Finals fast approaching

This past month has been a whirlwind. It feels like the semester was crawling by, but now time is flying. Between final projects and weekend trips, the students have been very busy. I myself am off to Paris for the weekend. I am of course super excited, but four days out of the studio seems a bit crazy. 

I've been putting in extra hours trying to get ahead before taking off for the weekend. Below is progress on my final painting:

In Flux

For my first big drawing project, I decided to animate from life. The idea was better in theory than in execution, because, ya know, that's a lot of drawings for one project. I'm pretty happy with how the film turned out, so the long hours in the studio were definitely worth it (as they always are)! 

In Flux is an experimental piece exploring the influx of media as immersive and contaminating. The presence of misinformation pollutes the individual, spreads to the masses, and results a loss of self.



In Flux from Casey Follen on Vimeo.

Below is a little video showing a few of the drawings used:


In Flux: Process from Casey Follen on Vimeo.

Irish Studies

     One of my favorite classes here is Irish Studies. So far, we've been studying the natural elements of the Burren and surrounding communities. The class has been hiking all over the place! Gordon, our teacher, seems to know everything under the sun and has a tendency to take us to places that are quite a bit off the beaten track—it's crazy how many amazing places there are around here. With class every Friday, it has been great to get out of the studio and get to know this place a little better. Soon we'll start learning more about the human history that has influenced the country and the Burren itself.

Another castle... there a lot of them. I can't keep up. Still cool. 

Crazy cool sand.

Hyped to hike.

Dylan, majestic as usual. 

Look, there's Amelia!

Just climbed a mountain. NBD.

We found a wild mare and her foal!...Only a little distracting from our lesson.

Drawing and Painting

Drawing and painting deadlines are fast approaching, and the ambitious projects that I started semester with are catching up with me. I am animating with charcoal on newsprint and painting two very large oil portraits… and I appreciate any help the universe can give me in finishing these projects on time. The good news? My drawing arm is getting way stronger.

Adrift

The first few weeks of life studying in Ireland have been pretty spectacular. As a class, we’ve been traveling all over getting to know the countryside, as well as the bigger cities like Galway and Dublin. On top of getting to know the landscape, I’ve been digging into some pretty fun projects.

My most recent project was for my Mixed Media class. We were instructed to take a journey and make a work based on that experience. While visiting the home of another student in Connemara, we took a boat ride out to little island that contained the ruins of an old monetary. The island was lovely, but it was the boat ride that resonated with me and informed the work to follow.

While on the lake, I felt at home. I felt a strong nostalgia for the countless days I spent out on the lake growing up—for simple grace to Michigan summers. My life is marked with transience, but the memory of home keeps me afloat. The rowboat is a symbol of my childhood, and is furthermore a metaphor for my personal identity as I navigate the sea of adulthood in the photo series, Adrift.

Below are several images from the series:

New Blog!

Welcome to my new blog. Here, I will be documenting my experience while studying abroad at the Burren College of Art in Ballyvaughan, Ireland! I have spent the past few weeks traveling and getting a feel for the country. The landscape and culture are incredibly rich, and I look forward to getting to know it better over the coming months.

The environment here at The Burren is both isolated and in the middle of everything. The community is warm and inviting. Although this town is small, there are plenty of local activities and events to keep me nice and busy. I think it’s safe to say that there are more cows than people. Ballyvaughan is by far the most rural place I have ever lived, but I bet The Burren will be the perfect place to hunker down and focus on my work.

Today was my first day of school. After an introductory presentation by the President, Dean, and other faculty, we were asked to choose from a series of workshops.

The first workshop featured exercises in performance art. The experience was uncomfortable, spontaneous, and freeing. I have never before participated in performance art that featured my own body, but after today, I’m sure I’ll be doing it again.

The second workshop consisted of exercises in the creative process—one was drawing like a kid again. We scribbled so hard and fast that the paper burned our hands… but it was so worth it. I hope that my future days at BCA will be as challenging and rewarding as today.