artist's books have functioned as a unified whole, all parts of complementing each other and strengthening the overall concept.

Questions that arise are: 1. How will the form and content of my current work be affected by a more implicit narrative form? 2. How will the work be affected by: a. source of imagery? b. scale of images and overall works? c. materials? d. intent? Will the intent of my current work change because of a more linear narrative format? 3. Assuming the narrative will change from one piece to another, what will be the effect of placement of images in each work and how will the placement of each work in relation to the others be affected?

The question addressed in this project is as follows: How, if at all, are nostalgia and ambiance created in my work through the use of the following: 1. color 2. repeated patterns from textiles, wallpaper, and quilts 3. dimension 4. text 5. personal and nostalgic imagery 6. art deco motifs 7. fixed media/found objects. Each of these items will be discussed as it relates to each piece.

The questions answered by this investigation were as follows: 1. Will a clay surface accept multiple emulsions and multiple development processes with little or no loss of detail? 2. Can a gum-bichromate print be accomplished using a normal 35 millimeter negative in an enlarger? 3. What is the effect of different oxides and fluxes on the emulsion? and 4. What is the effect of firing on the experimental emulsions?

Ikat is a technique used throughout the world for the surface enrichment of textiles. In Ikat, patterns are dyed into the warp, weft, or both by the use of various resists such as twine or plastic wrapped tightly around a group of yarns. The dyed yarns are then unwrapped and woven into fabric. Instead of stretching an entire warp or weft on a frame to apply resist, yarn can also be measured into small groups for tying and dyeing. These small groups of yarn can be dyed with simple patterns and later rearranged and combined to create more complex designs. In order to investigate the possibilities of the above mentioned methods, a series of Ikat fabrics was developed.

Since I was a young child, I have had a deep interest in all facets of the cultures of early humans and more modern primitive peoples-- in particular, their art and their mythology. It was my proposal, therefore, to combine these interests with the styles of my earlier works by using images drawn from the various aspects of my ancestry in several pieces of work in which the layering of those images-- similar to the layers of my heritage-- was used. My choices were limited to a set number of images listed in a "dictionary of symbols." I continued to engage in on-going research of these symbols to determine if there were relationships in their meanings between the various cultural elements of my ancestry.

The problem I proposed to explore involved making changes in personal work practices in the studio as well as studio organization. Using advice and practices that I have gleaned over the past few years, I made changes in the areas of studio organization, wheel production, and the glaze decoration process with the goal of adapting to a limited studio space and becoming more productive.

The idea for this creative project evolved as the result of communication between myself and Cathie Bernhardt during the first half of 1977. Both of us had been dealing with similar concepts such as reliquary-like containers and the objects contained within them. We also had a congruent approach concerning the use of materials and the manner in which they can be fabricated. These two things resulted in a mutual respect for each other's forms and imagery. We, therefore, decided to explore and combine specific aspects of our talent and, in collaboration, produce a series of pieces. Our project became one of collaborative art, and we defined that as follows: One, the process of discussing ideas for pieces; Two, the act of working on pieces together, Three, the completion of pieces wherein both artists have contributed significantly to the final products.

In order to discover more about the nature of my work, I conducted an investigation of the evolution of symbols generated in a body of work. For the purpose of this study the term symbol was defined as something that represents the term symbol was defined as something that represents another entity by association, resemblance, or convention, specifically, a material object or image used to represent an idea.

This study deals with an analysis of facial characteristics and expressions and their interpretation through drawings. Through the past several years of teaching in a Dallas school where so many nationalities are represented and where the various peoples of the lowest privileged groups are segregated, the writer has become deeply interested in what is to be seen in the faces of children. The second problem of the study features an analysis of facial characteristics and expressions and their interpretation through drawings, modeling in clay, and papier mache.

After practicing Interior Design professionally for ten years and concurrently watching the rapid expansion of the use of computers in the business world, the problem of incorporating the use of computers into the field of interior design became increasingly important to me. Many designers seem to be rather leery of "the computer" and they are reluctant to accept it as a valuable tool in their design process. One aspect of applying the use of the computer to the interior design field is in the area of pattern generation for fabrics and wallcoverings. It is this area that will be explored in the following project.

My intent in this creative project has been to further explore the transcendence of reality in my work in seven still lifes. The body of work done for this problem was reviewed and analyzed after completion rather than during the process.

The concern in this project was the utilization of metal joining processes which used no heat in the construction of sculpture. The problem area was motivated by an attempt to avoid some of the inherent problems and limitations incurred when welding, brazing soldering are employed. Specifically, the following questions were considered: 1) Can the non-heat joining process be utilized as a design element? 2) Does non-heat joining allow the use of lighter (30-16) gauge metal? 3) Are distortion and bracing problems reduced by use of non-heat joining processes? 4) Can more diverse metals such as aluminum, copper, brass and bronze be utilized in these processes? 5) Do these non-heat processes make allowances for manipulation of the metal prior to the construction of the sculpture?