Reflection 23.01.13

Today was crit day dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Still got the flu and speaking like the exocist ...it was hard to explain something whilst speaking like a man ........kinda off putting.

 

Did i like my piece?  - i liked the thought and source behind it. I find it hard to have something that looks so basic. It makes me feel like havnt worked hard, but actually its all it has to be and to overwork it would be to cheapen it.

 

What would i do differently? -  I feel that the stone settings need to be reviewed and I think that there is a lot more potential and possibilites that could lead it into becoming a collection.

 

 

Reflection 22.01.13

Still bunged up with flu :( First time i've had flu its friggin horrific! bones ache i sound and look like the exorcist eurgh. Anyways enough self pity and to reflection...

Today was a non uni day but actually turned out to having me think about William Morris. 

I have finalllllllllllly been offered a home with the council and today was my first time seeing my little flat. For years my living scenario has been in a state of flux. I have always been fortunate to have a roof over my head but when its not your home and you are not in control of who enters and subsequently affects your life and well-being, its extremely distressing. Everyone has the human right to have a safe environment and when financially the only option to you is council and you go onto their exhausted waiting list for 6 years it can become hopeless (ek this sounds like a therapy post). 

My reflection point is that William Morris was RIGHT 

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."- William Morris

I've been living in other people homes, surrounded by their taste, their objects, their memorabilia and feeling more and more unsettled/distressed. I think William Morris' point was that by putting down roots i.e. decorating your home you create an environment that is yours. Just as dogs piss over their territory to make it feel like home, ...maybe the human equivalent of this is to decorate! 

I am the first to admit that this year I have been very distracted from uni work as home-life has been a MASSIVE worry. I feel and hope that over the next few months as i become settled I will be able to become more focused on my uni work. I just hope its not tooooo late ! ! ! ek! 

My tower block flat :) 

Reflection 21.01.13

Today was my first intro to silversmithing. Incredibly excited and optimistic about this. Loving that we are being taught the craft alongside a design project. I think it will help a lot by understanding the fundamental idea/skills in order to design and push the boundaries of what can be achieved with fresh ideas. 

I have the flu at the moment and feel incredibly weak so unfortunately couldnt have a shot :( Once i'm back to health I should be hopefully be good at it ... i have the guns so that should put me in good stead. Watching Helen demonstrate it was clear that it exerts a lot of energy, who needs the gym when your a silversmith?????

My knowledge of silversmiths is limited. I had the pleasure of being taught by the lovely Roger Miller whilst I was at Cardonald College. He is incredibly generous with his teaching i.e. letting you in on his tips which some teachers seem to withhold, and an amazzzzzzing silversmith! See below...

Silversmithing is something I hope that I am good at. I think I could get a lot of pleasure from hitting something into my vision (in a non domestic abuse way). I love boxersize so maybe i've found my calling. Jewellery seems to be a female dominated craft and silversmith leans more towards male. Im hoping I can be a silversmith. Something a little different. hmmmm time will tell.....

Reflection 18.01.13

I decided to treat myself to a kids spirograph kit :) It made perfect sense, i was looking at parallel universe theories and points of impact ...any excuse to spend money!!!!!

loved the effects 

I liked experimenting with a kids toy and felt that it was a really enjoyable relaxed process. I would definitely opt to use more fun methods to create development work in the future. 

Reflection 17.01.13

There are stars in the sky that burnt out years ago, but they still burn bright as their light is still travelling through to Earth. It is impossible to tell from the naked eye which ones are dead (The Impossible film 2013). 

^^How amazingly cool and romantic is that!!! ^^

I've noticed that I gain a lot of my inspiration and ideas from qoutes. Im a great fan of some cheesy lines and cool quirky facts. When I "reflect" I realise I struggle with my sketchbooks because I am not a great drawer. So perhaps I should look at my sketchbooks like journals and just write EVVVEERRRYTHING down. Then revisit it and try to do doodles and find relevant source for the image. I have never opted to write in a sketchbook as I feel its not what I am meant to do, but this has never actually been stated and it could help me feel as if my sketchbook is less contrived. It just might turn out like a book! 

So after moaning a lot about sketchbooks I think I have came up with a plan that I think will make me like....possibly even LOVE :O sketchbooks. I do enjoy rambling (reflecting) and it might even help me to be more focused if my head is unloaded of all of this "stuff". 

Reflection 16.01.13

Today I had no time for the brief. I went to a FoCHI workshop and then straight to work.

Workshop was really good I’m really excited to go into a school environment and see the difference between the formal setting and my youth group. My gran always asks - ‘So you going to be an art teacher?”  the answer is “No”. I have no interest in teaching art. I love how art can be used as a tool to achieve development in a range of areas i.e. community art, art therapy, mental health etc… Within my youth group we use Art to calm the kids down and have them all sitting around the same table so we can talk to them about issues or just listen to how there day has been. The “art” distracts them from their usual chaotic running around and playing and lets them develop emotionally. When I think about it the process of making and creating something is very therapeutic. It distracts you from thought and focus’ the mind on the task you are doing ----- MINDFULLNESS. With so many stimuli in the world today it is hard to switch off than ever before. Art is away of “getting back to basics”.

Reflection 15.01.13

The powers of Powerpoint! I decided to try and be organised and start some slides early so I could unload my head. This worked a treat, felt rather chuffed with myself.  It seems to be a tool I really enjoy using as its clean and in order unlike horrid sketchbooks.

Horrid horrid sketchbooks! I know they are there to show our thinking, but some peoples thinking like mines is a riot and hard to keep track of with sketches and drawings, I feel my head runs away as my hand trys to keep up! L Id prefer submitting boards. THAT’S how I would like to work but artschool dosnt want us to work like that, and yet again are we not meant to be finding our OWN INDIVIDUAL design process and not theirs??? I’m whingeing again …sorry. Speaking to our exchange students they don’t work in sketchbooks so it is specific to our way of marking and ticking the boxes. Any excuse to go and do a degree in Philadelphia then!

Down with sketch books!!!!! J