Mollee J. Daniels

Through my prints and drawings, I interpret the vanitas genre as a changing, fleeting memory by contrasting line-drawn and rendered medical objects in sprawling mixed-media collages and mixed-media lithographs. As I reflect on my personal experiences with sentiment, I have found the photographs of my family and friends – the memories I have with these people – to be the most sentimental thing I have left of them. The different noises and overwhelming surplus of medical devices stand out the most in these moments of reflection.

Medical objects are layered to create dense, solid areas and open areas of line and space. These objects that were once used by people around me float above or fall behind others through transparent line drawings and papers to relate to foggy memories. Paired with antique prescription cards and influences from Rorschach tests, my prints disorient the medications and supplies that were once used to heal. The collages scale the wall as if searching for a solid memory and overwhelm the viewer with mass amounts of information. Threads hold together and create pathways through the collages like evidence boards, pinpointing certain words, medical objects, or stitched areas to guide the viewer through the overwhelming, foggy memory of experiencing medical care, end-of-life care, and sudden loss I represent through my prints. 

Visual Art shows students how to create, but also how to communicate their ideas and beliefs. Throughout my life, I have been lucky to be able to correlate art education theory with artistic practice and lifelong learning. I believe the adoption of the Studio Habits of Mind simultaneously blends big idea concepts and social-emotional learning skills, forming the foundation for my classroom to build upon. As long as art connects diverse people across the globe, students will continue to develop the skills to use art as a tool for understanding alternative identities and perspectives. As an educator, I want my students to experience artmaking as a versatile, communicative process that invites people of all cultures and backgrounds to develop an understanding of the world around them.

Studio Habits of Mind encourage students to understand art worlds, stretch & explore, reflect, observe, develop craft, engage & persist, envision, and express themselves. By thinking like an artist, students can experiment and make mistakes, fostering the growth of critical thinking skills. My students are responsible decision-makers who involve themselves in giving and receiving feedback, as well as completing self-reflection exercises. As I encourage my students to think like artists in process and product, I also encourage them to use art as a tool to express their ideas and beliefs. I integrate these ideas into my curriculum development by attaching my units to the diverse experiences of humanity and encouraging students to make connections to their own, lived experiences. I believe making meaningful artwork starts with critically and creatively thinking about ourselves and the world around us. Through this approach, I encourage all students as artists and engaged individuals who can use art as a tool for understanding and shaping the world.