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Ariel Hansen Strong
Portfolio
As my arts and education career has evolved, my portfolio has grown to span across many mediums. I have a master's degree in Book Art & Creative Writing from Mills College, a program with a large emphasis on printmaking and bookbinding structures, both traditional and contemporary. Throughout my many years creating and instructing Book Art, I grew a tandem interest in ceramics, digital illustration, and more. My current practice exists mainly in ceramics, illustration, and printmaking, and I enjoy exploring ways to blend these mediums in collaboration with one another.
Book Art
Included are just a few samples of my artist books. They are inherently cross-disciplinary - writing, sculpture, printmaking, photography, etc - woven together to create unified pieces. The reasons I love book art are also why I love teaching the medium: book art expands minds because it has no distinct parameters, and asks the creator to consider many important elements such as multiplicity, storytelling, texture, intimacy, repetition, depth, and the relationship between form and content.
Relief Prints
The following are some samples of my linocuts and woodcuts. I have experimented with a long list of printmaking processes, but relief printing has always been the standout for me. I incorporate color with either multiple layered prints, or through pochoir. Relief printing is a wonderful medium to teach because it's so much about the process as opposed to the destination.
Illustrations and Designs
I have been working with clients as a freelance designer for over a decade, and have created many collaborations including album artwork, posters, logos, and wedding invitations. Through this work I have grown to love digital illustration, and often create my own inspirations using platforms such as Procreate, Figma, and Adobe Creative Suite. The following are mostly samples of personal projects.
Ceramics
While attending the San Francisco Art Institute as a sculpture major (BFA), the majority of my works were in clay – hand built sculpture and porcelain casted from moulds. In the last few years I've returned to clay, this time focusing on wheel thrown functional ware. I have recently been incorporating sculptural forms and playing around with characters and surface design. I have also been working on some collaborations and commissions, and so my ceramics portfolio is actively expanding in terms of style. I've included images of some unfinished and unglazed pieces, because they are still in the process of being completed, but provide good examples of this expansion.
Student Works
Last but not least, the most vital component of any art educator's portfolio – the work created by their students! I have taught at every age level, and in many different mediums, so my aim was to reflect this breadth here.