Kim Nugent IS OUR Ninth ARTIST IN RESIDENCE (AIR) AT SHEBOYGAN NORTH HIGH SCHOOL. SHE IS OUR FALL 2018 AIR ARTIST.
The 2018-2019 Artist in Residency Program is supported by a grant from the Wisconsin Art Education Association and Kohler Foundation, Inc.
About Kim
Kim’s method of journaling often involves utilizing a picture as a starting point to spark an idea. She chooses photos that she both likes and surprisingly, dislikes. Her purpose is to develop ideas, explore techniques, and to push her creativity. Working this way jumpstarts her imagination, rendering a visual journal page that would have been hard to conceive using merely a blank sheet of paper.
“Visual journaling has become something that I feel compelled to do. It helps me to be calm, centered and focused. Through visual journaling I express myself with or without words. In my journals: I experiment with different mediums and techniques; document important events or simple daily happenings; express my thoughts and feelings; draw, paint or collage. I have no rules. ” – Kim Nugent.
Gallery
Kim’s SCHEDULE
Kim will be at Sheboygan North starting October 10, 2018.
Her schedule is as follows:
- Wednesdays, 9am – 2pm
- Thursdays, 9am – 2pm
To make an appointment please fill out the form to contact her.
Weekly Journaling
Week 1
First day as Artist in Residence at Sheboygan North High School. This is my studio space for the entire Fall semester. It was the former health office. Pretty cool, I even have a sink. Now to Art up the place without needing a moving truck at the end of the semester.
End of day 1. Starting to fill up the space.
I spent a lot of time journaling on pages that had already been drawn on. I had a lot to say. Sometimes the pages sit for months waiting for the right words.
A very productive day. It is amazing how much I can get done when I don’t have the distractions of home.
Day 2
I finished these journal pages. A target was the inspiration and it developed from there.
Week 2
I created a clear plastic butterfly template that I placed over words and images. I enjoyed finding little phrases within larger paragraphs that fit the feelings I wanted to express.
I wanted to explore further, the technique I used on the “Her Words Were Right on Target” page. I couldn’t find my circle cutter so settled for the oval cutter instead. The images I used were of my maternal grandmother and great-grandparents.
Anatomy was one of my favorite classes in High School. I even contemplated becoming a medical illustrator. I enjoy the process of drawing skeletons over orphan ancestors. This pose was a fun challenge.
I’m thinking about using the words “Reflecting Inward” for this page. What do you think? Any other ideas?
Week 3
A continuation of an idea from Friday. Oval fragments of a family photo. The face was cut out from the background for my previous journal page so I will need to work around it.
Trying to illustrate fragmentation and movement.
One Idea leads to another. Making use of what I have.
Students in Humanities (language arts honors class) are currently discussing the book “Feed” by M.T. Anderson. I was given a copy to read and follow along.
My journal page is in response to the passage I have included here.
Week 4
I made my first journal with plywood boards cut by my son. This journal is specifically for my Artist-in-Residency. I really like the structure of a book to work in, helping to keep pages together and in order. I usually have the cover all done before I assemble my journals. This time I am going to let it evolve.
The page I am working on in my AIR journal today. I found my circle cutter!
One idea leads to another. Continuing with my butterfly theme.
I made a plastic template of a butterfly and placed it over different parts of text from pages of a vintage children’s book. When I found words that spoke to me I traced around the butterfly template and cut them out.
I further challenged myself by choosing a couple of these butterfly words and writing words inspired and including them. My goal was for them to metamorphosis into a new meaning.
I highlighted where the words on the two butterflies appear in the advice they inspired. (Minus an extra “from”)
I drew a trail from one of the butterflies back to where it originally appeared in the text.
Other butterflies appear in the background ready to form new stories.
This collage is in response to reading “Feed” by M.T. Anderson. My initial idea was to illustrate how the feed affects consumerism. It developed specifically on, how the feed could influence someone to buy beauty products.
Week 5
What I’ve been working on in my AIR journal this week. I’m not calling this journal page done yet. I need some distance from it so I can see it with fresh eyes.
Week 6
I made myself a journal for all of the anatomy & psychology journal pages I have been making. I really like having my journal pages in a book form. It keeps pages organized. Otherwise they tend to be moved around and put in different places, making them hard to find. Thank you to Juliana Coles for showing me the importance of this!
The skull eyes were cut out of the wood cover revealing the pupils/images of my great-grandparents Theodor and Anna on the page underneath.
The skull was made with a wood burning tool, which I hadn’t used for quite awhile. I really enjoyed the process.
