Says what it does on the tin ... I had my face so close to the thing that I had to shut one eye to avoid stereo vision. I also seem to have obtained a birthmark on my forehead - a blemish on the paper...
And yes, my glasses DO sit a bit wonky-ly on my face!
The Dualit is Sunshine's; chunky, shiny and everyone's favourite brand ... right? Well the Swan is mine and its slots can fit whole crumpets and English muffins AND full length pita bread - definitely the winner in MY books ...
It's all over - today was the last day of the exhibition and a whole bunch of us turned up to mark the end. It was quite surreal to think that this was it - no more foundation course and no more hanging out with the girls (and guys) as part-time foundation students. We were the last people out of the building and to celebrate we all went down to our regular haunt, the "Tealight and Chandelier" for drinks.
I also finally got to look properly through my comments book - and I had been left some lovely words, mostly from people I know. But in amongst it all there was the message above. I have no idea who it is, and apparently she has been following my blog! All I can say is, "Katherine W. Who are you?!". Leave me a comment here so I can thank you properly.
Summer term week 9 at art school
People looking at my work.
Looking through my portfolio.
My 'lab bench' as re-tweeked this morning to include a few more laboratory goodies,
Yay! My moo cards arrived today! I've used 6 images from the FMP and put my name and contact details at the back in the style of a small business card. Hoping to have them out on my desk at the exhibition. I'm fairly pleased with them ... don't mind if all of them go over the period of the exhibition - can always order new ones with new images ...
In other news, I took Dad round to college to see my bit of the exhibition (had special permission as he won't be in the country when the show is on). Not entirely sure what he thought - he didn't say much, just took a couple of photos of me with my work. Ah well - I don't think he still really understands what I'm doing or why I've chosen to do this with my life. At least I caught him procuring one of my moo cards for himself ;)
Summer term week 8 at art school
This was our week-off off college (as the assessments happen in our absence) and so some of my course mates and I decided to go on a school outing to the Museum of Childhood. I used to live round the corner from there so I've been several times - but its always a pleasure to go look at all the toys. This time I thought I'd draw some of the toys they have that I used to have as a child.
Please ignore the dates on the pages - I'm filling in the diary in retrospect!
Hmmm ... my drawing mojo has gone to pot while I've been struggling over the FMP. What dubious sketches :( I need to get back into practice!
I used to have a viewmaster viewer when I was a wee-nipper ... it was so long ago that I don't even remember what image disks I used to have!
The film E.T. came out when I was about 8 and I went to watch it with my grandma at the cinema - so exciting! The battery powered E.T. with its glowing orange and blue LED lights was a prized possession - I think I got it for my birthday, but no idea who from.
Mum used to buy me Chupa Chups lollipops as a special treat whenever we went on a day trip to Singapore. At the time the lollies came with free Playmobil characters. I amased quite a set of Red Indians and Cowboys and I think I even had a couple of horses ...
My, what a leaky brain I have .....
Summer term week 7 at art school
This is how my exhibition space is looking like at the moment. This is for assessments next week, so the stuff on the floor which is all the supporting work, will be gone before the private view. I've added a bit of 'filler' - the word 'laboratory' done using my molecular modelling kit; rainbow coloured protein structures in petri dishes; a clamp and some glassware for my 'bench' (the coloured beads in the test tubes are more of the beads from the molecular modelling kit); my notebook/sketchbook from the project which I have labeled 'Laboratory Notebook'; and another book I've done in an actual laboratory notebook that I had to source from my old college, which has pictures of all the stuff I've used and drawn in my boxes, and a description of what they all mean and are used for - this I've labeled 'Laboratory Handbook'. Incidentally, I've also labeled the three folders on the floor 'Laboratory Manual' - to keep in theme! I'm hoping to have some Moo cards printed in the next week in time for the private view on the 12th, that I can use as business cards and stick them in a container being held up by one of the clamps.
I think its looking OK, but I'm not entirely convinced. I'm also right in between two fabulous students with fabulous work - so feeling a bit self conscious I think. Eeep!
Another bit of news is that I've been asked to bring in the whole of my portfolio of work from the year, including sketchbooks and such, to be put on show for the exhibition - not everyone has been asked to do this, so its a real honour.
Can't believe how quickly this year has come to an end ...
... has been putting up boxes for me today.
Sunshine seen here hard at work this afternoon (while I did a spot of painting). So, my boxes are up in my space in college; my 'lab bench' has been painted; all I have to do now is all of the rest of the 'frufru' (as Sunshine calls it) to make it all come together and look fab.
Summer term week 6 at art school
Right - the last boxes done. Complete with 'samples' - sea salt, baking powder and diluted turquoise calligraphy ink!
