I created this piece at the end of last year as part of a local “artivism” project in my hometown of Kokomo, IN. Local artists are taking target practice sheets and creating pieces with the goal of speaking non-violence in the midst of our nations complicated relationship with guns and resulting gun violence.
This piece helped me explore a lot of new techniques and art ideas so I’d like to talk about the process.
Years a ago, I had welded these lotus flowers as a part of another art piece that has since been disassembled. I decided to incorporate them into this new piece. I created wooden support and drilled holes for the welded piece and dowel rods.
At this point, I spray painted everything black and affixed the target.
I had been interested in sculpting with artist epoxy, but I was impatient and decided to try the epoxy you can buy at your local hardware store designed to fill in large wooden holes. The only problem with this is that it sets up in a matter of minutes rather than the hours you have to work with the artist version. Once it did set up I used a Dremel tool to carve in some more details and create this “Sacred Heart of Jesus.”
I painted it and with a combination of acrylic paint and black ink and attached it to the target.
Next, I began using the Dremel to carve halo lines radiating from the target’s head (which I then painted black).
From there, I began experimenting by adding black paint using a brayer roller. I had taped over the “body” of the target to protect it during this time and when I began removing it there was tearing. I like the result and continued manipulating the tearing as I worked my way around the piece. The brayer and tearing created a nice texture that I furthered by doing some washes of watered down ink (gray).
I went back into the halo and the Sacred Heart flame and added some gold colored acrylic paint.
Finally, I created a hand reminiscent of Jesus’ hand after the crucifixion. The hand is blessing all who view the target (both unarmed and armed). The text written over the target is the Litany in the Wake of a Mass Shooting by the Bishops United Against Gun Violence.
“May Light Perpetual Shine Upon Them”
2019
Wood, Acrylic, Epoxy, Colored Pencil, Ink, Paper
