Rainbows, Stones and Ghosts is a two-part exhibition of multi-dimensional drawings about the almost and the not-yet-made. My Project-in-Lieu-of Thesis exists physically as a series of oil paintings, works on paper, and a site-specific sculptural installation. With recurring imagery of rainbows, stones, and construction debris, the works reimagine their subjects as icons and objects of potential. Highlighting time, labor, and material, my project questions the creation of value, status, and the concept of the ‘ideal’. My drawings dissolve the boundary between the absence and presence by continuously breaking down, expanding, and reimagining their surfaces, subjects, and sites. Rainbows, Stones and Ghosts is an invitation to navigate the ‘almost’ as an immersive space of possibility.

Art work of oil on canvas by artist Sarah DePetris, as part of an exhibition entitled " Rainbows, Stones & Ghosts (Part II)" in the Cora Stafford Gallery (South), College of Visual Arts & Design, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, from April 5-8, 2023. Photographed by Stephanie Gerhart.

Art work in Acrylic Gesso & Graphite on Paper by artist Sarah DePetris, as part of an exhibition entitled "Stones & Ghosts (Part I)" in the Union Art Gallery, University Union, University of North Texas, from March 27 - April 6, 2023. Photographed by Stephanie Gerhart.

Art work of oil on linen by artist Sarah DePetris, as part of an exhibition entitled " Rainbows, Stones & Ghosts (Part II)" in the Cora Stafford Gallery (South), College of Visual Arts & Design, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, from April 5-8, 2023. Photographed by Stephanie Gerhart.

Art work of oil on linen by artist Sarah DePetris, as part of an exhibition entitled " Rainbows, Stones & Ghosts (Part II)" in the Cora Stafford Gallery (South), College of Visual Arts & Design, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, from April 5-8, 2023. Photographed by Stephanie Gerhart.

Digital photograph of installation view of exhibition by artist Sarah DePetris, entitled "Stones & Ghosts (Part I)" in the Union Art Gallery, University Union, University of North Texas, from March 27 - April 6, 2023. Photographed by Stephanie Gerhart.

Installation view (digital photo) of 2023 MFA exhibition by artist Sarah DePetris, entitled "Stones & Ghosts (Part I)" in the Union Art Gallery, University Union, University of North Texas, from March 27 - April 6, 2023. Photograph by Stephanie Gerhart.

Installation view (digital photo) of exhibition by artist Sarah DePetris, entitled "Stones & Ghosts (Part I)" in the Union Art Gallery, University Union, University of North Texas, from March 27 - April 6, 2023. Photographed by Stephanie Gerhart.

Installation view of MFA Thesis exhibition by artist Sarah DePetris, entitled "Stones & Ghosts (Part I)" in the Union Art Gallery, University Union, University of North Texas, from March 27 - April 6, 2023. Digital photo, photographed by Stephanie Gerhart.

Installation View of an MFA exhibition by artist Sarah DePetris, entitled " Rainbows, Stones & Ghosts (Part II)" in the Cora Stafford Gallery (South), College of Visual Arts & Design, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, from April 5-8, 2023. Photographed by Stephanie Gerhart.

Installation View of an MFA exhibition by artist Sarah DePetris, entitled " Rainbows, Stones & Ghosts (Part II)" in the Cora Stafford Gallery (South), College of Visual Arts & Design, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, from April 5-8, 2023. Photographed by Stephanie Gerhart.

Installation View of an MFA exhibition by artist Sarah DePetris, entitled " Rainbows, Stones & Ghosts (Part II)" in the Cora Stafford Gallery (South), College of Visual Arts & Design, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, from April 5-8, 2023. Photographed by Stephanie Gerhart.

Installation View of an MFA exhibition by artist Sarah DePetris, entitled " Rainbows, Stones & Ghosts (Part II)" in the Cora Stafford Gallery (South), College of Visual Arts & Design, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, from April 5-8, 2023. Photographed by Stephanie Gerhart. Center: Heavy / Light (2019-2021), Oil on Linen, 66? x 90?. Left: Stones & Ghosts (#1), 14 x 11 in., Masking Tape, Oil Paint, and Tape Residue on Page from The Martian Landscape, NASA SP-425, (2019-2022), non-archival. Right: Stones & Ghosts (#2), 14 x 11 in., Oil Paint, and Tape Residue on Page from The Martian Landscape, NASA SP-425, (2019-2022), non-archival.

