Kim Rae Nugent, Guest Artist

Kim Rae Nugent is an artist extraordinaire. She wrote a book a few years ago called Interactive Art Workshop, and invited me to contribute art. That invitation not only led to a friendship that I value, but eventually my book contract. She is the guest blogger today, and a contributor for my book. Her work is thoughtful, meticulous, and so varied.

1)    I asked you to contribute to my book, Personal Geographies, thinking that you would like the idea of making maps. Was I correct? What most surprised you about making maps as art?  Yes, I love the idea of making maps. I think about maps all of the time now and how I can incorporate them into my work.

2)    I am interested in maps as a tool of self-discovery. What was your most interesting discovery during this process? Just how many animals I have had the past 15 years. Actually I really enjoyed mapping all of the places my family, ancestors and I have lived.

3)    You made a map of the pets you have owned in the last 15 years. What do you think the maps of pets for the next 15 years looks like for you? Insert laugh here. I had a lifelong dream of having a hobby farm, but life changes. All of the farm animals have passed on except a 16 year old chicken and cat about the same age. My kids are grown up and I don’t want to be so tied down. It is hard to find someone to milk your goat if you want to go away for the weekend. We currently have a passion for Boston Terriers and I often am babysitting the granddogs. I tend to think of maps as something that is current or already has happened. I guess that I have the hardest time mapping my future. We recently celebrated Christmas with my family, there was seven people and 12 dogs. I don’t want to think beyond this. I do have a desire to map all of the pets that I have had prior to this map. I have had a wonderful opportunity of having pets in my life since I was four years old.

4)    You work in so many mediums. How did you decide how to approach the creation of each map and what to use to make it? I guess one of the biggest factors that I consider when choosing a medium is how detailed I want the map to be. Otherwise the projects in your book are an excellent starting point to use for choosing a medium to work in. I truly enjoy having some type of starting point to work from.

Let’s look at some maps Kim  made.

The project Hand Map.
Welcome to RAEvN Land! Home to special places in my life and a lot of puns! Towns are named after places where family, friends and I have lived. Come sailing with me on Artistic Ocean, Analytical Ocean or Productive Ocean. Although a boat ride in the Gulf of Passion is saved exclusively for my husband Mark. For you land lubbers there are Mountains of Information, Idea Desert or Painters Peak. Beware, keep away from Carpel Tunnel.

The project is called Pop-up Memory Map.

I am interested in totem animals. On May 20 on our way home from the cabin Mark and I seen these animals cross the road in front of us in the order indicated on the map. I looked up the meaning on the internet for each of these animals and included that on my map.

After some time away from the map and looking at it with fresh eyes I realize that these animals represent the stages in my married life:
Rabbit – Ability to procreate, fleetness and movement by leaps. This certainly describes the first years of my marriage. I had three children within four years of my marriage. We went from renting an old farmhouse to an apartment to our starter home …
Deer – a new innocence and freshness is about to be awakened – Getting to know my husband and children and what I am capable of doing.
Squirrel – Balance within the circle of gathering and giving out – This certainly describes what being mother and raising her children is all about.
Snapping Turtle – Honor the creative source within, longevity, ability to grasp opportunities. Now that my children are all grown up and out of the house this is what I need to work on. And Mark, sorry for snapping! (It’s just a phase I’m going through).

What if I had seen the snapping turtle first in my married life?

Behind the pages look -
This is the bottom view of the Map of Self Discovery.  I thought you might like to see this view of the nesting cone maps, as they were not included. They are compass roses etched in three different medals.

From my 2011 Vacation Journal. A fold out map showing the route we took plus where we stayed overnight. In the future I will like knowing the route we took on this special vacation.

More about Kim:

Kim is a mixed-media artist from Fredonia, Wisconsin. She has spent her life cultivating her skills in collage, oil painting, sculpture, sewing, art journaling and assemblage, often cross pollinating mediums for unique and exciting projects. Her love of nature and animals is often reflected in her art. Kim’s art work has been featured in numerous publications including her book “Interactive Art Workshop: Set Your Mixed Media in Motion” by North Light Books. www.kimraenugent.blogspot.com