VennGirlStudio

Cycling began as an idea.  A thought to transport myself under my own power, save money, and save walking time around campus became a love story in a matter of a time.  Fast forward 28 years and riding my bike is an integral part of my person.

These photos have evolved over the last year.  Each ride since June of 2016 has been documented via photo, serving as a narrative for cycling excursions.  I can look at each photo and remember nuances of the ride that would otherwise be forgotten.  They document my interaction with bicycle and environment in a way that any cyclist would understand. 

A side product of the photos is a definite addiction to filters.  The filters capture more of the feeling associated with a ride that (for me) the photo alone does not capture. 

There is something about cycling that makes me feel more real than just about anything.

The Binary Birthday series is all about play. Birthdays coded in color using binary numbers. The format reads as rows. The first row illustrates month and day, the second row the year of birth.

The Venn series is all about exploring color and circles. Managing color and movement through interactions with circles, pieces are dynamic and peaceful at the same time.

Mandala drawing is a way for me to escape. My mind can follow the lines and not worry about anything in the world! They are a pleasure to draw because they let me relax, the whole mindfulness thing. They begin as concentric circles that have been divided into sections. No thought involved! I generally start without a distinct idea, just let the lines fall repeatedly in their neat little compartments. Soon the lines do present themselves as a certain something. I like to wait until this point before I “make” the lines look like something recognizable.

A sub-category of the Mandala Series is the Cross Cut Tree Series. The method and division of the paper plane is identical for the trees and the mandalas, I just let the concentric circles be the tree rings that are move and flow. I began drawing these after a tornado went through our neighborhood. Fortunately, no one was hurt and our own home survived with only some damage. The loss of trees for our half mile section of road was staggering and as a small community we spent the next month picking up tree debris. Drawing these cross cut trees helped me to de-stress from this event in my life. It also let me pay homage to the trees we lost. By the way, I love trees!!