Karen Bozik's 100 Days Project: Day Eleven

​Moving into the second week of her 100 Days Project, local artist Karen Bozik, whom we first visited with here last Monday, found herself running into mental and academic roadblocks. The aesthetics are there, she acknowledges, but in terms of a complete package, she's unwilling to speed through the research just to have a finished product at the end of each day:

i'm cracking. i just couldn't do it yesterday. i like the small pieces, but this project is more than that to me. i suppose this is "against the rules" (if there really are any). but i think i'm going to post research and works in progress, when i feel something isn't completed. granted, some amazing things can present themselves under pressure, but, i also want to create a body of work that feels somewhat resolved. i'm going to give myself a time limit every morning and just post what comes out of that.

The small pieces, so far still focusing on Slovakian culture, are lovely, as you can see for yourself:

Day 3: "starci," watercolor and collage 4.25" x 4.5"

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Day 4: "maly jarnej." See image at top.

"Peaceable and friendly, the Slovak tribes clung to such pursuits and to such a form of government as could best assure the way of life to which they had become accustomed by virtue of their fixed and non-combative civilization. They never resorted to conquest, saw no need for training or preparing for war. Their form of local government tended to foster peace and preserve their spiritual culture......The(se) national characteristics of the Slovak people are probably the best explanation of their tragedy as a nation." --Peter P. Yurchak, Esq., "The Slovaks", 1946.

Day 5: "matka je rec," 6.5" x 7.5", watercolor and collage.

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The early Slovaks, like all Slavs, devoted themselves to agriculture, horticulture, and animal husbandry. They were also hunters, fisherman and beekeepers and early in their history, designed and produced commercial pottery. Later, they learned all matter of trades, and with the help of guilds, established in the Middle Ages, developed marked ability in handicrafts and the decorative arts. -- Peter P. Yurchak, Esq., "The Slovaks", 1946.

Day 6: "starosta," 7.25" x 5.5", watercolor and collage.

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But after nearly a week, the cohesive story Karen's hoping to finally tell hasn't quite come completely together yet, and life gets in the way:

I had a long day yesterday, came home and started drawing at 8 pm. by midnight, i had worked and reworked an idea that was far too complex for the time constraints. a failure drawing! i'm regrouping. i'll post something everyday, but it most likely will be research and/or works in progress, with finished drawings when finished.

And yes, after that, images and cultural references were posted:

Day 7:

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Day 8: