In my story, Vino is a man without a theme searching for his music. In contrast, the bartender is stuck in the same rhythm whether he is gregarious, temperamental, or just self-serving. Vinoâ??s theme brings joy into the lives of the flat people; however, as quickly as he came he leaves. He takes his theme with him, but is still looking for a new one.
The creation of Vino has allowed me to explore my own feelings of ostracism. Vino functions as a surrogate self who I have endowed with an innate confidence in expressing his creativity- that our world strips from humans every second they spend alive. He answers to no one and does not think about the repercussions of his actions, living experience to experience. To him, knowing he is not a drunk or a bum is enough to live his life the way he wants and shed the judgments of on lookers.
I have created a world with a different look and feel that is a reflection of our own and upon completing my thesis I have a sense of accomplishment. When I watch my thesis I see an idealistic tale about the misunderstanding and exploitation of the artist, which ends in the artist rejection of the job offered to him. Standing at the core of my thesis is the idea of being othered in a nonracial, gender, or social class discrimitory way. Just being othered because you are you. And I find myself asking the questions: Is it safe to be yourself? And if everyone was himself or herself what would the world be like?
By completing my thesis I have only found more questions.

This animation premiered at the Maryland Institute College of Art at the 2010 Animation Senior Screening and showcase on May 14, 2010.

My first Stop-Motion Animation short about a Curious wall fixture, Coath.

A stop-motion character interacts with his 3D (CGI) counterpart.

This was created with a stop-motion puppet against a home made green screen and a CGI charcter modeled and textured in 3D Studio Max.

This series is comprised of portraits of other artists I have lived with and could be self-portraits, but instead are drawn by an exterior artist.

The first piece was concieved with the intension to be a play off of the historic tradition of a "master artist" who paint a self-portrait of themself to chronical their own life with in their body of work. It was important to me to make it in the tight realistic style that my room mate, who is a painter, would have drawn herself in.

The second portait deals with the idea of having lost contact with friends in the past and making a sarcastic jest at how to keep your friends so they won't leave.

The third drawing is about decision. There was a moment when my room mate turned to me and said she just didn't know what to do about him and turned her face back towards the window causing her to be looking away from the photo of him that is on her headboard.

Catalogue of freeform knitted stuffed animals