Trishelle Jeffery

If you or anyone you know has some art that (even very loosely) fits the theme of birthdays, hit me up!

In July I thought I fell in love. Thinking through it now, I don’t think that could be it. How can you love someone if you don’t know them? I have a habit of projecting affection on people, obsessing and imagining an alternate reality where they feel the same. He still pops up in my dreams and thoughts, and I don’t know what to do about it. At least I can turn things like this into art, and make the painful moments feel a little more like they were worth living.

I just made a brand new print! It’s for Meghan O’Connor’s print exchange “Unnecessary Duplicates,” where each participant is given a letter from that phrase to make a print around. I got an E.

Week two of Frogman’s was Moku Hanga from Mark Brodbeck. She does beautiful subtle landscapes, and for her class I did this. I did a varied edition and changed up the blanket each time, drawing or writing on the block with a watercolor pencil for each print. Mary was excited and said I was giving her ideas. I rewatched DBZ while I was working on my thesis, and have been pondering my childhood crush on Vegeta ever since. I also had a Frogman’s located crush I was dealing with while making this, and it was really all I could think about for a few days there, so I decided to lean into those feelings and make them into something. I titled this one, “You Say Vegeta I Say Vagina”

This was my print for week one of Frogman’s! I did plate lithography with Christopher Wallace, who is rad a.f. His artist talk was among the best I have ever seen, and I learned so much from him, despite having done some photo litho really recently. This piece is called, “I know, I’m sorry. I wish I knew enough to say it would be okay.” It’s two plates printed on brown paper, and it’s about moving on and being scared of the future.

Today, I finished this print. It’s for the Frogman’s Staff Portfolio print exchange, and the theme on this one is 7 Deadly Sins: Greed. I made paper specifically for this print exchange, and put a dollar in the middle of each sheet. So every print has a dollar in it, if you tear it apart.

I made this print a couple weeks ago for a print exchange. The theme was A House Divided. We were told to make work about the political divide on the left, but thinking of political divisions and the name of the theme, this was what felt right to me. My dad listens to Rush Limbaugh a lot, and I ended up unfollowing everyone on Facebook because my sister-in-law posted a couple things about guns after the shooting in Florida and I went into a suicidal ideation spiral for a couple days. So the relationship with my family and politics is tense. The way the Mormon church champions conservatism does not help. I’m going to give my mom the print on the right, with just the one layer, because it’s something I think she might like for once. (My parents have none of my art hanging in their home, and have never been to any exhibitions with my work.) I feel like I’m setting myself up to be disappointed there, but that’s the plan. Sometimes I feel like love is built on obligation, or the strongest bonds I have are only skin deep. But still, it is nice to be together, despite everything.

Another installation shot

Best Breasts in the West is an autobiographical comic about healthcare in America, being a muse (for better or the worst), sex when alone, motherhood and the lack thereof, the looming fear of death even in the best case scenario, and simply being in my body and what that has meant for me. The story spans 108 narrative pages. Each chapter is a hand bound artist book.

Took a break tonight and instead of making comics of myself made this bowl! That has a me and some speech bubbles. Empty Bowls is always such a fun thing. I can't wait for the chili cook off in October. (Someone there can snag this, I don't need it.) (at Wichita State University)

I finally bound the painted one. Done done done done done!

Halloween! #grabsback

I haven't shared any pictures here and Walter is already nearly a week old! #aunting