Resume

Jacob Sandstrom

sandstromja@my.uwstout.edu

(847) 254-0821

Campus Address: Permanent Address:

1715 2^nd St. E. 1058 Dove Way

Menomonie, WI 54751 Cary, IL 60013

EDUCATION

UW Stout, Menomonie, WI

Bachelor of fine Arts, with studio emphasis in Ceramics, Anticipated Spring 2012

Cumulative GPA: 3.3 in studio courses

HONORS/AWARDS

2005 Honorable Mention, McHenry County College Student Show

2006 Honorable Mention, Harper College Student Art Show

2007 Finalist, Fine Art Finals Scholarship Competitions

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2005 McHenry County College Student Show, Crystal Lake, IL

2006 McHenry County College Student Show, Crystal Lake, IL

2006 Harper College Student Art Show, Palatine, IL

2008 UW Stout Student Art Show, Furlong Gallery, Menomonie, WI

2009 Bayfield Festival of the Arts, Bayfield, WI

2009 Volo Village Craft Fair, Village of Volo, IL

2011 Cubed, UW Stout Student Gallery, Menomonie, WI

COMMISIONS

2009 Ambient Vision Inks, Design Work, Aaron Brice

WORK EXPERIENCE

Lab Assistant, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Ceramics Department, 2009-Present

Volunteer, Ryan Long Foundation, McHenry County College, 2010

Artist Statement

Jacob Sandstrom

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Artist Statement

I see my work as an opportunity to initiate conversation. By choosing to place images on vessels, I create a dialogue of material and process that parallels the discussions I hope to find with my audience. As a drawer, I am confident in my technical ability to render a beautiful image. As a potter I find joy and excitement in the craft and construction of an interactive object. By gathering the information ingrained in each craft, each part of my process informs the next.

My vessels are constructed using thick heavy coils of course red terra cotta. The use of heavy coils allows me to be physically involved in the manifestation of the object. The physical characteristics of and working constraints of the clay bring an inherent process rich with tradition and familiarity. By being aware of those characteristics, but subject to their constraints, I anticipate the forms with a reserved control. The weight of my clay coils allows for the vessel to take its form intuitively. It’s a liberating experience that is an ironic backdrop to the controlled drawings. As drawings, my surface decoration bring the implications of meticulousness, detail, and control of process. With deliberate contrast, those traits become especially evident as they are physically integrated with the earthy surface of the clay. Through a developed color palette and material process, I work the surface using detailed technical process while revealing the areas of clay and the vessels intuition.

The effort of shifting back and forth between the two contradicting processes mirrors the struggle of a person finding his or her purpose and identity through conversation in a culture that operates at an accelerated pace. As a practicing and believing conversationalist, I find that quality of experience ought to be appreciated and shared. By working with and on functional forms, my art extends into the environment and context surrounding it. In that way it is less instructional and better suited to the duality necessary for true conversation. The permanence of clay complements the evolving methods of communication. The material and age-old process of drawing on clay questions the broad and general subjects in conversation and the development of those thoughts in correlation with the changing technology that has become so integrated in our communication.

The images themselves reflect the culture and the shifts that occur in it. The contextualization of the animals and people I draw the images from brings yet another parallel to the changing communicative processes. By looking at timeless subjects in new or developing relationships to culture, I further the integration of those thoughts into the crafts of clay and drawing.

My work is a construction of conversation through multiple processes. By achieving a craft-based conversation in each piece that I make, I hope to integrate that dialogue into my audience and the changing lives that surround and inform my work.

Self Portriat in Charcoal using Mirror

Final Reflection

I very Much Enjoyed Life Drawing I, I feel that I accomplished all the course objectives and I am happy with the work I produced. I was most successful with longer poses and the Ink wash shell drawings; The area that I need most improvement is gesture drawings and though I have improved my cross contour skills I would like to continue to improve, its nice to have a new challenge. Life drawing is very relevant to my major (studio art) and to be drawing on the regular is very important for any visual artist. The link to my final portfolio is posted on the bottom of this blog.

http://s933.photobucket.com/home/sandstromja/allalbums

Cross Contour Skull Drawings

The Skull is a very challenging and complex object to draw. I try to have patience when performing any cross contour drawing let alone drawing a skull. Posted is my first of three skull drawings. I am looking forward to the self portrait we have to do for our final, I really want to nail this last project, so I will defiantly be putting in the hours.

