Semester 1 complete

That's it! 4pm deadline been and gone but was finished well before time this time round!

 Very pleased I've managed to achieve what I have done after this past month which has proved to be a very difficult time for my close family. At this moment in time I just really couldn't be happier that I've got eveything done for the deadline stated, just a great achievement for me. Grades and marks are something not even considering...right now anyway! 

That's it now at college until the end of January- such a long boring month as it is! After a good rest over Christmas and the New Year can resume developing my initial ideas from this semester...always striving to push it further. 

Last set up...?

Fresh look at my set up today. Altered it slightly again, I feel better about it now. All loose ends coming together now- list of things to do is considerably less! 

Oh yeah, Christmas!

College always has an annual Christmas decouration competition between all the departments. Theme this year was Christmas around the world. This is the art departments entry this year

Deadline in 2 days and counting...

So yes, deadline is in 2 days time but feel pretty OK about it. Through a difficult month I've found I've perhaps, been more organised than normal and have had to prioritise my time more so than usual, thus not having a stressful last push towards the deadline. That is not to say I don't have plenty to do, have a list to check off but it's not as long as I thought it would have been. 

Had an initial set up of work to see what I'm working with in terms of space, so it's work in progress and needs a LOT of altering before I will be happy to say I'm finished- But it's taking shape none the less. 

Another thing checked off the list

That's seminar, the seminar paper and now essay finished!
Can really focus on creative stuff now!!!

One word

Connections

This was the result of having a chat with the textile tutor at college, when she was asking about my stuff and tried and tried to explain it and eventually got it down to connections. And it's perfect! Summarises all my work I've done to date for my college work.

 

Getting out there

Went a nip in past For Arts Sake to see all the entries for the open exhibition. A much smaller exhibition than the Pier's but it's a far smaller space! 

Paintings made up the majority of the exhibits and I had entered a mixed media textile piece and a photograph. I felt I had to take advantage of this free entry exhibition but these entries were quite last minute! Seeing as these pieces were already framed is more why I entered them more than anything as I had a mixed media 'leaf' design from last year I would have liked to exhibit but time was not on my side for getting it framed! 

Self-satisfaction

Went a trip out to the Pier Arts Centre as they were open on a Sunday, to see the open exhibition and couldn't help feel pleased with myself seeing my work and if I say so myself, looking good! 

Just a tad irratating seeing your name spelt wrong...

Bookbinding workshop

Learnt 3 bookbinding techniques: single-section pamphlet, Yotsume Toji and a concertina book. It's a Very satisfying technique, providing another way to display work. 

On the back burner

Still got writings going on- end is in sight though! Made this, very, very basic...thing! When I get time will develop this idea

Inspiration on the move #2

Whilst eating breakfast at the hotel in Edinburgh, had lots of lovely bright art work to look at from Chloe Gardener. Most of her pieces there were stags but looking at her website have seen she also features feathers in her pieces- like it all the more now! 

Also seen some very lovely window displays 

Finding inspiration on the move

Walking through the lighting department of John Lewis in Edinburgh today and found these lovely lights. Very much linked to my work. 

Backdating

I've not just been good at keeping this up to date with when I try out something- so these images (not best quality as from my iPhone, originals are better but I'm usually only ever updating this blog from my phone) are from over a month ago now...the time has flown past since October break! 

I got given a school classroom size map from a friend (who had seen my plea for maps on my Facebook page) and I went to town with creating lines and connection points on the map, then after copying maps onto acetate, made my own slides and projected over the top of everything- my favourite- layers! 

Was dissapointed that the lines didn't create a stronger shadow, problem is down to using wool and not a powerful enough light source. But all in all I like the effect. 

These are my handmade slides- so the pieces of the projected map are so small it's hard to picture how they will look when they are enlarged. The wording wasn't particularly successful as I was using a stencil and a permenant marker and it wasn't dark enough to stop light passing through it. So when it was projected was very faint- would need to print onto acetate from the computer with a string contrast for it to work better I think.

Reflections

Trying to photograph against mirrors (NOT easy!!) Just trying out a change from shadows to reflections- will be editing through photos I took on my Canon the attached image was taken on my iPhone- gives you a picture of what I was up to

Guess what my seminar paper is now on...

Busy with this seminar paper- taking up most of my time and energy! (Marxism went out the window after a group discussion- thankfully!)

So I've not been very creative these past few days, nor am I likely to be for another couple of days as I am determined to get this out of the way! Then just another essay to do too...sigh! 

Banksy

I have always enjoyed Banksy's work - he has a sense of humour, doesn't take any of it too seriously and it's always amazed me how irritated people get with his pieces!