Week 7
Inspiration for art journaling. “Do more. Worry less” – I’m working on that one.
I met with John Michels Thursday. He was looking for some new visual ideas for a mind mapping project that he has been teaching in his social studies class.
I just happen to have excellent resources for this project. I brought my friend Jill K. Berry’s three books on mapping. “Personal Geographies: Exploration in Mixed -Media Mapping”, “Making Art From Maps: Inspiration, Techniques, and an International Gallery of Artists” and “Map Art Lab: 52 Exciting Art Explorations in Mapmaking, Imagination, and Travel”. I am honored to have art in all three. BTW if you don’t have these books I recommend you do!
He now has plenty of new ideas to share with his class!
Week 8
I see a bear in the first image. The next two images are process photos.
The final journal page with bear. Upon looking at the above process photos I wish that I had left the bear and background a little less finished.
Week 9
Another one to add to my “orphan ancestors” series. I’ll probably add to it later but it is done for now.
Week 10
The first photo is the inspiration piece I created for Chad Soik’s Humanities class. It says “Respect Nature”. They were studying Egyptian art. After sitting in on a number of classes I was thinking about how most of the early art hadn’t survived unless it was “Set in stone”. My idea was to write something using Egyptian hieroglyphics that you would want to share with future generations. I also had images of stone from my book that I shared with them to use. They can make any art they want for their artplosion assignment. I was happy to see how many were inspired by my idea but how different they were.
I sat in on several discussions in Chad Soik’s Humanities class. I found the students to be inspiring and often left energized by their enthusiasm.
Week 11
Some sample journal pages I made for Erin Belongie’s English Composition class. I will be presenting a collage project using a process named “Reconstructed Collage Poetry”. The theme of their project is “The American Dream”. I starting with a nostalgic American dream and then made one I thought is other people’s American dream.
Week 12
Thinking about my messy AiR room. This is what my brain looks like today. Thinking about synchronicity in my journaling.
Open up the textbook to get ready for the next class I am working with, which is Humanities. They are on a new chapter, Greek Art.
This is the first thing I read “Humans throughout history have sought order in chaos…” This is why I journal.
January 2 – 3, 2019
Today’s journal page. Less about the finished product, more about the process.
I arrived today without any ideas or motivation. I just started glueing down scraps leftover from other journal pages. Soon I was lost in the process, time passed swiftly and a sort of meditation was accomplished.
Perhaps I will add more to the page later.
I went to IKEA over Christmas break. The only items I brought home from there was a store layout brochure, pencil and inspiration. I cut out several birds from the brochure using a plastic template I made. Arranged the birds so “Find what you are looking for” could be read. Then added the Chinese cookie fortune found on my collage table.
This page seemed to come together almost too easily. I ponder it’s simple design, yet I really like it.
January 10, 2019
I gave a talk about my residency and art journaling. During the reception I had four of my journals available for viewing. Copies of nineteen of my journal pages are in the exhibition, although I made over 77 pages during my residency. I also constructed three journals. I probably wrote more in this journal than others, I think the school setting and involvement had a direct influence.
Three students wrote poems in response to my art during the reception and then recited them. The poetry was fabulous and I felt each poem elevated my work. What a wonderful experience!
Thank you to the staff and students who attended my reception. It was nice to share what I was working on. I even was able to reconnect with a friend from High School who substitute teaches here.
The first picture is courtesy of Mel Kolstad the first AiR. The rest of the photographs are courtesy of Sheboygan North High Artist-in-Residency Program.
January 14, 2019
I sat in on Erin Belongie’s first and third hour classes while they gave their presentations on the “Reconstructed Collage Poetry” project that I had presented to her classes earlier. Here are some examples of their work.
I enjoyed seeing all of their finished projects and hearing their thoughts and written response to them. Their theme was “The American Dream”. I was impressed with the students thoughtfulness and insight. Thank you Erin for inviting me to work with your class!
January 25, 2019
I want to wrap up my residency by thanking everyone involved for making it possible. I was very impressed with Sheboygan North High School! Staff and students were wonderful to work with and I felt welcomed by both. I found your school to be a positive inspiring atmosphere. I was greeted with smiles by students and help with doors when I was toting all my art supplies. There is a lot of power in the simple gesture of a smile.
My residency marks the 40th anniversary of my High School graduation. I was shy in High School and still am for the most part, but I pushed myself to come out of my shell a bit and felt empowered to in your school atmosphere.
I hope future generations revere intelligence and compassion over manipulation. My most important advice is to speak up if you have something important to say.
Thank you Frank Juarez for all your work with the artist-in-residence program and all you do to promote the arts!
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