Last Manikin Muscle Set

It feels good to finish the manikin, overall I enjoyed building up the different muscle structures to gain a better understanding of the form of the body. It was nice to work not only in the 2d but in 3d as well. It helps with the cross contour drawings when drawing from the models.

Ink Wash Shell Drawing II

The Second Shell drawing I very much enjoyed doing, It turned out much better than the first ink wash drawing of the shell mainly because of the different view, I was able to get more information and depth with the new arrangement. I also experimented with different colored inks and was more aggressive with the ink using more layers than the first ink wash drawing. Cross Contour Drawing is very challenging for me and I felt that I was successful in this last shell drawing.

Manikin Update

I ran into less problems working on the arm and shoulder muscles. I am getting use to working with the atlases and I find it easier to reference without the other muscles shown on the page I am working from. That was one of the first problems I ran into when working with the Manikin. I find the work relaxing and enjoy it, even though I would rather draw from the models.

Ink Wash Shell Drawing I

I enjoyed doing the first ink wash drawing, I put my time into the contour drawing and used black ink and water colors to bring forward and push back certain areas. I rather enjoy using ink and water color. For the next drawing I'm going to position the shell so it isn't as foreshortened and spend more time with more sittings on the ink wash to really make it pop. In class this is the first drawing from the model focusing on the shoulders and arms and I enjoyed bringing the upper body into the mix.

Photobucket Midterm Portfolio

http://s933.photobucket.com/albums/ad176/sandstromja/Midterm%20Portfolio%20Life%20Drawing%20I/

Life Drawing I

Jacob Sandstrom








Built the thigh muscles on manikin, I found it to be more challenging than building the spinal erectors. I also posted images of the first two cross contour drawings of the shell. I need to slow down and be patient when creating Cross Contour drawings they are more complicated than I expected, I believe I finally found an appreciation for them after all. I just enjoy doing value drawings so much that it was hard for me to get into the contour drawings but I look forward to doing my next one. I threw the last image of the cat costume in just for shits and giggles, it was a project for my sculpture class.

Field Trip to the Walker and the Bell

I had a blast on our field trip, I've been to the Walker before but only to see specific exhibitions, I have not taken that extensive of a look at their permanent collection before and it was a real treat. One notable work was Best Buy Arcade Dolphin Oracle II by Richard Shelton and Piotr Szyhalski they programed an animated dolphin to respond to any question the viewer had to ask it by typing the question using a keyboard that is provided. They wanted to create an artwork that could answer and be asked questions creating an interesting dynamic and relationship between the viewer and the artwork. I thought it was a very fun interacting with the artwork, provokes the audience to think and was very entertaining. A very smart dolphin to say the least. I am also taking Art Since 1950 and I was able to see works that we are discussing in my class. Works by Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, and Rothko. I also enjoyed the Bell Museum after walking around a bit I spent most my time rendering the two Great Blue Heroins they have on display.

Working with Anatomical Manikins

Forming Muscle structure on a skeletal manikin with modeling clay. Documenting the process each week.

Shell Research

Shell Research

Jacob Sandstrom



The shell that I have been drawing I have identified as a channeled whelk, a large marine gastropod snail. The snail inhabits waters south of Cape Cod. The interior of the shell is a tubular spiral in which the snail curls into. The snail has a strong foot that sits at the entrance of the shell. They can grow up to 16 inches long; the shell is uneven with many protuberances. The surface of the exterior has lines running down to the tip; the interior has a very attractive gloss and luster. I choose the shell in class as I would on the beach, it caught my eye and I picked it up.

Reflection 1

Reflection 1

Jacob Sandstrom

Life Drawing 1


Thus Far I have very much enjoyed Life Drawing 1; its been over a year since I have taken a drawing course and it is very refreshing to do gesture drawings and contour lines drawings from a live model. I try not to think too hard when doing gesture drawings; my goal is to capture what I am seeing as efficiently as possible and when I am successful in doing so, I enjoy doing them. I have always worked rather slow and take my time studying my subject; I start from a central focal point in my drawing and expand out focusing on value and detail. It is good to loosen up and practice drawing with a different approach; I believe that I will be able to render my subject more diligently, while looking just as carefully at my subject. I look forward to working with modeling clay and using the manikin to learn about bone and muscle structure which will hopefully be a beneficial tool to create drawings with greater ease.

Blind Contour Drawings

Blind Contour Drawings:





1) Medium valued lines
2)Slow
3)Sleepy Figure w/Arms Resting
4)Medium
5)Blind Contour-Sleeping Figure