chelsea lynn sams

True crime

2012-02-15T16:59:00.000-08:00

I'm a criminal. Not only has it been over a month since I posted, I'm also giving you an awful photo:

panthera leo (cowardly lion)

Consider it Exhibit A, an alibi. This piece is up right now in the annual Illustration Department Theme show at 301 Gallery, so you can take better look at it. When the show comes down, I'll also scan it in.

Speaking of Illustration Departments, I haven't yet mentioned that I am the new caretaker of the Wunderkammer, Montserrat College of Art's Natural Science collection. I'm trying to do right by my mentor, Elissa Della-Piana, and really cultivate a useful teaching library. In my cataloging I've found some really interesting items:

An articulated human foot
A taxidermy head of Paradisaea apoda, the Greater bird-of-paradise
A fawn's skull
A human sternum in a velvet-lined box

Also, in my personal natural science collection, I recently discovered this:

I found it on Block Island in 2008, but misidentified it as some sort of shell. Turns out, it's the tympanic bone from Physeter macrocephalus, the Sperm whale.

Anyway, more soon! I'm involved with a new project that I'll fill you in on soon. I'll just say that it involves pig intestines and masks.

xoxo Chelsea

Installation!

2011-12-29T13:59:00.000-08:00

More later. Writing essays. Happy New Year.

small works

2011-11-16T12:58:00.001-08:00

Hi friends.

Here's a couple of little pieces I put together for Porter Mill's first annual juried small works exhibition. Deadline's today, but if you have small works, you should submit! If your work sells you will receive 100% of the proceeds, which is stellar.

elephas maximus

phacochoerus africanus

I ran into both of these creatures on my recent Texas trip. Also, this guy:

Stay classy,
chelsea

microtus pinetorum

2011-11-03T15:41:00.000-07:00

Hi again,

Some quick updates:

"The Beauty in the Beast: the Animal as Muse" is a show going up at Gallery Della-Piana (including the piece above by yours truly). The deadline for work has been extended to Saturday, so you should apply! If your work involves animals.

Also, good news! I am joining a group of artists to create a studio space in town. I'm looking forward to not having the cat and bunny distract me! (And also having the opportunity to work with such talented people.)

And Saturday I'll be traveling to Texas to take a look at a grad school. Last time I was there, I met this guy:

The Eastern Hognose Snake is a friendly little fellow, but if you bother him, he'll play dead and puke blood.

But Chris is coming with me and doesn't approve of snakes, so I can't keep such company this time.

So, on to some work. Not sure about this little guy... this one has viscera involved, so if you choose, see more after the break.

hydatid cyst (thriller)

It's approximately life size, which for a vole is under 4 inches. I think the eye and teeth and claw make it a little too aggressive. What do you think?

capreolus capreolus

2011-11-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

Hi friends.

I finished this a couple of weeks ago, I'm sorry it took so long to post. However, as a bonus, I've included these process shots so you can get a look at how it was made.

hyperplasia (too big for your britches)

lynx rufus

2011-09-23T19:35:00.000-07:00

gross trauma (blindsided)

DONE. Well, maybe. Maybe I'll add vellum ribbons coming from the paw, I don't know yet. I really like the separation there, and what it does for the composition. WE'LL SEE.

Speaking of seeing, I'm working on a potential exhibition right now with the fabulous Studios at Porter Mill! They are having their grand opening tomorrow from 2-8pm; some of my good friends from the sidebar have studios there, and they'll be open for prying eyes to see! Me and my eyes will be there, and I hope you can make it, too.

Goodnight,
Chelsea

Sketchy

2011-09-06T16:04:00.000-07:00

Patient blog-followers,

The last two months have been a whirlwind of activity! July is always a wash; I co-direct a pre-college program for high school students, which, as you can imagine, takes up much of my time. But usually August affords me some time to catch up. Not so this year! I traveled extensively, from Nantucket to Maine to Texas and back home again, a new destination each week. If you would like a peek at what I was up to in Maine, take a look at my friend Julie's blog, Orchid Grey.

However! I have not been shirking my responsibilities, artistically speaking. Normally I feel a little shy about posting sketches, but after last year's fantastic Drawing Everyday exhibition at Montserrat, I see the benefit of sharing a sketchbook.

The sketchbook I'm sharing today is from my time in Texas in late August. I was interested in all the roadside signs along the highway, mainly because there's not much else along the highway:

On the second page above, you can see the real object of my sketchbook: drawing animals from life. I was lucky enough to make it to two excellent zoological gardens while in Texas, the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi, and the Dallas World Aquarium (one of my favorite places). Below are some sketches of the animals I encountered:

The shoebill stork from above had a seat, and a little blue penguin.

Piranha! Also bottlenose dolphin. They were FAST

Japanese spidercrab, and a jaguar resting its head in its paws.