And a couple of shots of the top corners to give you an idea of what the 'ceiling' on the boxes looks like ...
Have done a third drawing for the large boxes set, and did a bit more colouring and tweaking of the other picture of bottles:
And this is what the boxes are shaping up like:
The two at the bottom look like a pair but the top one is a bit of an anomaly - I might display them separately. Also, the backgrounds are just too boring. I need to pep these boxes up or they won't hold their own against the other set.
In other news, lots of people have been asking about dates for assessments/show etc., so here goes:
Everything in and done by Thursday 31st May
Internal examinations week of 4th-8th June
External examiners in on Monday 11th June
Private view Tuesday 12th June 6-8pm (my stuff will be in room CE2-04, Central House)
Exhibition open Wednesday 13th June - Sunday 17th June 10:30am - 7:00pm
I'll be there invigilating at some point during the week (although we haven't sorted out our rota yet) but probably not Wednesday as I'm due to go to Bristol to see their end-of-year show.
EDIT: Don't think the photos do them justice - they are all a bit warmer and richer in colour, but this will have to do for the time being. Hopefully once they are up in the exhibition space I can take more photos in natural light.
Finally! Eight little boxes done, and three big ones (and a host of other things) to go...
Summer term week 5 at art school
Yup, I seem to be slowly taking over the whole house. I've sectioned off a third of the kitchen table with my computer, scanner and all my art materials; last week you saw me spread out over the carpet with my collage; and this week I've also spread to the studio table! Poor Sunshine - fortunately he's managed to keep his desk sacred ...
College this week was all about preparing for the show. Wednesday we painted the walls white and scrubbed down the floors (yes, they made the students themselves do it!) and today was a quick meeting about assessments, the show, and other bits like that. I know where I'm going to be, and I've also spotted the table I want to use (to dress up like a lab bench!). Unfortunately the desks (there are about 10 of them - I just need one) are in the BA fine art studios so I have to go nobble one from there ...
In the meantime at home my shadow boxes are coming along. The set of 8 smaller ones (in the photo above) are practically done. I'm happy with them and all I need to do tomorrow is dismantle them and put them together again with proper adhesives (just some crap sticky-tape holding it all together at the moment!). I'll post pictures of the final products then.
I also have the 3 larger boxes to finish; I want to do a little book describing all the bits of scientific equipment and paraphanelia I've used; have to finish collating and putting together in my notebook all the references, resources, tests, etc that I've used/done for the project (we get assessed on all that stuff too); and obviously get things together for the show. My idea is to have all the boxes on the wall behind a 'lab bench' installation on which I'll put my little book, sketch/notebook, and a few other laboratory bits and bobs. So excited, just under two weeks left!
I've already tweeked some things since my last update - and I'm liable to do more (none of the collages are stuck down permanently yet), but I've had complaints that I don't update this blog often enough - so here's where I got to yesterday night (click on images for larger versions):
Backgrounds
With acetates floating on top.
Summer term week 4 at art school
This is what my floor looked like this week as I tried to get on with collages I'm planning for the backgrounds of the shadow boxes. From the top going clockwise is: the Ikea bag full of shadow boxes, and just in front of it is some test pieces; some graph papers, photos, other reference material and my sketchbook/notebook for the project; my selection of envelopes with interesting pattered insides which I'm using for collage; A stack of coloured paper; a selection of scientific journals from which I'm cutting out images for collage; and a selection of cutouts - some from the journals and some colour photocopies from my old biochemistry textbooks.
I've currently divided the boxes up into a few sets. The first one is the "measuring set" - ie they are all devices for measuring stuff. This lot are getting the envelope design treatment:
Without background collage
With early attempts at backgrounds
Summer term Week 3 at Art School
Progress has been slow this week with mum being here and all. Had a meeting in college today about assessments and the final show - Crikey! Its all systems go now! I did a load more drawings and even coloured some in (the coloured ones are Indian ink on acetate with acrylic painted on the back - like animation cells).
Summer term Week 2 at Art School
It's a bit of a lie to say "week 2 at art school" as I was hardly there this week - I've been working mostly from home, and mostly not actually working but house cleaning. My mum's visiting from overseas and the place really needed a spring clean. But just to keep everyone updated, here's some tests I've done involving my drawings, acetates, collage and Ikea shadow boxes.
My drawing as the background and a colour printed acetate in the middle of the box.
The cover of a "New Scientist" as the background and my drawing on an acetate in the middle of the box.
My drawings on acetate with some cut out old envelope insides collaged to the back.
Same "New Scientist" cover as the background with my collaged acetate in the middle of the box.
