Opening "Studio Sumrall Orsak"
On September twenty-eighth 2024 I will celebrate the opening of "Studio Sumrall/Orsak" . The studio is located at 1510 N U.S. Hwy 281 unit 102. I am proud to starting the new chapter of art career.
"Cabinet Oak Project" Imaging History Through Fragments of The Cabinet Oak
As one of fifty-four artists selected to participate in the Cabinet Oak Project I re-imagined how a fallen limb of the iconic "Cabinet Oak" came to symbolize the historical events which unfolded under its canopy. "Unity" came out of a personal exploration of LBJ and the wood from the "Cabinet Oak".
Wood bears witness to time and events through its rings. The width and form of each ring are dependent on weather. I came to understand these marks as analogues of hardship, lived experience, bounty and perseverance. Within this dicontomy I saw commonality in my perception of Lyndon Baines Johnson. As a president he worked hard to push for social change and social good through his vision of a "great society". President Johnson, through perseverance, was able to make great bipartisan advancements. He also bore witness to many great hardships.
I combined the visible rings of the oak with images of LBJ's hands in my drawing. LBJ's hands came to symbolize the tree. LBJ, like the tree, had become callous and strong.
Wood bears witness to time and events through its rings. The width and form of each ring are dependent on weather. I came to understand these marks as analogues of hardship, lived experience, bounty and perseverance. Within this dicontomy I saw commonality in my perception of Lyndon Baines Johnson. As a president he worked hard to push for social change and social good through his vision of a "great society". President Johnson, through perseverance, was able to make great bipartisan advancements. He also bore witness to many great hardships.
I combined the visible rings of the oak with images of LBJ's hands in my drawing. LBJ's hands came to symbolize the tree. LBJ, like the tree, had become callous and strong.
"Egress" -Senior Art Major Exhibition, Neidorff Art Gallery, Trinity University
The body of work I completed for my senior exhibition engages with the traditions of craft, constructing relationships between natural attributes of wood and carefully crafted forms. These forms take the shape of organic symbols such as the human ear and enlargements of raw wood gain. This approach makes process a central focus of these works. I wanted the viewer to engage with my work intimately, enabling and encouraging the careful examination and interaction with the pieces.
I bring the beauty of the past into the present through traditional processes of creation. I work with hand tools, such as chisels, gouges, planes or saw, to slowly carve a piece of wood. I also work with analogue film and slides, and in my drawings I gradually build up tones with dozens of layers of graphite and charcoal. My painstaking processes of creation are based on my rejection of today’s fast-paced culture. We are more than internet culture, disposable culture, urbanization, or instant gratification. I ask the viewer to slow down, to ponder, to appreciate the beauty of old processes. My work is something you can hold and interact with; it has tactile qualities that don’t transfer through a screen.
Selected Course Works
The following body of work is representative of the evolution and refinement of my style and medium during my studies at Trinity University. My methodology and medium focused on analogues such as film photography, hand transfers, hand tools, antiques and drawing. My focus was shaped by these components leading to an art making process which integrated traditional methods into contemplations of historical relevance, modern obsolesce and beauty of craft.
The Pottery Workshop, Jingdezhen, China: A study Of Chinese Ceramics
During the summer of 2018 I visited China. I created a series of ceramic pieces which merged Chinese materials and methods with my own style and conceptual focus. The trip resulted in work inspired by a renewed sense of cultural identity. My work was intended to capture myself with the Chinese setting and culture. I worked with unfired blanks which I glazed, painted and carved. These new set of skills were gained though the observance of local craft masters.
Jimmie Rodgers Tribute for Texas Heritage Music Foundation
A body of work preserving the legacy of Jimmie Rodgers and his significant contributions to the genre of Country Music in collaboration with Texas Heritage Music Foundation and Schreiner University.