DEGREES UNEDITED

# 1 [1 November 2009]

It seems like only yesterday when I embarked on my artistic journey; it hasn't always been smooth, in fact it's been quite bumpy at times, but that's only to be expected. I can't believe how much I've progressed; you know how it is...in year one you work on a painting and think you've created a masterpiece, now you wouldn't give it wall space.

By looking at the patterns and scars on the land, my work explores the impact of mankind and the impact of nature on the landscape. I'm not looking for a romantic landscape or the re-creation of a place,but an experience of a particular place, as it is and what I feel it to be.

# 2 [21 November 2009]

A very still image, simple, repetative shapes with interesting tonal qualities...thinking about the space and the decision to utilize it in this way.

# 3 [24 November 2009]

I was working in my dedicated space yesterday...no other students, no tutors, no energy within the space...it's got that edgy feel to it; it's a space that you can't imagine what it used to be used for.

I'm working with A3 transparencies...trying to resolve the idea about landfills being hidden, smoothed over, covered by a membrane/new skin. Thinking about layers and process meeting ideas; using digital imagery, traditional printmaking techniques and drawing.

# 4 [30 November 2009]

I can't take my work with transparencies any further until I get my light boxes at the weekend.

Layers are an important element of my work. We are all familiar with layers and use them to hide, cover up and smooth over, but we don't always recognise how and why we choose to use them.

At the moment I'm working with lino etch, it's an unpredictable yet fascinating medium to work with. I'm printing onto a variety of hand-made and fine Japanese papers, using a process of layering related images to materialize ideas.

# 5 [6 January 2010]

Personal space:

What is hidden, what is seen...thinking about about how we put things into little boxes within our minds and the decision to either disclose or conceal.

The ambiguity within the work remains unresolved and therefore perched on an uneasy edge...raising questions to the viewer.

I worked on these images simultaneously...I knew roughly what I was going to do, but I just thrashed about artistically...let it freely come from within.

I like the tonal qualities, colour and quality of line, but most of all, I like the ambiguity.

# 6 [7 January 2010]

My proposed direction of study has developed and moved towards an exploration of what is hidden, what is seen...still linking to my learning plan, but with references to personal space, not just environmental space. Moving away from making conventional prints, has allowed me to arrive at fresh connections and meanings within my work.

# 7 [10 January 2010]

Christmas break over and back to Bangor on Wednesday. I’ve asked for a critique on my first day back, it’s unscheduled, but I feel I need some feedback, some constructive criticism re my work with light boxes. Sometimes I question if I should be working experimentally with my degree show looming, but there again I don’t work well in my comfort zone…my own worst enemy really.

# 8 [13 January 2010]

It has been a most productive day at uni, with positive verbal feedback re my practical work.

The triptych explores the concept of being separate but related to each other in both form and colour. The elements that I am trying to describe have become involved in the actual process of making the printing plate…using materials that were bound for landfill…trying to capture the feeling of erosion and decay.

# 9 [14 January 2010]

I’m thinking about the presentation of the collagraph…should it be mounted as a triptych or should each piece be pinned to the wall individually and viewed as objects? ; Perhaps they would become lost.

# 10 [19 January 2010]

This drawing is a symbol, made up by combining several quite separate images/fragments, with little regard for actual appearances but with much regard for the concept.

Working with pastel and charcoal…these soft materials give richness of tone and atmosphere, at the expense of crisp definition…working freely, allowing interesting, energetic mark-making to move around the work, not just crossing it. I don’t feel the lively marks cause loss of harmony because they have been carried from the foreground to the background, as well as from side to side.