| In Oracle, Ready to Pay | YES! |
|---|---|
| Name | Laura Ilawan |
| Phone | 2703158422 |
| Email hidden; Javascript is required. | |
| Name of Work (TBD or Untitled are okay) | alive on the intricate earth |
| Please upload a JPG of your work in progress |  |
| Please upload a JPG or PNG of a picture of you that we can use in the show. We prefer a headshot or something that clearly shows your face. Please make sure it’s high enough resolution for print. |  |
| May we potentially use your work in progress image as part of promotional activities? | Yes, please do. |
| Describe the work including planned media, size and presentation format. (All art forms are accepted for this call, but there must be a physical representation of the work ready for display. Most often this is a framed and ready-to-hang two dimensional image.) | The piece is a colored pencil drawing on a green acrylic wash on watercolor paper, 14×11″. Framed, it will be 20×16″ (hxw). The work will be fixed to black mat board within the frame. I am still debating whether or not to put the work under glass. The frame currently has d-rings on either side, but I will put a wire on the back for ease of hanging. |
| Describe your contemplative practice in relation to the work so far. | Firstly, the method of preparing surfaces is deeply meditative to me. I prepared multiple surfaces for this work, relaxing into subtle color shifts and the movement of the brush on the page. I chose the surface that resonated most with my feelings for the Roanoke Valley – deep and rich, smooth with some gentle waves. In choosing which flora and fauna to draw, I’ve been looking over photos taken on walks and comparing them to my memories. Some things are new, but many are parts of cherished childhood memories. I’m grateful these species are also with me in Virginia. While creating images of these plants and animals, I’m reliving those memories and the history of place they bring to me. |
| Describe your engagement with nature in relation to this work so far. | To prepare for this artwork, I’ve been taking long walks, sometimes with others and sometimes alone. The first walk I took was at Explore Park, down to the river with my husband. We spent the morning tramping through the mud of the greenway construction, chatting with other regulars daring the trail. We took photos of so many plants and insects, unknowing which ones I would focus on. The Kentucky Flat Millipede has made the cut, as well as a Great Blue Heron we saw flying low over our heads at the river, ferns and the beech trees around. It’s important to me that all of the species represented are native to VA. |
| Describe your engagement with the text in relation to this work so far. | I’ve chosen a line from ‘Pilgrim at Tinker Creek’ as the title. I waffled for a quite a long time on including a line in the drawing, but I wanted to focus on layering the natural elements. Instead, I’m letting the title inspire me as I continue the work. Everything is so alive, everything is so intricate. I’ve also been really trying to capture Dillard’s method of Seeing- of looking closely and with wonder at aspects that are not classically beautiful, but are beautiful all the same. |
| What questions, or primary question, have arisen for you in pursuing the work so far? | “How can I convey how riotous and yet how quiet the beauty of this place is?” I think Dillard is an expert at answering this question in Pilgrim- you have to be still and quiet to let the beauty of it all unfold around you. When you reach that stillness, everything suddenly blooms loud and busy and full. It’s everything you need, right in front of you. |
| What have you learned in the process so far? | I’m learning every day what my artistic voice is. This is the first serious project I’ve taken on since getting my MFA, a process which left me with many more questions than answers about the kind of artist I want to be. I am beyond grateful for this opportunity. |
| If applicable, please describe any challenges that will prevent you from participating in the effort or completing the project on time. | N/A |
| REQUIRED: Please add a PDF of your vendor’s invoice here. The payer is “City of Roanoke, Attention Douglas Jackson.” This invoice is required and may be generated from your accounting system or manually created. The invoice must be numbered and all information must match what you have entered in Oracle. | Ilawan_Invoice.pdf |
| Invoice Number | 090625 |
| My typed name stands for my signature. I have identified all technology used in the creation of this work in the description of my process above. | Laura Ilawan |
| Staff use only | DCJ Okay to Pay |
| Staff Use Only: Melissa Tracking | Paid ACH 11/14/2025 |
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