Giant tracing!

Projected the shadows from the string balls on the back of a wall map- ideally paper/sheet would have been better, but this is an experiment- and I love how graphic it becomes. Lots of black paint and plenty of stretching later...

I'm just a big kid really!

I am inside this 'den' I've made as I post this! Just experimenting! It's quite fun and feels very safe and secure, homely in fact. Also is quite playful, connecting back to childhood activities of making dens or being sneaky and staying up past bedtime to read a book with a torch under the covers.  

The ideas of security, familiarity and something a bit playful I want to continue in my work. 

Review and renew ideas

Peedie models of a potential installation work... Still playing with ideas at the moment! 

With a trip away to London and the sudden death of my grandfather I have unfortunately, not been near my college work this past week. 

Life drawing

Had a life drawing session today, been a year since I did it last. Was just getting into the 'zone' when it was time to pack up!

Just bits of map torn up...

Hidden underlying orcadian words 

Think outside the box

Problem solving at its finest!

Was set up to help record me writing orcadian words. 

I picked up on this and was captivated- such a creative outlook on an everyday scene. Taking the ordinary and creating some new, quite the artistic motto! 

http://youtu.be/LoM4ZZJ2UrM

Fojtu and Henderson collaborative photography exhibition

Went in past the museum to view this- I haven't been in the museum for aaaages!!! Will need to go a proper visit as I was just in and out, rushed for time on my lunch break. 

Fojtu's work I was previously aware of and have always thought his photographs were beautiful. Henderson's work I have more than likely have seen around in Orkney but not been familiar with the name, although these pair have had a collaborative exhibition before at the Loft Gallery in St. Margaret's Hope but I couldn't get transport to view it. 

Anyway, the exhibition was purely in black and white, all 2" white mount, with a thick plain black frame. Very simple and organised. Photographs were of Orkney landscapes some quite familiar others not so much, but very clean cut composition. There were a few photographs I particularly liked, certainly those taken in misty, foggy conditions, where the tone becomes softened and the mood becomes very atmospheric. It's not something that can be achieved in Photoshop, this was careful photography capturing natural Orkney. 

Just keeping aiming!

Wise words!

I'm still writing an Anatomy and Physiology essay, well I'm continuing onto the next one due in 2 weeks time as I am going to be away in London for a long weekend next week and I want to have the bulk of it done, so as I can enjoy my mini-break!

But what popped into my head somewhere in amongst my thoughts was the idea of disappearing language; well really the Orcadian accent and the use of Orcadian words in everyday life.

When I'm out in Shapinsay (30min boat journey from the mainland to get to the island) visiting my grandparents, orcadian words are brought up in conversation and I am asked of the definitions and unfortunately, 9 out of 10 I don't know what the word means! And I feel saddened by it; these are words my grandparents were brought up with and their parents before that...my true heritage. With a change in schooling where there is far more emphasis on true English than that of native tongue, be it Orcadian or Scots, and a large increase of 'incomers' to Orkney the dialect is becoming more and more dilute.

I would like to investigate a bit more into this idea of disappearing 'Orcadian-ness' and had thought about conducting a survey within the college environment. I'm not sure whether it's going back to my Biology studies that has brought about this way of thinking but I feel it would be interesting to see the results between those students and staff who were born in Orkney to those who are 'incomers'. (in that they were not born in Orkney) However, after the symposium the idea of ethics was brought about time and again and it has stuck in my mind, so I am not sure if I would be able to conduct this survey.

Virtual symposium

Today I attended a virtual symposium hosted by Shetland College. Which was just flipping things on there head as it's usually Shetland and Orkney being add ons to things organised on the mainland not hosting a, what ended up being, global event. It was a VC discussion between lots of different colleges and art schools the length of the UK with a guest talker from New York, Pablo Helguera. The symposium was all about exchanging ideas and discussing art in the community, participation art and social engaging artworks. Was very interesting, hearing about what other art students have done in the genre of art but it made for a long day with technical glitches causing a lot of stop-start talks. 

Slump

Been bogged down with my elective work - Anatomy and Physiology - It's all systems I used to know word-for-word when I was at school and first year at Napier, but really having to read through my textbooks to re-learn it all. Which is taking a lot of time and keeping me away from my artwork.

Along with my professional practice module which is requiring a lot of reflection of the process of artwork so a lot of writing and thinking again!

So not a lot of artwork being created at the moment... but I've got into a slump with it now. I think I've pushed the string balls enough now I need to expand my constricted view that I have reached into! I have found sources of inspiration in some of the art magazines at the college and have a list of names, but with my time being diverted elsewhere, have not been able to investigate more into these artists of interest.