 Been looking through his recent works from his residency in New York-  'Better Out Than In' -  Lots of variation from his months work. Particular favourite of mine is 'Sirens of the Lambs'
http://www.banksyny.com/

Globes

One of college tutors very kindly gave me a globe of hers that was sitting at home gathering dust. But I really don't know what I am going to do with it yet, been looking online for ideas; found a few really lovely ideas.....

Finding the beauty in an everyday object

On the TV the other night was a rather interesting report on the BBC's the 'One Show' 

It was reporting on all the benches that had been erected in memory of loved ones in a public park. 

This man who often walked through the park with his dog had taken to photographically documenting all the benches. It was rather touching seeing them complied all together; some were very sincere while others focused on the humourous side of a departed loved one.

This park however, has so many memory benches erected they have had to curb the introduction of any new ones. 

A bench is a very ordinary object really but the context in which it's placed does reveal a story, an insight into other peoples lives and how one place can become so significant to a person. 

Jerwood makers exhibition

I went a visit to the pier arts centre the other day to have a look around the Jerwood makers open exhibition.

 The artists featured were: Maisie Broached, Linda Brothewell, Roanna Wells, Adam Buick and Nahoko Kojima. 

Very varied in mediums between the different artists. 

Was particularly interested in Buick's video installation of a white bell placed in a sea cave and filmed at different times with the low and high tides. A very simple premise but was rather soothing and relaxing to watch- the sounds of the waves and the bell as it moved in the breeze. I didn't sit and watch the whole thing but you could hear the sounds in the background as you went around the exhibition. were constantly being reminded that the bell was gently swaying in the breeze in a sea cave somewhere. How there is always more going on somewhere than what you can see in front of you just at one time. 

But what really captivated me was the beautiful 'Byaku' created by Kojima. She used the very intricate process of Kiri-e to create a polar bear, simply stunning. 

A very jam packed sketchbook!

...Shame it's not a sketchbook that will be handed in for my college work!

Last years work- identity and boxes

This is a point of reference to my previous work when I speak about the boxes. I got so intrigued with the box idea; after being given an ordinary cardboard box how your imagination just soared! Boxes to me is how I live my life. I like to be organised, everything has it's place, both physically and emotionally. My life becomes a box- live in a box, work in a box etc. just becomes endless!!! 

Boxes

Cutting maps and making boxes!!!! Deja vu from last years work! I need to take it a step further though, the tops of the boxes look a lot more plain than what I would have liked so will need to rethink this idea slightly

A photo I came across

I love this!!! 

Highly edited photos, very simple subject matter. Birds on a wire has become very clichè on patterns and such like, but despite it being 'cutsie' I still like it. Often think what like it would be to be a bird, can just fly off to wherever you wanted, whenever you wanted....*sigh* 

Also with birds there are feathers and I have a bit of a thing for feathers, always been drawn to them as a subject matter

Lots of lots of PVA glue!!

Love the simplicity of these 'sculptures' sticking with the idea of lines and connections. Also have the idea of global travel in the back of my mind- it's a simplified globe really! 

Procrastinating away from my Marxism seminar research....

When I should be working on my research for my seminar paper, I am looking at artists for inspiration for my own work; such as Barbara Kruger (as below) This incongruity of ideas is so striking and bold. Simple use of text and imagery along with a limited palette is very successful at capturing the audience.

Also looked at Jenny Holzer who uses projections mostly in her work. Striking also, but on a far larger scale to that of Kruger's work.

Inspiration can come from anywhere!

Flicking through a Louis Vuitton magazine whilst waiting to pick up my Chineese takeaway and came across this lovely idea...was very taken aback of such a classy magazine being in the local Chineese- but yeah, inspiration can be found anywhere!! 

Lines, words, travel... Things turning more 3D

Lots of experimenting going on- exploring words in my work, which is a relatively new concept for me. Lots to try out! 

Ball is rolling.....

Ideas becoming clearer....

Been looking into artists such as Joyce Kozloff and Guillermo Kuitca - and have found them to be quite interesting with techniques I would like to explore myself.

forgot about this from survival workshop!

If you've got a spare 30 mins, then this video by Fischli and Weiss will keep you hooked - entitled 'The way things go' So captivatingly simple, but get hooked onto what will happen nexthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF1fh7V5ivY

Creative block

This is how I feel right now!!! Have a big creative block- not getting anywhere fast

Friday workshop examples

Now this piece was created during the survival workshop. It took me back to living minimalistically in my childhood, where I used to make 'soup' Consiting of me taking a bucket to puddles, filling it up and putting whatever I could find to hand, in it. Grass seeds, stones, feathers...I wanted to recreate this in a way- the various seeds did become quite transformed when they are in water- so delicate and beautiful when the light catches the jars.