A jackass penguin's...back.

I do as much drawing from life as I can when presented with an opportunity like this; drawing from life lends an understanding of the underlying structure for me, and probably for you, too!

Goodnight and good luck,

Chelsea

& In One Another

2011-07-05T19:52:00.000-07:00

Hi!

As usual, I apologize for the infrequency of my posts. Now, here's the stuff I've been doing for & In One Another! By the by, if you want to see the other bad ideas I committed to paper, as well as some really GOOD work, you should come to the opening of the show this Friday.

#13 - DON'T TELL ME

#16 - MY FANCY

#17 - ENEMY OF THE GOOD

#18 - GAZEBO

#19 - A NIGHT SCENE

#21 - HOLOGRAM CANYON

#22 - JUICE RATS RAMPAGE

#23 - CHAIR SUPERIOR

#24 - CAN'T FIGHT THIS FEELING

#25 - HELPLESS SKELETON

#27 - FRESH

#28 - MODERN RITUAL/MODERN TOTEM

#29 - THE HEALTHY CHOICE

#30 - BRIGHTEST SHINING THING

Good night!

Chelsea

BAM

2011-05-18T19:25:00.000-07:00

Hi friends. I've got a lot to share today.

First off, here's a new work in progress:

Many more hours of fun still to go! This stag had a disorder that caused his velvet-covered antlers to grow pendulous lumps. Looking forward to the tedious rendering ahead.

In a similar vein, here's a bunny skull, which incidentally is the type of skull on my new homepage.

Not quite finished! Sylvilagus floridanus

Just brushing up on some observational drawing.

Next up, some work from the & In One Another project. My motto for this project is "bad ideas, hastily executed."

#6 MAP FROM THE PAST

#7 BAD COLOR

Which started me on a tangent outside of the sketchbook:

Which turned out to be pretty creepy. So I marched on.

#8 THEIR LIFE UNIFORM

I like to think of this guy as the rabbit version of Ziggy Stardust. Based on a very strange rabbit, Pentalagus furnessi.

#8 THEIR LIFE UNIFORM

Take two.

#11 FIVE SIMPLE MACHINES

There are many more terrible ideas I haven't shown you, but may someday. When you're older.

I believe there are 30 assignments total, so there will be many more appearing here soon. Doing really bad drawings based on worse ideas is...refreshing.

Finally, a special treat. I walked into my office last week to find this on my desk:

such tiny hands!

A stack of portraits (of me!) executed by Montserrat Illustration class of '08, as part of a group assignment. The one above is by far my favorite, done by Illustration Chair and Professor Fred Lynch. You should check out his teaching blog. Anyway, I couldn't keep a treasure like that to myself, so there you are.

Best,
Chelsea

It's been a while!

2011-04-27T17:14:00.000-07:00

I know. And I'm sorry.

The things I will share with you today will hopefully make up for my truancy. First thing:

BAM

Built from scratch! Satisfied?

No? Well how about this:

Assignment #4: A FAMOUS EXPERT

I'm participating in another brilliant venture by Now. For. Art., the Northampton-based brain trust. The project is the second run of & In One Another, a large scale sketchbook endeavor. Every other day, an assignment is posted; at the end of 60 days, the sketch books are gathered in a public exhibition. It's a wonderful exercise, so if you missed out on the sign-up, you should just follow along in your own sketchbook! I'll be posting more and worse takes on these assignments as time goes on.

Finally, a reminder that this weekend is Montserrat's annual art auction, which will feature yours truly in the live auction. If you've got some sweet, sweet moolah laying around, come out and support a worthy cause: reducing the debt of art students.

Alright, one more sketchbook assignment.

Assignment #1: THE RIDE IS HERE

With fond regards,
Chelsea

Oh, by the way

2011-03-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

papillomavirus (jackalope)

Here's that Wild West piece I alluded to a while back. I finally scanned it. You're welcome.

Play at Work

2011-03-24T15:12:00.000-07:00

I'm in a lovely show titled Play at Work going up this weekend at the indefatigable 17 Cox. Here's my contribution:

megacolon (let it all out)

The show is curated by Christopher Stepler and Adam Kology, and features the work of 11 alumni. It's going to be pretty great. You should go.

xoxo Chelsea

Live Auction!

2011-02-28T14:14:00.000-08:00

Exciting news! I've been juried into Montserrat's annual Artrageous! auction. Not just the silent auction, mind you, but the prestigious Live auction which has been graced by such greats as Julie Mehretu, Will Barnet, Masako Kamiya, Rose Olson, &etc., &etc. Here is the piece, which you may recognize:

galidictis grandidieri (self portrait)

detail

You might recall this piece from my post "Badly photographed work from this summer." However, in a stunning reversal, it has been really well photographed by full-time dreamboat Julie O'Boyle. If you haven't seen her blog, you really should check it out.

