This thesis examines the paintings included in my MFA thesis exhibition. The body of work presented in my thesis show features abstracted paintings that explore both distortion of imagery as well as the biased views we have about our environment and our resources. Inspired by natural and artificial environments, I focus on the observation of fleeting color and light patterns. Patterns are magnified by using every day plastic consumer products as a lens to distort y images. Spatial ambiguity is created through the use of complex layers of paint. Reflections on Our Time, explores both formal elements and the materiality of paint by utilizing color temperature and intensity, as well as developing images that use both the transparency and opacity of the oil paint medium. Notions of consumerism and environmentalism are explored through the creation of this series of paintings. My goal is to share the creative research that led to the creation of these images and perhaps create a forum for the viewer to question their relationship with the natural world and the environmental footprint they leave behind.
","abstract_html":"<p>This thesis examines the paintings included in my MFA thesis exhibition. The body of work presented in my thesis show features abstracted paintings that explore both distortion of imagery as well as the biased views we have about our environment and our resources. Inspired by natural and artificial environments, I focus on the observation of fleeting color and light patterns. Patterns are magnified by using every day plastic consumer products as a lens to distort y images. Spatial ambiguity is created through the use of complex layers of paint. <em>Reflections on Our Time, </em>explores both formal elements and the materiality of paint by utilizing color temperature and intensity, as well as developing images that use both the transparency and opacity of the oil paint medium. Notions of consumerism and environmentalism are explored through the creation of this series of paintings. My goal is to share the creative research that led to the creation of these images and perhaps create a forum for the viewer to question their relationship with the natural world and the environmental footprint they leave behind.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Suarez, Janet E"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)","degree_level":"Thesis (restricted to Georgia Southern)","degree_discipline":"Department of Art","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Elsie Hill","Jeff Schmuki"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2014,"date_issued":"2014-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2014-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:27:52Z","subjects":["ETD","Reflections","Light","Color","Painting","Environment","Plastic","Arts and Humanities"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/1090","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Elsie Hill","Jeff Schmuki"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Suarez, Janet E"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-04-15T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Department of Art"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis (restricted to Georgia Southern)"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["ETD","Reflections","Light","Color","Painting","Environment","Plastic","Arts and Humanities"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/1090"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This thesis examines the paintings included in my MFA thesis exhibition. The body of work presented in my thesis show features abstracted paintings that explore both distortion of imagery as well as the biased views we have about our environment and our resources. Inspired by natural and artificial environments, I focus on the observation of fleeting color and light patterns. Patterns are magnified by using every day plastic consumer products as a lens to distort y images. Spatial ambiguity is created through the use of complex layers of paint. Reflections on Our Time, explores both formal elements and the materiality of paint by utilizing color temperature and intensity, as well as developing images that use both the transparency and opacity of the oil paint medium. Notions of consumerism and environmentalism are explored through the creation of this series of paintings. My goal is to share the creative research that led to the creation of these images and perhaps create a forum for the viewer to question their relationship with the natural world and the environmental footprint they leave behind.
"]},{"key":"dc:source","label":"Dc Source","values":["Chicago-Turabian"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Reflections on Our Time"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Elsie Hill","Jeff Schmuki"],"dc:creator":["Suarez, Janet E"],"dc:date.available":["2014-04-15T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This thesis examines the paintings included in my MFA thesis exhibition. The body of work presented in my thesis show features abstracted paintings that explore both distortion of imagery as well as the biased views we have about our environment and our resources. Inspired by natural and artificial environments, I focus on the observation of fleeting color and light patterns. Patterns are magnified by using every day plastic consumer products as a lens to distort y images. Spatial ambiguity is created through the use of complex layers of paint. Reflections on Our Time, explores both formal elements and the materiality of paint by utilizing color temperature and intensity, as well as developing images that use both the transparency and opacity of the oil paint medium. Notions of consumerism and environmentalism are explored through the creation of this series of paintings. My goal is to share the creative research that led to the creation of these images and perhaps create a forum for the viewer to question their relationship with the natural world and the environmental footprint they leave behind.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/1090"],"dc:source":["Chicago-Turabian"],"dc:subject":["ETD","Reflections","Light","Color","Painting","Environment","Plastic","Arts and Humanities"],"dc:title":["Reflections on Our Time"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Department of Art"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis (restricted to Georgia Southern)"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:27:52Z"}