Courtesy A close-up of 'Stefan,' made from polystyrene, Styro-coat, bondo, latex paint and gel ink pen.

WHO: Judith Cottrell, 32

MEDIA: Pen and ink, sculpture, installation

BEST KNOWN FOR: Delicate line drawings made with Bic or rollerball pens combined with sculpture. In her current exhibit, "Gel Meets Slope," at Blue Star Contemporary Art Center, Cottrell explored how translating two-dimensional drawings to three-dimensional sculpture affects optical illusion. She drew abstract shapes on subtly sloped wooden panels that initially appear flat to the viewer. It was sort of an experiment: Would the drawings emphasize the shape of the panel, lessen the effect or have no effect at all? She found the pen squiggles emphasized the shape of the panels. In 2006, Cottrell conducted another experiment of perception, this time examining how the environment in which art is viewed affects how the viewer sees the work. For "Pink Lemonade" at i2i Gallery, she filled the gallery with yellow balloons that people had to wade through to see her drawings. She also served lemonade and cookies. "Interestingly enough, it was more about the experience, people there having fun," she said. "People were more excited about that than the drawings on the wall, and that became the piece. The work was completely secondary."

INFLUENCE: Robert Irwin, an American installation artist known for minimal conceptual works that play with perception.

BACKGROUND: Cottrell, a military brat originally from Tucson, Ariz., earned her BFA in painting from the University of Houston in 2003 and her MFA in painting from UTSA in 2006. She is married with two stepdaughters.

PAYING THE BILLS: Cottrell works as a veterinary surgical technician and teaches art at San Antonio College and sometimes at UTSA and Palo Alto College.

CHECK HER OUT: "Gel Meets Slope" is on display in Gallery 4 at Blue Star Contemporary Art Center, 116 Blue Star, through Aug. 19. Call (210) 227-6960.

Jessica Belasco | 210SA Contributor