That's all for now!
Chelsea

Last weekend's adventure

2011-02-27T13:42:00.000-08:00

Hi friends,

The photos are in from last week's adventure!


Moments later, this coyote pooped.


Jaguars don't like the cold.

Snow crunching otter.

Ever heard a snow leopard yawn? It's pretty great.

After some girls who didn't have creeper 'staches to protect them.

Lonely reindeer.

Hot barbecue at the end of a cold day.

I've got some new drawings to scan in, I'll post them soon. In the meantime, stay warm!

TECHNOLOGY

2011-02-21T15:32:00.000-08:00

Hi there.

So Chris and I went on an adventure yesterday to the Stoneham Zoo; it was lovely! There were few other people out because of the cold, so we had the place to ourselves. Plus, the animals were really curious about Chris's creeper 'stache, so they came right up to us. We took a film camera to document the action, so hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures soon. Until then, here's one of my favorites from the trip, Reeve's Muntjac:

He seemed really cold prancing around out there. Drawing made with computer technology.

That is all.
Chelsea

Valentine

2011-02-13T19:36:00.000-08:00

Dear internet,
Don't worry. I'm not going to get all mushy on you. I just have one thing to say on the topic of love because, well... it's topical. I realized this weekend that love's great advantage beyond all that mushy emotional stuff is that it can really push you out of your comfort zone. And make you like it! So in honor of that sensation, I made a picture of my dreamboat boyfriend (okay, so it's a little mushy) that doesn't fit into my usual oeuvre.

It's really nice to work on something a little different. I'm really enjoying working with graphite; for a piece in graphite that's more in line with the rest of my work, see the Wild West show in Montserrat College of Art's 301 gallery, which opens tomorrow. Don't fret if you can't make it, I'll be scanning it in when the show comes down.

Oodles and oodles,
Chelsea

17 COX + ART'S NOT DEAD

2011-02-04T17:22:00.000-08:00

Hi there.

I have some projects in the works; some projects that involve viruses and rabbits with horns. More on that later. Let's just say I've got two gnarly little bunny ears on my desk and they aren't from my sweet little Kingsley.

The project that I am referring to was made possible by a residency at the fabulous 17 Cox. I recently helped demolish a wall there!


That's me with the stylish boots! Photo by Lucas Spivey.

Which coincidentally, ties into the other thing I wanted to mention, ART'S NOT DEAD 2. Hosted by the aforementioned art facility, and put together by some really lovely people, it's going to be fun. Here's Finn with my submission:

The deadline is tomorrow, so there's still time to submit something. Also, be informed that 17 Cox is accepting donations of art texts; if you donate, they will memorialize you by adding your name to the name of the library. At least until it gets unwieldy, which is why I recommend you donate soon. It really is a delightful place.

Anyway, I hope you are keeping warm.

Chelsea

Embroidery.

2011-01-28T20:18:00.000-08:00

feather tumor (i want too much)

I applied to grad school. Wish me luck.

xoxo Chelsea

FYI

2011-01-14T19:00:00.000-08:00

Portrait by Christopher Charles Stepler.

Work in progress...

2011-01-09T16:27:00.000-08:00

Breakthrough... embroidered tumors. More soon.

Yours truly,
Chelsea

#3 & #4

2010-12-26T17:36:00.000-08:00

Hello again,

I've been working a little more on the Necropsy series; I'm not sure it's entirely in the right direction, so I'm anxious to hear any opinions. Take a look after the break (no gore, but some viewers may not be comfortable with the subject matter.)

scoliosis (do people know? can they tell?)

Completed a few days ago. I'm aiming for a sense of inertia here, but I'm not sold on the ribbons as compositional stabilizers. So I regressed to straight here:

feather tumor (i want too much.)

Again, I'm not completely satisfied. I may even revisit these two later. I've got more coming, once I'm done braving the blizzard.

Hope you are safe and warm out there,
Chelsea

#2 in the Necropsy series

2010-12-21T15:44:00.000-08:00

Hi there,

Again, the imagery I am using may disturb you, dear viewer. It's a bunny this time; nothing terribly compromising in the image, just the subject matter.

pseudorabies (there are some things i can't tell anyone)

Until next time,
Chelsea

The cardinal commission

2010-12-20T18:35:00.000-08:00

A little ditty commissioned for a Christmas present.
See you soon,
Chelsea

Viewer discretion is advised

2010-12-19T15:14:00.000-08:00

Dear viewer,

I trust that you are mature enough to make your own decisions. I am employing imagery in my new series of works that some people may find disturbing. I understand if you don't want to continue. If you do, you can view it after the break:

squamous cell carcinoma (where it went wrong)

I'm working with a set of images I acquired from Cornell University's Necropsy Show and Tell, which are images used to educate veterinary students. Continuing with my theme of pseudo-scientific classification, I am endeavoring to categorize relationships through anatomical and pathological study. Sifting through the library of images also has a desensitizing effect, so perhaps I am working against the horror of death, in relationships and otherwise.

