Swansea Metropolitan University

so we managed to get a good quote on exactly what we wanted for our catalogue, around £1,400 delivered. IMEX were really helpful, and even showed us around the workshop. If i need anything printed ever again im going back there!!!!

The delivery date is 19th May, 3 days before our opening. *nail biting time* though i keep telling myself it will all be fine, (lying to myself seems to be the only way of keeping me in one piece at the moment).

On top of the degree show opening soon, assessments etc, i've decided to fully move in with my boyfriend… yeah so im also moving house at the same time.

Why do i put myself through the stress? I seem to love making sure every second my my day is filled with things to do.

Anyway, i wondered over to my old house to pick up any mail (as it was a nice day and i was avoiding uni work). AND…. *exciting pause*…. i got a letter from Eisteddfod, saying that ive been shortlisted for the young artist scholarship 2009. Im thrilled, but i'm trying not to get over excited as i need to pay attention to my work at hand, rather than putting a portfolio together for the next selection stage.

Here comes the sun, little darling, here comes the sun and i say – it's alright.

Hello everyone! I havent been able to get online to read or write an blogs for a month. Sorry i havent kept up with everyones progress, but i hope that everyone is well on their way to celebrating a final degree show!

I must admit, its been a hard month, i feel like im constantly holding my breath and avoiding sleep like the plague. I am no where near to where id like to be, both with my own work and the exhibition catolouge.

Get this! We got a quote for our catolouge at £950 ish, which we were thrilled with – we went to the printers with a hard copy and the files, the hard copy was clearly landscape and we directly asked about binding. Everything was fine, we then got an email the next day saying they didnt realise it was landscape and they couldnt bind their and would need to send it off – with the new quote of £1700…..!!! Yeah, ridiculous! So we are in a bit of a rush as the exhibition opens on the 22nd May.

As for my newest project, the personal space one, well there's been a hick-up or two. The amount of resin has heated up so much that my rubber moulds have become more and more damaged each time i cast, even when i used a variety of barriers! So i cant cast anymore, i dont have half the amount of casts that i had intended and new moulds would take two weeks to make – which is impossible in my timescale.

So im going to clean up and finish off the casts i have and take them to the space and just play, and hope, that the art gods strike me with inspiration, or a lovely muse skips into my life for a day. Im trying to be relaxed, normally i would enjoy the experience, but the time span is much tighter than id like. This along with an elective to hand is, is required extreme time management. Im being pushed hard, and id be so happy to come out the other side with a smile on my face. (i think thats what is secretly keeping me going)

Anyway, i hope i can squeeze more time on here and get involved again.

I have a lot of catching up to do on my blogs… oops! Too be honest ive been really busy, so finding time to sit at the computer has been difficult.

My performance based work in Elyisum gallery went really well. I had forgotten it was the 21st that Wales was playing Ireland in the rugby, and since Elysium is right next to the train station – i had a lot of people passing by.

I went into the performance with the intention to test what it was like to do a live performance, to see how it changed my work and to not worry about having a final piece.

The performance was taken from a previous untitled piece, a video installation that involved me doing a blind sculpture in a bath. This time i used the site of the bed, still blindfolded, trying to express a physical representation of the emotional self.

It was surprisingly easy to focus on what i was doing and not what i could hear or where i was. I was shocked by the photographs, i hadn't released how close the public actually was – i felt like that had crossed into my personal space. Which is essentially wanted to happen within the artwork.

I was delighted to see the attention it brought to the gallery, people seeing me in the window, stopping, and then looking to see what the 'shop' was.

I think i will be performing again, i found the experience so informative and interesting – i'm glad i went through with it.

I have had an amazing day!

We went to Aberystwyth today as a group for marketing and self-promotion.

Catrin Webster is our lecturer for the elective, and as Aberystwyth is her home town she managed to organise a very packed day.

We visited a number of galleries, the art school MA course, the artist in residence studios, the museum and one of her artist friends Will – who is working in his studio in Aber at the moment. Not only did we go to all these venues, at each one we had a meeting with the curators, the artists, the organiser of the art group Blaengar.

I learnt so much and have such a buzz!

My enthusiasm has had a real energy boost today, infact, i sent off two project proposals just now.

Next year is going to be good, i have lot of organising to do…. but i know it will be worth it!

:-D !!!

This last week has been a very busy week. Waking up at 7am to start working on university 'stuff' and continuing straight on through to 11pm, when i have no choice but to give up due to my eyes refusing to focus any longer.

Wednesday was the busiest day by far. We went on a walk around Swansea meeting up with the different gallery curators and had meetings with them about methods of application, the proposals they tend to take on, future plans for the space etc etc. As part of the elective im taking, 'marketing and self-promotion'. This lasted most of the morning and went into the afternoon.

During this time, Grace from Lowcs International was having an informal discussion with students about getting them on board for this years event (which i managed to pop into for 30mins). I've given her the dates i am able to volunteer, hopefully i will be asked to help out somewhere.

Then at 12:55 i had an interview with a panel of lovely ladies from the local education and arts commitees. I had put a proposal forward to visit a school as an artist and lead a workshop for 5 days.

Next i had to pop in to Elysium to sort out details for my performance on the 21st March. Which has now been arranged to take place during the usual gallery opening hours, (because of health and safety concerns).

And finally, i set up my installation room and filmed another performative piece, which in its most basic form…… was me dancing my arse off for an hour non-stop. I waited until 5pm ish until i started filming, i didnt want the VERY loud music to interrupt anyone elses practice.

I can promise you that i was very red, very sweaty and had a bad back/neck/legs for a few days. Im sure someone once said that i had to suffer for my Art, hopefully this is enough suffering… otherwise i think it might kill me!

So now the weekends creeping in, i can get on AN online and type up another blog.

Next week i have the nice big installation room again, but this time im getting messy. Along with a trip to Aber and Cardiff during the week.

So if you don't hear from me for a while, it just means university has been demanding… or ive been accidently locked inside an installation room at 7pm.