Merry Christmas!... and a Little Catch Up.

I know I've posted the cartoon before but it still makes me chuckle.

I have missed my blog so much but am hoping to try and post more after the New Year. Those of you that still swing by or send me messages or chat through Facebook or Instagram. I appreciate it so much. Thank you. So - Merry Christmas everyone. Hope it's a good 'un.

If you don't have to dash off - I thought I'd give you a bit of an update as to why I haven't blogged. As most of you will know, I started back at school in September, doing an Access to Higher Education course in Art & Design. For the first stage we did fortnightly rotations. Fine Art, Fashion & Textiles, Visual Communications and 3D. Here are a few of my favourite pieces from that time...

Fine Art:

Photo weaving. The top one is a vintage postcard woven with a 'glitched' image of our family. I chose that postcard because Devvie had just gone off to uni too and I missed her... and she loves monkeys. So, in my mind, weaving an altered photo of us with an image that reminded me of her seemed appropriate.

This bottom image is 3 photos of me, one in colour, one in sepia and one in black and white. Woven together to try and emulate the style of the artist Greg Sands... I did say "try". 

Fashion & Textiles:

The tutor told us to bring in and draw an organic shaped object. Now, bear with me. My logic was - hands are organic, right? Zombies used to be people... yes? So zombie hands, therefore, must be organic shapes. *Ahem*

 I was so, SO proud of this hand. It's the first one I have ever drawn that looked like a hand. AND I used watercolours and controlled them! I still love it.

We then photcopied our shapes in various sizes. Colour and black & white.

Then we had to make them into outfits. Yes - you'll be seeing these in all the high street stores next year...

Couture Le Zombie.

Visual Communication:

This is what I was there for. VisCom is literally communicating visually. So, illustration is big in this one. Which is what I want to do.

This photo collage was inspired by the work of Ed Fella. He does a series called Fragments of a City. He does extreme close ups, usually featuring typography, giving glimpses into a place and time. I had decided to go out and take photos of all the weather beaten pub signs of local pubs that have closed down in my area. Turns out Little Bear had other ideas and was poorly - so I ended up crawling around under the kids beds, and taking pictures of their shelves. I'm actually pretty in love with this and am glad I did it. It gives a real snapshot into their lives. Fragments of Childhood.

We were tasked with creating a set of letters. One of which had to be made from unusual materials you wouldn't normally associate with drawing. So no paint, pencils etc. I got an Ikea chopping board, went hammer-tastic with some nails and threaded it every which way. Both agression releasing and relaxing at the same time. This is still Craigs favourite thing I have done over my time there.

This next one is one of my favourite things I've done. It taught me a lot about patience because it took me days to do! Z is for...

3D:

It's fair to say I really struggled in 3D and my tutor was so lovely. She was also my mentor tutor for rotations and she spotted me having a mini meltdown towards the end. I had got it into my head that I would be turned down for the VisCom pathway or that I'd failed and had a mini panic moment I think. So I wish I had done better in her class simply for all the support she gave me.

I did, however love playing with plaster casts... 

You have no idea how satisfying it is to tweezer pepper seeds out of one of these things. Oddly - a lot!

  Doesn't this pepper look like lungs? The texture is amazing!

During rotations I filled a whole sketchbook! A whole sketchbook in one month. (Let me know if you want a peek inside and I'll take photos.) I did get onto the VisCom pathway (what can I say, I'm an eejit!) and am now halfway through another sketchbook. After Christmas we have a few more short projects We have been working hard on typography - my tutor is kind of obsessed but it is interesting and I think I'm getting better. Then we have to propose our final brief which our tutor will approve (or not) and we work on that (in a final sketchbook) till the end of our course. *Sob* The final piece will be exhibited and open to the public. Ooer! 

I do know what I want to do for my final project. It wont be zombies. We have been told to stop working in our comfort zones *ahem* So I do have an idea - it's something I have wanted to explore for a few years but never really had the time (or the drive/direction if I'm honest) So I just really want to get on that now.

Safe to say, I have never done so much creative work in my life. I can really feel myself improving and am really focussed in the direction I want to go now. It's been brilliant. Knackering, all consuming, social life killing but A.MAZING. I will so miss it. I couldn't have done it without Craig and the girls. He takes two days off a week so that I can go in and then is up all hours trying to catch up on work. Pheeb has a hot dinner waiting for me when I haul my knackered bum through the door - I just love them. I've also made a couple of bonkers but beautiful friends - many a time they have helped me through when I have had a wobble or ten. (Why am I here? I'm to old, I can't do this, I'm kidding myself  etc, etc) Think and hope we'll be friends for a long time after the course finishes.

Good news is that I have been accepted onto the Animation & Illustration degree course which I am deferring. Bear is starting half days nursery next year - can you believe it? So I am going to take my English GCSE next year (hoping it will help with essays) and focus on going self employed. Then onto the degree. Eep.

If you managed to read this far - blimming well done. I will try and post more regularly which should make for less rambly posts... she says.

I hope your Christmas and New Year are wonderful. 2016? BRING. IT. ON!

Thanks for stopping by :) x