Arts & Crafts | Clarissa Rodriguez

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Clarissa S. Rodriguez, PhD

Postdoctoral Research Scholar

San Diego State University Research Foundation

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Arts & Crafts

Here I display some of my crafty hobbies. I have many works in progress because I tend to paint, embroider, and crochet only when I feel like it- so many pieces are still unfinished. One of the beauties of having hobbies with no deadlines- is that there is no stress attached to these projects, I can come back to them whenever I want, and they make me happy.

Click on an image to read the description of what each project is and why I created it.

Please enjoy.

Wood Working.

Painting.

I started this painting back in 2016 when I was an undergrad. I was inspired by how much knowledge I was gaining at the time- But I have yet to finish this

I painted this while I was studying for qualifying exams in March 2020, then the pandemic hit. So... I painted what I felt like in that moment.

I painted this my second year of graduate school, when I started to take care of my mental health. Seeing a therapist, and really embracing a true work-life balance felt liberating :)

Landscape painting of Carrizo National Monument, blue skies, and colorful flowers

Crochet & Embroidery

12" embroidery hoop with the state of California surrounded by California native plants, along with a kangaroo rat and cow to symbolize mammal-plant herbivore interactions. studied in the lab.

Hiking boot covered in seeds from invasive species. Reminder to brush your puts to stop the spread of invasive species!

I designed this hoop as an example submission for the Invasive species art contest the Cal-IPC student section is hosting.

>Introduced grasses disperse into a community
>Establish populations (produce seed + spread)
> Extra biomass/litter adds fuel & continuity = increased chances of WILDFIRES
> Grasses impede recovery of natives —> REPEAT

I love my dog and I love plants ~voilà~

I crochet a beanie (although I mostly use it to hold my yarn and needles now)

I wanted to branch out and learn new crochet stitches, so I made this cool looking coaster

I have a lot of houseplants, and I generally bottom feed my plants so I have lots of plant saucers. I started making crochet plant saucer covers for them to sprue them up.

Made Gizmo a torso warmer and a matching hat....

Misc. crafts

I made some new homes for my native plants, Stipa pulcra and Eschscholzia californica - out of a Dodgers game souvenir cup and a skull from the 99 cent store

This is my Leonard. A die hard Dodgers fan like me, he dresses up for all of the holidays and greets people in my apartment complex.

I bought a photo frame and use it to press some species of plants I was working with during one of my dissertation chapters.

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