MORE SENSE - week two (2)

After week two I feel much better as everything slowly start making sense. I start better understand structure of university studies, the tasks I require to do, the importance of researching and reflecting etc.

I was student before on complete different course in complete different country - and to be honest the main idea is the same - a lot of self studies. Tutors really there for a guidance - to point you in some sort of direction, but which path to choose is entirely up to ourselves.

As usual Wednesday started with VISUAL STUDIES - I do enjoy this class. There are lots of practical work rather than research, research part is left to us when we leave.

This week we been looking CUT UPS - cut up photographs where  manipulating the original image you create more interesting result.

The theme we suppose to look at is S E L F - producing self portrait in same style, using cut up technique. I did some research and selected some of my photos, but I am still thinking of the best way to approach this task. I have a lot of ideas I will update my blog with a possible outcome. It makes me exited and I look forward to this homework.

STUDY SKILLS with Lance went much better, and I am back on track with understanding what he is actually asking from us.

Howard Referencing was the first topic of many more to come, what will gradually improve our studies and lead us to our final work up to 3000 word essay.

Also FINE ART with Rowena was quite productive Thursday morning- leading us to explore contemporary art as it is today, what sells, what's on the top, who makes what?!! This is an un going search, for our own final work, it could be anything we want as long as we can explain why we chose what we choose, what kind of reasons are behind it, what driven us to go for it.

Rowena wants us to explore not just internet and books, but also publications, go to galleries, read magazines. It is a bit easier for me as working in gallery I do know todays market, I also have an idea what is it what sells at the moment as meeting young artists every day I see also what customers want, depends of course of what class of people they coming from and also location is very important when selling art. So yes I do have some knowledge, but I don't have idea what to make.

We been promised pottery class, but now is more of if you want you can just join in. I went down to 3d room, but all I got is bring some designs, some sketches, some ideas. Thing is I never worked with clay before, I really want to, but not having a simple beginners course I am not sure if I am confident to join the class with no clue what to do. I will start looking elsewhere for ceramic classes, I am not sure if I ever get to do them under a college roof. Funny enough I join the college foundation curse last year only because on course overview was stated ceramics and now I am in uni and still not even close to clay making....

Anyway I am on the research path at the moment, so I will report back later.

ILLUSTRATION - new session new challenges, if I thought last one was bad, this was even worse not in direct sense, but listen we had to draw ourselves from reflection in the mirror. I am not a mirror person, I do look in occasionally in the mornings just to check if my hair still on, but draw my emotions from it that was high level task for me and in the end its even didn't look like me. I know Paul sad it is all part of creative process etc, but common its was hard. 

So yes it was better an more productive week. Having lots of home studies to do, but over all its getting more exiting.
 By the way we lost another person - just decided its not for him...so we are 5 now...just wish we do not loose any more.

My studies (1.) Week One

First week of introduction of what university is all about leave me a bit sad and disappointed.

My course basically will consist of two full days a week, where rest of the time is self studies at home or using facilities provided on site. The amount of learning, we briefly get introduced, left everyone, not only me, in shock state. Like I already mention in Intro, this is complete different level and even pass rate will be difficult task. As a person who always had a distinctions I doubt my ability this time.

Also we are let down by facilities - as specializing in fine art we were meant to get studio space, but instead we are down to dark college classroom.There is no much practical stuff yet but when it comes to it the space provided is very poor. I am not sure if there is anything we can do, but I feel very let down as this wasn't what I expected going on higher education level course.

So far I enjoyed Visual Studies workshop where we get to mono print again. Visual studies will consist of several workshops and experimentations, where in the end we will need to produce our own work based of what we enjoyed the most.

There are some of my mono printing examples, produced during a session. I found that ghost prints worked much better.

I think its been while since I done any mono printing at all and I just pressed too hard against the surface, making ink at first very bold and smudged all over the paper, where ghost prints was labour of luck and come out really nicely. 

The theme was food, so we all produce some good work.

At home I did some extra research and annotation making my new sketchbook presentable and ready for more.

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After Visual studies, we all went to meet our course leader Lance and there everything went downhill. I am not sure how to call subject we will on with him, bet it will take the most of our time and effort.

As I understand there will be lots of writing, researching and talking about art industry itself etc. Lots of my course mates are very down and want to drop out, to be honest one already did. We where seven all together specializing in Fine art. Now we are six. 

We are in mixed groups with graphic designers, textiles and also other level students. I am not complaining about amount of work we will have to do, I just wasn't  expecting it - that's all. I am thinking, if I will get trough this ~ after first year I am booking myself on creative writing course. English not being my first language will make me struggle and I want to avoid that in years to come. So if you notice my sentences being out of order or do not make sense, be gentle of judging please.

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Specializing on art course we only getting three hours of Fine art a week, it is shocking - instead other three is Illustration, which I am not keen on and would never choose as my subject whatsoever.

So Fine Art came with more research, theme focusing of American painters mostly after 1930s -
 

I got some books from library and I need to do some reading. I went for mainly abstract art, so I will see where that will lead me.

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All my respect to Paul Eaton - probably most organized tutor there is, but I don't like Illustration. I am not good of drawing, sketching, or any other way producing work which involves people :( .... and guess what our first task is- produce weeks’ worth of sketches of people in public places, movements, emotions - basically life.

There is some of my examples of disaster, I wish I could sketch, I really do. I know that practise makes perfect, but still.


So there, that was my first week with all its ups and downs. I am still exited and still up for it, I just hope once I settle in everything will be all right.