Site-Specific installation view of 2023 MFA exhibition by artist Sarah DePetris, entitled "Stones & Ghosts (Part I)" in the Union Art Gallery, University Union, University of North Texas, from March 27 - April 6, 2023. Made with production, design, fabrication & installation collaboration from artist Hugh Thompson. Photograph by Stephanie Gerhart.

Site-specific installation during MFA Thesis exhibition by artist Sarah DePetris, entitled "Stones & Ghosts (Part I)" in the Union Art Gallery, University Union, University of North Texas, from March 27 - April 6, 2023. Made with production, design, fabrication and installation collaboration from artist Hugh Thompson. Photographed by Stephanie Gerhart.

Site-specific installation during MFA Thesis exhibition by artist Sarah DePetris, entitled "Stones & Ghosts (Part I)" in the Union Art Gallery, University Union, University of North Texas, from March 27 - April 6, 2023. Made with production, design, fabrication and installation collaboration from artist Hugh Thompson. Photographed by Stephanie Gerhart.

Site-specific installation during MFA Thesis exhibition by artist Sarah DePetris, entitled "Stones & Ghosts (Part I)" in the Union Art Gallery, University Union, University of North Texas, from March 27 - April 6, 2023. Made with production, design, fabrication & installation collaboration from artist Hugh Thompson. Photographed by Stephanie Gerhart.

Art work in oil on panel by artist Sarah DePetris, as part of an exhibition entitled "Stones & Ghosts (Part I)" in the Union Art Gallery, University Union, University of North Texas, from March 27 - April 6, 2023. Photographed by Stephanie Gerhart.

Art work in Oil Graphite and Gesso on Paper by artist Sarah DePetris, as part of an exhibition entitled "Stones & Ghosts (Part I)" in the Union Art Gallery, University Union, University of North Texas, from March 27 - April 6, 2023. Photographed by Stephanie Gerhart.

Art work Oil on Linen by artist Sarah DePetris, as part of an exhibition entitled " Rainbows, Stones & Ghosts (Part II)" in the Cora Stafford Gallery (South), College of Visual Arts & Design, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, from April 5-8, 2023. Photographed by Stephanie Gerhart.

Art work of oil on linen by artist Sarah DePetris, as part of an exhibition entitled " Rainbows, Stones & Ghosts (Part II)" in the Cora Stafford Gallery (South), College of Visual Arts & Design, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, from April 5-8, 2023. Photographed by Stephanie Gerhart.

The body of work originating from this Problem in Lieu of Thesis consists of paintings on canvas that incorporate representations of plant material. The impetus for the paintings was black and white photocopies created from mounds of plant material placed on a copy machine. The resulting copies contained forms that were organic in appearance, but unrecognizable as known objects. Parts of the most interesting and ambiguous copies were used to develop the imagery of the paintings. The new forms served the purpose of creating visual interest from unexpected images. Combined with traditional painting techniques, the selected forms produced paintings of mysterious and playful worlds similar to those parts of the environment not readily accessed, such as galactic space, microscopic organisms, and ocean depths.

The first segment introduces the background information on the use of paños as art by prisoners and how I appropriate the same materials to create and record my own cultural mythology. The Statement of Problem and Questions are about how and what cultural information is chosen in creating a visual mythology. The second segment explains the invention of the mythology by describing why certain experiences were chosen, specifically those of the graduate school experience. Also the development of self-representation through self-portraits is described. The third segment explains the symbolism used in the imagery, such as the cacti as cultural indicator and palimpsest. The fourth segment is a conclusion involving the realization that feeling caught within a hybrid culture is an important part of my identity.

Chapter I describes how my works are grounded in a Chinese point of view, based on sociological and anthropological approaches as defined in my work. The questions in my Statement of Problem deal with how I use "imbalance" in my works, yet still find a way to make acceptable compositions to better tell my stories. I relate how my work constitutes a positive act or event in an evolving world culture. Chapter II discusses the work I focused around the questions posed in Chapter I. Chapter III expresses my conclusion about my work and my goals for the future.