ARTISTS TALKING

# 41 [25 April 2010]

I've been tying up loose ends in terms of work and college as I go onto maternity leave. All that is left now with the course is the final project. I've completed the statement of intent and I'm just waiting for this to be approved. I'll try and keep my hand in while I'm on maternity leave by posting the developments here about the project. The working title is 'Try to Remember'.

# 40 [18 March 2010]

Again, it's been a while since I've been here. I haven't really gone into college that much since xmas, what with being pregnant and all. But that hasn't stopped me working from home. I've cracked on and completed everything bar Ella the egg really. I've got a week to complete. Dissertation is complete and then after Easter onto final project. But I've already begun it as I want to have it sorted before baby pops out. And then come June and can just wheel it out for the exhibition. Sounds like a plan to me, let's see if it works.

Image included is the front cover of my dissertataion. It was important for me that it didn't just read good but it had to look good. It is printed out with brown ink onto brown paper. It looks like a piece of art.

# 39 [14 February 2010]

I'm not sure where I'm at in terms of my course and projects. Since Christmas, the tutors have more or least left us to our own devices. For the dreay months of January and February, maybe that was the wrong move, as I haven't been able to motivate myself to do much.

I've shelved the kinder and zen projects after I realised that I was spending too much time just thinking about them and not getting anywhere with them.

I'm more or less completed the body parts project. See image (coming soon) of one of the finished large pieces.

Now, I'm not feeling too well and just feeling a bit overwhlemed with all the ideas I have for projects but not having the energy to crack on with them. Frustrated is a good work to use for this time frame. Yes, frustrated.

# 38 [24 January 2010]

This is the least favourite of the projects that I've had to complete. I think I might have been over thinking it. It seems too simple and too complicated all at the same time. We were given paper and ink. The tutor said a word and we had to make marks on the page to represent that word. But we were limited to the number of marks we could make. So for example, river was one mark. Self was two marks.

I couldn't really get my head around it. I was being to literal. Since this project has begun, I've redone a number of words that I want to develop. But I still don't feel any closer to really to owning this project. I've decided to shelve it for now, hoping the inspiration will strike when my eyes are off the ball. I hope.

# 37 [24 January 2010]

This is where I'm at with the Body Parts project. This is a polaroid sized image of my body parts with the big drawings placed under the skin.

I'm quite happy with the result. The colour within the shot could be a tattoo at the same time as being internal organs. Not thinking of this image as a body, then this could be some destruction, quarrying of the landscape.
I think there are more to follow.

# 36 [24 January 2010]

From the first week of college, we created a large piece of art that we had to use our whole body to create. Large sheets of paper were on the floor or wall and we had to use chalks and pastels to fill the sheets but use all parts of our body to do so. From these original pieces, photos were taken and then printed off in smaller versions. From these photes we had to create further work. Whatever we wanted to create.

I reassembled my pieces into the whole. Added paint to them, collaged them. Really just played around with them. I've gone as far as I can with them for now. I'll let them breathe a bit before I go back to them.

# 35 [24 January 2010]

Ella The Egg

I think this is the 'Ella' that I will work with from now on. I think this is the strongest image I've done so far of the character. I like her facial expression, especially her lips. She's giving attitude. I'm not too sure what her story is yet. But I'm going to work with her and give her a past, present and future.

# 34 [24 January 2010]

So over the Christmas holidays we had a fine art project to complete. We each had to buy a Kinder egg and go through the ritual of unwrapping it. While doing this we were meant to record the process. I wrote descriptions and also took photographs. From this exercise it was hoped that we would come up with some ideas for the finished product.

I suppose because my surprise inside turned out to be a toy character, a hippo, this got me thinking about cartoon characters. So my idea was going to be some kind of animation.

Ella was the result. She went through a few permutations before she got to the finished version. But she's a work in progress.

# 33 [18 January 2010]

I've been getting my head down and just getting on with things. Through the doing and the making I have been thinking and understanding the process and myself as an artist better. I'm been able to get into my own little world of creating and being in tune with my actions and thoughts. It's been a really productive period in terms of actually having work to show but also of reflection and insight.

I've still go a few odds and ends to finish off before I start on anything new. I need to complete before I can totally commit to the dissertation and following my pathway of fine art.

1. Complete the Ella children's book

2. Complete the Body parts canvases

3. Complete the Zen booklet.

# 32 [7 January 2010]

I'm finding it really difficult to motivate myself at the moment. Blame the weather. I know its snow, snow everywhere. But I also feel as if there's a kind of fog swimming around my head. A fog which is thickening and distorts my view and hearing. A fog I am lost in. My head is full of fog.