Sorry for the seeming morbidity, but in a way I think my drawings bring beauty to these utilitarian images, ennoble animals shown in what could be construed as their basest form.

By the way I'm practicing for my grad school application.

xoxo, Chelsea

To tide you over

2010-12-10T20:25:00.000-08:00

Until the next time I can put up some serious work, here's some festive cuteness:

Yes, it's South American mammals wearing scarves! Starting at the top left and moving clockwise: tamandua, tapir, coati, guanaco, ocelot, three-banded armadillo, and the Patagonian mara. Nothing looks finer on a Christmas tree than a fleet of scarf-swaddled-geographically-accurate mammals, which is exactly why I made them into ornaments.

Hope you are staying warm out there,
Chelsea

Badly photographed work from this summer

2010-12-10T20:09:00.000-08:00

Hi there.

It's been a while, I know. I've been busy! What with Christmas shopping and crafting for the holidays, not to mention imbuing Montserrat's next generation with my inestimable knowledge, I've been doing a bad job finding the time to update this. But don't fret. I'm fixing it now.

arctictus binturong (emily)

galidictis grandidieri (self portrait)

These were pieces displayed in the show "Of nightmares" I mentioned in an earlier post. I'm also still working on that etching I keep tantalizing you with after a failed aquatint. Oh, well. At any rate, I'm working on a few projects and expect to have more work up soon.
xoxo Chelsea

Skull relapse

2010-09-19T14:44:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about skulls again. I know, I thought I was over it too.

From my sketchbook, please pardon the fold. Mammal skulls are endlessly fascinating to me, especially the skulls of mustelids. Weasels, minks, otters, skunks! This one is Lutra canadensis.

I've also been thinking about knots. This little experiment is a sketch of the best Christmas present I've ever gotten: a cast replica of a pink fairy armadillo (Chlamyphorus truncatus) skull. And nestling around it, an imaginary square knot situation.

I also did a proof of that etching I was talking about. More on that soon.

Bad, bad, bad.

2010-09-04T13:32:00.000-07:00

Dear reader,

It's been a while since last we met. But I do have things to share with you.

Way back in April, I participated in a lovely exercise conceived and executed by Eben Archer Kling, Katherine Romansky, and Adam Kology: & In One Another. True to form, I completed roughly half of the assignments and was late turning it in. Pictured above is one of those assignments, Cat Man Staring.

Then, in June I was asked to participate in a show curated by Setheyny Pen (center): Of Nightmares at 119 Gallery in Lowell. Artists, left to right: Bill McCann, Dug North, Adria Sutter, Lillian Harden, myself and Jeffrey Havens. It was a great experience, and I have several new pieces to scan in and share with you (soon).

Finally, I'll leave you with a promise of new work on the way. I'm working on an excited etching, sneak preview above. As a goodwill gesture, I've even updated my banner. While I can't promise you I have left my woeful updating practices behind, I've got a feeling we will be seeing more of each other soon.

Oodles and oodles,

chelsea

System project

2009-12-10T11:51:00.000-08:00

This fella was used in a student's assignment in the course I TA for. The students each had to devise a system and create art based on the results of the system. This student decided to collaborate with a large group, and sent requests for self-portraits to about 100 people around the country. Obviously this was my contribution.

When it appeared in the student's presentation, one of the other students shouted out, "What's your deal with bats?!!"

Peepers

2009-12-08T12:06:00.000-08:00

I did a few cute drawings of birds for my merchandise in the Montserrat Holiday Sale. With any luck, I'll soon have an Etsy where you can get your hands on my wares! Here's my peepers:

The rose-breasted grosbeak.

The belted kingfisher, and up top, the golden crowned kinglet.

Opossum

2009-12-08T11:54:00.000-08:00

Didelphis virginiana (stephanie)

I've been experimenting with the varied line weight a nib lends.

Civettictis civetta (Larue)

2009-11-24T09:24:00.000-08:00

The African Civet.

I fought the stone and the stone won.

2009-04-05T13:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a new litho I've been working on. This little number will be up for bids at Montserrat's Artrageous!23 silent auction.

2009-04-05T12:59:00.000-07:00

Would you like to see my etchings?

2009-01-18T15:01:00.000-08:00

This is the first stage of an etching I'm working on. It's a muntjac.

We did it, finally!

2008-12-18T11:21:00.000-08:00

That's right, I updated. Finally.

This is the Babirusa I found in my closet.

This little guy is now featured in Elissa Della-Piana's new show "Winter."

Little Gems at Gallery Della-Piana

2008-11-13T16:48:00.001-08:00

One of the two drawings selected for the show; I really love how the colors came out on this little guy!