The Moon Goddess Project was never anything I was meant to participate in. At the beginning of last semester, a handful of students collaborated on developing a group project for independent study credit-- I couldn't afford the class, so I stayed on the sidelines. Meanwhile, the members of the group proceeded with the project, spending a long time on the development phase. The basic idea went a little something like this: the group would come up with a theme, and each student in the group would produce three highly polished pieces featuring their own interpretation of the theme. Simple enough in theory, but with the potential to yield great results.

A couple of days ago I had the opportunity to sit in on a brief meeting and preview their progress. I was floored by the work they had done, and furthermore-- I couldn't sit on my hands any longer. As the day went one, I continuously mentioned my envy for the project members, and finally I was given permission to participate. Of course, I wouldn't be getting credit for an independent study like the others, but it was never the credit I was after.

The Moon Goddess Project is an example of student initiative to the highest degree and something which I am ecstatic to be a part of. Each collaborator has poured their soul into the art-- and will continue to do so-- and the resulting body of work will be something truly extraordinary. I'm thrilled to include the Moon Goddess Project on my resume, and I'm eager to see the direction that it takes my work.

Alexander McQueen's Savage Beauty Exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Already, I've found myself veering down an interesting path. Though I haven't solidified a creative brief, I did jot down a list of words and phrases that I wanted to implement into my project, and those in turn have given me a clear direction for my development.

My initial impressions were centered around the intrinsic human instincts related to the moon, hearkening back to a time before the repressive standards of society. Primal mysticism, mythology, unexplained natural wonders taking the form of imaginative figments. A deeper need in humanity to reach for the intangible and unfathomable. I also recalled the Neopagan Triple Goddess, who boasts the three aspects of femininity: the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone. My three pieces will vaguely resemble those aspects, with the Femme Fatale taking the place of the Crone. (I could come up with a really deep, interesting explanation for this, but really what it all comes down to is just that a Femme Fatale sounds like a lot more fun to paint than a Crone.)

When approaching the conceptual development for a project like this, it's always a good idea to collect images and snippets that inspire you. Some artists have entire walls where they tack up the inspiration for their current projects. Me? I make a folder on my computer and a playlist of music, then start sketching away. (I wish I was cool enough to have a whole wall. Someday.)

The work of Indonesian fashion designer Tex Saverio

Foremost among my influences on this project are the old faerie artists I used to obsess over in middle school. Amy Brown, Stephanie Pui-Mun Law, Jessica Galbreth, Nene Thomas-- a whole slew of painters whose technique isn't nearly as impressive to me as it once was, but whose creative vision still perfectly encompasses that Neopagan mysticism I'm going for now. In addition to their work, I have some more cultured influences working for me: Alphonse Mucha merits mentioning, since he tends to be an old crowd favorite. Michael Parkes as well, whose stunningly elegant work combines the patterns and organic linear composition of Art Nouveau with Egyptian mythology and symbolism.

Also strikingly relevant is the couture of fashion designer Alexander McQueen, whose work is truly a marriage of fine art and textile if I have ever seen one. He had a collection featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art called Savage Beauty that completely defies every preconception you might have of what should be possible in clothing design, and which perfectly encompasses the aesthetic I'm going for with this project. (But, you know, in clothes.) Along the same lines, fashion designer Tex Saverio creates masterful works of art by implementing unlikely materials into his clothes (if you can really call them that).

Kirsty Mitchell is a stunning artisan and photographer who crafts elaborate costumes and props for her now-world-famous Wonderland series. With its outlandish design and rich texture coupled with photographic realism, her series is also a heavy influence on my project.

And then there's the music. Being a hobbyist opera aficionado, I have a particular love for Mozart's classic villain from the Magic Flute, the Queen of the Night. The viciousness of her aria has a part to play in this project, coupled with the soulful crooning of Florence Welch and the contemporary classicism of Sarah Brightman.

So what direction is all of this going to go?

It's hard to explain in this early phase. I have a very clear image in my head of Mucha-esque compositions combined with heavy mixed-media texture and digital appliques over painstakingly rendered figures in tediously crafted dresses reminiscent of the Unseelie Court. But it's all Greek to you, and until I can give you some visual reference, it's just not going to make any sense. Let's just say-- every style of art that I have ever attempted or been influenced by is going to make an appearance in these pieces, and believe me when I say the result is going to drop the jaws on the floor.

For now, I leave you with a series of preliminary development sketches that I'm rather fond of, which give you a vague idea of what I'm thinking for the figures.

Inception of the Moon Goddess Project