Wallpaper and our first elk sighting

The mountains looked beautiful as the sun was rising on my way to the studio this morning.

Julia removing the

Frog Tape®

It takes us an entire day to complete one of these, that's both of us working together. It's roughly 4'x9'. First we plot it out. We made templates for this to increase our efficiency. Then we trace octagons onto the paper. Usually one of us plots while the other follows close behind tracing octagons. Then we mask it off with Frog Tape® for Delicate Surfaces. Frog Tape® is a brilliant product. Not only does it prevent the paint from bleeding and ruining the design, but it's translucent enough that we can see the pencil lines through the tape. This is important because we need to trim the tape to match the design. This masking is time consuming, but it allows us to paint the octagons quickly and cleanly. Then we can remove the masking from the paper with (almost) no tearing. Thanks makers of Frog Tape®! So far we have three sheets of octagons completed, and we are closing in on a fourth. These will be the backdrop of our installation.We are still trouble-shooting our hanging system, but looking forward to seeing them on the wall.

Our studio in the afternoon sunshine. Moved in another table today so we can work on covering quail with paper tomorrow.

Elk chillin' at the Banff Centre

On our way to dinner today Sasha, another artist in residence told us there were elk behind the building. The female is barely visible behind the grass at the foot of the trees. They were still there about an hour later, walking around as people watched and took photos. The male looks like he's starting to shed his winter coat. If you are wondering why every photo we take has a mountain in it it's because we are surrounded by mountains on all sides. It's an amazingly beautiful place.

Studio Progress

Here's an update on our progress in the studio:

We've been really busy working in the studio this weekend. We've blocked and painted our first two sheets of wallpaper, and learned that each sheet takes at least a day to make. We don't want to talk about how many we still have to make... 

We were really excited to start building the armatures for our large quails. We're proud of our resourcefulness in recycling our studio trash to build armatures that will hold the foam and paper for our quail sculptures. 

Check out the photos of our studio progress and evolving view!

The mountains disappeared during the first snowfall we've seen in Canada.

Masking octagons.

Painting octagons.

Wrangling cardboard.

Skeptical of our tape job. 

Quail admires the view.

Julia: Are you smiling?
Christy: No! I'm playing it straight, like we agreed...
(quail armatures from studio trash)

Still painting octagons.

We Have Octagons

We have learned that everything is made more enjoyable when you have a striking view of mountains. I think everyone could benefit from more mountains in their life.

Today was a long and productive. We finally found a supplier who can accommodate our large spray foam order.  A lesson we've learned: Canadian Home Depots operate differently than those in the US. Share this lesson with your loved ones; you will save them a lot of time and disgruntlement.

On a brighter note, we had a meeting with the sculpture facilitator and learned how to not ignite the building with the off-gas our uncured spray foam will emit. Our future is looking  more secure.

We both gave artist talks with the rest of the resident artists. It was a great to see everyone's work and to get to know people even more. Cool things are happening here.

And...we have octagons!

Tomorrow we are going start tracing and masking off our pattern for the wallpaper element of our installation. We're feeling  relieved to have finished our orientation and artist talks and excitement over spending more time in the studio!

We're in BANFF!

We're in Banff!

We arrived at the Banff Centre Sunday afternoon. The weather has been mild and sunny, which has made exploring our breathtaking landscape much easier than we had anticipated.

The mountainous terrain served as a great backdrop when our shuttle broke down on the trip from Calgary to the Banff Centre. While it is never convenient for motor vehicles to break down, this experience was an excellent introduction to the stunning view of the mountains that surround the Banff Centre. Our travel and  time on the side of the road was made more pleasant by Christy's snacks. Her food preparedness served us well while we waited for a replacement shuttle to arrive.

Today (Monday) we were given our studio keys after an informative orientation and tour of the facilities. We're happy to report that we have a decent view with windows that open!

We are excited to unpack our materials and begin work. We are currently finishing an order from Home Depot before we delve into working in the studio tomorrow morning.

Quails in Patterned Spaces, Our Kickstarter Link

Click here to help support our project:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1346369160/quails-in-patterned-spaces?ref=discovery

We are Julia Sebastian and Christy Wittmer, artists living and working in and around Cincinnati, OH. We met while pursuing our Masters of Fine Art degrees from the University of Cincinnati. While immersed in art on a daily basis, we found that we share similar interests in material, both visually and experientially. After engaging in conversations that were steeped in playful exchanges of ideas, we quickly realized that we could develop a friendship and collaborative relationship that is built on honest critiquing, critical thinking, and laughter.

Unbecoming by Julia Sebastian

Capillary Action by Christy Wittmer

Capillary Action, detail

Our first collaborative venture was a conference talk that explored the varied ways texture seduces and curates the viewer’s interaction with an artwork. We believe deeply in the ability of material to transport the viewer into a world that recalibrates their sensibilities and provides a reprieve from the routines and monotony of everyday life.

After successfully merging our individual research for our conference talk, we decided to undertake a collaborative sculpture that combined our different studio practices. At the time, Christy was making a herd of impractical porcelain tables and was using plaster and various other sculptural components in concert with re-purposed materials to construct precarious sculptures that challenge the physics of gravity while inviting the viewer to carefully explore the unexpected relationships between disparate materials.

Porcelain and Concrete by Christy Wittmer

Porcelain and Concrete, detail

Julia was working on foam sculptures that combined various textures to create abstract bodies that encompassed various states of material creation and deterioration.These bodies contrasted unruly materials with carefully layered felt strips or segments of neat color, challenging a broad range of material to coexist within one sculpture.

Unbecoming 2 by Julia Sebastian

Together we combined Christy’s porcelain table legs and plaster pedestal with Julia’s foam and layered strips of felt to create the work there there. Approaching this work, the viewer finds it transfixed in a moment of instability. Leaning, ungainly and awkward this sculpture evokes empathy in its failed attempt to find its footing. 

We visited the Taft Museum of Art in Cincinnati, Ohio together to further our discussion and consideration of texture by examining how artists throughout history have formally engaged texture, color, and surface treatment. During our visit we were struck by a set of plates, entitled Ruby Black Plate with Quails and Chrysanthemums, Qing dynasty, c 1730.

Ruby Black Plate with Quails and Chrysanthemums, detail, Qing Dynasty, c. 1730

Using these plates as a springboard we will create a three-dimensional installation that physically transports the viewer into a world of delicately seductive color, patterns and textures. This creative referential dream space will evoke a new and vital relationship between the viewer and the installation that thrives on personal investigation and constant discovery in a space saturated with texture and color.





We proposed this idea to the Banff Centre, a highly regarded residency program in Canada and were selected for the Banff Late Winter Intensive Residency. This program will provide us the time and space to create the components of our installation within a community of experienced artists and curators and to get feedback that will enable us to compose a truly transportive environment. Our time at Banff will also provide the opportunity to forge relationships that foster critical feedback and lasting artistic dialogue.

Kinnear Center for Creativity and Innovation, Banff Centre, photo used with permission

What the residency doesn’t provide is the materials needed to create an installation of about 10 by 10 by 8 feet.   We also need to get the materials to a location in remote Canada and then ship the finished pieces home, a distance of 2,000 miles each way.



As soon as we arrive at the Banff Centre, we will begin using foam to create armatures for our giant quails, which we will meticulously cover in variety of feathers. These quail will occupy a space covered in hand painted wallpaper that will mirror the pattern and color found in the plates’ borders. Sculpted rocks and flowers will add lushness to the landscape.

We are excited by the opportunity to create a transportive environment that immerses the viewer in ornate patterned walls while they navigate the textured world of our abstracted human-sized quail!