Reflectionsof the course so far.

I am a little over half way through my course, and although it has not been what I thought it would be, in a way that is not a bad thing.

After half term we start on our major project, and I really cannot envisage what my end project will look like, but then that is part of the journey, which is quite exciting, The possibilities are endless, and although we have to show research and development, I am going to make sure that my work is totally my idea and not copying someone else’s work or influenced by someone else.

I feel that when I look at other people’s work, it stifles my imagination and inhibits my ideas, which when I am interested in something come fast and furious.

I don’t know if I should record this, but I am going to anyway. Last week Peter came to me to ask how my work was progressing, I showed a piece of work that I had finished, he said that it needed more filling in as there was too much white showing. I said, “But I like it as it is and to me it is finished”. He then replied that I would never progress if I did not push myself, which really, I thought I was doing.

Well I like it as it is wether I am pushing myself or not. To which he replied, “But who is marking your work?” I really did not like the way he said it. I then told him that if a pass depended on doing something that the examiners would like at the expense of what I feel I should do, them I am prepared to fail. I do not think he liked that, so, rightly or wrongly I will, as they say, paddle my own canoe.

Now that I have got that off my chest, on a brighter note I have learnt so much on the course and it has helped to develop my artistic side.

Richard’s critique.

well! What can one say, I can only think that I will never see another one like it, or hear Jamie respond in that way again, but then I may be wrong, It was certainly memorable, and really an education in how people can respond to things. I do not have to elaborate on why it was so memorable, as the people reading this were present at the critique.

Th critiques given by the other students were very good, but not as entertaining or thought provoking, but then I do not think that was the object of the exercise.

I really do not know which caterogory this blog should go in, part five, or personal development. In a strange way it did contribute to my personal development, so that is where I shall put it.

Setting up new blog for main project.6th February.

I spent this morning scanning my small pieces of work on to the mac, this will enable me  to work and experiment with them some time in the future.

After I had done that, Mandy helped me with setting up a new blog of my main project which begins after  after half term.

This afternoon I will try to scan my large pieces of work, and then give thought to my presentation for my project after half term.

All this work on the mac is helping me to learn more on the computer than I knew before, although in order to become very proficient I really need to be on it daily, but then that would be at the expense off my other work, so I will just have to do the best I can.

Change of direction 2nd Febuary.

Further to recent images I posted on my blog, where I experimented with drawings consisting of lines only, or curves, or a mixture of both.

I have been so surprised with the results and the way the picture changes as I fill in the spaces, that I am going to concentrate on these rather than creating characters for illustration. Although I am not deserting the idea of illustration completely, I feel that the previous work I have done on this course has lead me to discovering this way of expressing art in a way that fascinates me. If I had not come on this course I do not think I would have found this as an  outlet for my imagination and artistic development.

I feel that I have been so fixated about illustrating a story and nothing else, that my mind was close to other things. I now feel that it is okay to go in a different direction, and I am not letting myself down in not accomplishing one task before starting another one. The fact that Leonado Devinci had many many projects going at the same time makes it okay for me. Not that I would ever compare myself to that great  artist.

Commercially I feel there are many possibilities concerning this kind of work, but for the moment I am going to concentrate on seeing how the patterns  develop as I fill them in. I am looking to possibly sell them as pictures as a start.

Mac work 30th January.

I have spent the morning in the Macroom experimenting with drawing lines to see what came out of them the results are as below

I know know they look very basic but there is lots of room for development, I liked how, by just drawing line faces appeared, I also like  the fact that they have a distinct cartoon feel to them.

This week I need to concentrate on my humpty story, I am still developing how I want him to look so I am going to try lots of ways of drawing him and see what happens, that in part is the reason I have been doing the work I have this morning.

 

 

My inspiration Grandma Moses

Although the style of Grandma Mose’s paintings is not really what I would go for, the fact that she was 78 before she started painting seriously really inspires me as I am not in the first flush of youth either. She teaches me that you are never to old to start painting. She was a prolific painter, producing over 1500 pieces over a thirty year period, so there is hope for me

This is a copy of my personal assessment sheet, and my peer assessment sheet.

Lecture about UAL

Wednesday morning.

This morning a very nice lady called Liz Greene came from London to give a talk on UAL and what it consisted of. It

Most of the people on the course are hoping to go to university and she talked about the six colleges that make up UAL, where they are, the courses they offer and the requirements needed to secure a place at one of them. Because Blackburn college has a special relationship with UAL, part of the application process is streamlined for some of the courses.

Although I am no looking to go to university, I found it all very interesting. Liz was Avery good speaker.

The talk got quite a few on the course thinking about the possibility of going to UAL, whereas before they hadn’t.

Day trip to Blackpool 9th October 2016

Today we had a trip to Blackpool to see an exhibition of neon lights which was held in the art gallery attached to the Blackpool library.

The exhibition itself was a revelation, not only in the beauty of it, but in how different an everyday thing can be used in such an artistic way

It was the French inventor George Claude who patented his system of illuminating gas in a glass tube in 1911

There were Amy different artists work on display not least Tracy Emin’s, who, to be honest is not someone whose work I am drawn to, but her “I know I know I know piece, after it had been explained to me I really understood. My favourite piece of the exhibition though was the cement mixer.

The original designs for the 1930s neon eliminations I found very interesting, they looked so basic compared to today.

It was interesting to learn that, after Paris and New York Blackpool was one of the first places to display neon.

Besides visiting the gallery I got a chance to walk along the promenade and take lots of photos which reflected the essence of Blackpool, bingo, amusement arcades and just the glorious tackiness of it all, wonderful.

I also got some wonderful pictures of the rust underneath the pier, a work of art in itself, natures art.

It was a great day out, I really enjoyed it.