For my problem, I proposed to document and analyze the relationships of the spontaneous and premeditated approaches in my work. The pieces that I began during the Spring and Summer 1979 were to be my primary sources of data. Two means were used to document these works and my approaches to them. I photographed the pieces as they progressed up to and including the finished product, and a sketchbook-diary was used to compile ideas and responses.

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.

The Isle of Man and Southeast Texas both display unique aspects of their geographical localities. In many ways they share similar attributes. I feel strongly that we are a product of our past and of our surroundings. So what type of imagery can be dealt with as a personal icon to link the two diverse places of my past and present?

Even Though I already did paint fairly rapidly, I felt I had a tendency to let the painting in progress sit too long in between times spent working on it. I also felt that I was spending too much time stepping back away from the work to look at it and was milling around the studio sometimes needlessly. Thus I became intrigued with the idea of doing a painting in one block of time. The purpose of this investigation was to explore and study the possibilities generated by a series of "one-sitting" paintings. I defined one-sitting painting as a painting which proceeded from beginning to end without a significant break, meaning that it could take anywhere from four to sixteen hours to complete.

The intention of this study is to examine the relationship between fired clay and certain found objects. Working from the assumption that clay, being a natural substance, shares a common ground with certain other natural substances, such as wood, hemp, rock, etc., a primary aspect of the investigation consists of discovering successful combinations of these materials. In each design two subordinate problems were encountered. These were (1) determining the best means of combining and preserving objects in a semi-permanent state and (2) ascertaining whether the thrown form is by itself visually satisfying or if it would be improved by distortion.

The problem consisted of creating a series of jewelry pieces in metal which embody the concept of a self-portrait. Each piece in the series has a physical outside and an inside area in its structure which together form a conceptual self-portrait. Each piece was partly preplanned in detail and partly spontaneously executed. The spontaneously executed parts of the individual pieces serve to include the presence of the subconscious self-image. The series when viewed as a whole or as individual parts will give an insight to my self-image.

The intention of my mask-making was to present a body of work that visually captured my many encounters with spiritual presences in nature. From my perspective, these spiritual presences can be described most effectively as Platonic ideals, or the blueprints from which all physical forms are derived. These spirits are, therefore, the life breath and animating force behind the material world. I wanted to transcend the mere physical manifestations of nature and create in the masks a primary vehicle or conduit for the spiritual presences that I sensed in nature.

In this investigation the possibility of a "soluable" type of space and its formal properties was explored. The project took the form of four objects, ranging in size from three to eight feet in total length. The investigation was based on the following questions: 1. How does the form suggest extensions of itself in space? 2. How does color alter the viewer's response to the form? 3. How do color and form work together in suggesting additional elements? 4. In what manner do materials and/or patterns affect the form? 5. What new avenues of investigation does the work suggest?

For the last few years my work has been concerned with an exploration of the landscape image through the use of the traditional printmaking techniques of intaglio and lithography. The images which were produced during this time became increasingly flat and at the same time increasingly spontaneous. At the onset of this project, the images were the result of feelings about and memories of landscape, rather than studies taken directly from nature or from secondary sources. As the desire for spontaneity within the image increased, I felt the need to alter my method of working in order to accommodate additional flexibility. I concluded that this would exclude the traditional print methods.

My work is based upon the photographic image and deals with the juxtaposition of abstract elements within a figurative format. The camera and the photograph have become my sketch book and, as such, seem to influence the manner in which I approach and compose my prints and drawings.

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.

This problem tries to bring together a comprehensive array of themes. There has been a duality between painterly techniques, recognizable images and disjunctive imagery. The subtractive painting technique used has created smooth transitions between images and made these hybrid realities more convincing.

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.

Three intaglio prints and three drawings will be investigated to answer three specific questions. The questions are: 1. Is it possible to isolate the source of subject matter in my work? 2. What effect do media and subject matter have on each other during image development? and 3. Does my subject matter contained in an entire work contribute to the subject matter of my later works?

A comparison of classical and contemporary cultures was made by recreating classical sculptural imagery in contemporary recyclable materials. I proposed to use the detritus of modern culture to render sculpture that was ancient in subject, stance, and scale. The intention of this work was to create a visual discourse between cultures by bringing together elements of each, showing points of congruence and disparity.

It was impossible to document all of the important dancers of the era; however, certain individuals were notably exceptional. The purpose of this study was to document and illustrate some of those dancers who impacted and influenced the development of American vernacular dance during the early twentieth century through the mid-1940's. The individuals chosen were as follows: Dewey "Pigmeat" Markham, John Bubbles, Bill Robinson, Earl "Snakeships" Tucker, James Walker and Charles Green (Chuck and Chuckles), Katherine Dunham, Honi Coles and Cholly Akins (Coles and Akins) Josephine Baker, The Derry Brothers (Ananias, Jimmy and Warren), Eddie Rector, Willa Mae Ricker and Leon James. Emphasis was concentrated on capturing an accurate likeness of the individuals as well as on establishing a specific mood. Since all of the above-mentioned individuals were dancers, a special effort was made to recreate the lighting and aura of the stage.

I intended to create a body of work using a variety of media and a combination of imagery that is both subjective and objective in regards to representation. I incorporated into the work, words and phrases which are not related to the imagery. This has allowed the work to be variously interpreted. I wanted certain elements of the work to appear simultaneously very old and very new.

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 goal of this study was to construct a body of work encompassing a broad range of wheel thrown functional pots that are accented with hand built additions. I produced a total of forty pieces developed from four forms representing a respective increase in scale. I addressed technical and aesthetic issues during the process. These included glaze combinations, variations of established hand built additions, surface decoration, and form/shape manipulation.

My work already shared some of the characteristics of the gravesites that I proposed to study. They were similar in that they both attempted to integrate sacred and profane imagery. Both called attention to personal events and related these events to a larger scheme. Finally, both were involved with the creation of objects of veneration according to personal edicts, but in relation to already established mythologies. I proposed to create a body of work based on the information gathered from the investigation of three predominantly Mexican graveyards-- one in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and two outside of Laredo, Texas.

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?