Update

So it's been a while since I last posted (sorry!) and with only two days to go before attending my first competition exhibition - I'm beyond excited! In between now and my last post I've been working on getting my work up to date but that didn't go quite to plan with the week I spent back home being far from productive! :s

But what I did manage to get going AND complete before I left was my 'Out Of The Ordinary' photography project :) The project was broken down into three sections:

- Influential photographers

- Location

- Character

My initial and influential photographer was Sarah Hobb's.

Sarah Hobb's work explores and makes visual, many forms of human behaviours, habits and compulsions. In her work you can really see the amount of thought and planning emerge from the well though out detail and deliberation within her images.

Untitled (overcompensation) 2006

She stages each of her photograph scenes so that they embody phobias, neuroses and common obsessions people have.

untitled (perfectionism) 2002

untitled (indecisiveness) 1999

untitled (escapism) 2009

Many critics find her work both profound and witty, reflecting Hobbs’s understanding of the way the human mind works. In her object based photographs she strongly indicates these characteristics, without the aid of people. As a photographer I think she is a great example to look at for my location shoot, because her work really stresses the importance of a good concept.

untitled (insomnia) 2000

I was really intrigued by this last piece by Hobbs and found a great description of the piece's concepts and ideas online, which describes how: 'Hobbs depicts those undesirable and unwanted thoughts using Post-it notes, placed menacingly above the pillows, closing in on the absent sleeper, inverting the comfort of the bed. This leaves a lingering thought of how the vacant sleeper may have been driven from their bed by these thoughts.  The sheets tossed wearily aside ‘there is no room for sleep here’

Her work inspired me to further explore the theme of insomnia in my own way, with my own location and unlike Hobbs my own characters! I'll get the location and character shoots up in the following post :)

- x -

quote referenced from : http://www.utata.org/salon/24091.php

Quick update on competiton entry!

Remember that screen-print I entered into a competition a few weeks back?
WELL! I've just heard back from the organisers who have invited me down to attend the exhibition event and awards evening!!!

Must not get too excited, must not get too excited...

After all the email I received didn't say that I had won any awards but my work was featured in this year’s montage for the event! AND they asked for my tutor's email to invite him along to the event. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... Still must not get too excited - well... maybe just a little ;)

Sorry for the quality - it's an enlargement of a quick pic before I missed post!

I'll be attending the exhibition and awards event on the 1st of March so I’ll be sure to get a follow up post on what this was all about :)

I'll keep you posted!

-x-

The making of a superhero

Have you ever invented your own superhero?

If not - then what are you waiting for???

I'm not saying that going around inventing my own superheros has become my new hobby or anything, it's just that on this fancy dress occasion I did! And now I'm here to share with you the ingredients to make your very own alternative super hero!

                                                                  *          *          *

1) Step one

Take two Morrisons Value Ravioli tins* and after having eaten the contents (not all at once!)

*note - the tins must be Morrisons Value Ravioli in order to be a SUPER Morrisons Value Ravioli Girl/ Boy, but other food tins maybe used to create variations of these superheros.

2) Step two

Remove both ends, wash and dry the tins for late use. These tins are the very core of your outfit so be sure to dry them properly and cut off both ends as neatly as possible. Masking tape the inside of the tins or back with cardboard to create your superheros wrist bands.

3) Step three

Purchase colour co-ordinated clothing to match your tins. A range of golds, yellows and mustard's will do just fine.

4) Step four

Create a simple mask that matches the rest of your outfit from some coloured cardboard, and use some string or ribbon to attach to your face.

5) Step five

SUIT UP!

Having completed all of the above you are ready to suit up and have some superhero fun, with hopefully a little more money to spend and the bonus of a very inventive outfit :)

-x-

Nearly done!

My entry for the 'Where Art Meets Science' competition is nearly complete!!

I spent all day today in the print room doing my final screen prints so didn't have time to take any photo's of the process along the way.  I also woke up with swollen tonsils this morning :/ so had to make a quick trip to the doctors which ate up some of my print time!! The doctor couldn't do anything for me there and then so told me to come back on Monday to see how things had developed :s

I guess my sore throat didn't effect my ability to make prints - but was a right pain - literally!!

By 4pm I had printed my last print and was all packed up to decide ofn a final when I got in. After covering my floor and staring at them all for a good 15 mins my flat mate Sophie walked in and saw me debating between two prints, one on black card and the other on white. She suggested white, and she was right! It looked perfect in the black frame and the mood of the print became a lot more positive and light.

So! All that's let to do now is write these 250 words about my work and get it in the post! :D

First graphics competition entry - done and dusted ;)

- x -

X rays and photography

My entry to the "Where Art Meets Science" competition (mentioned in my earlier post) is constantly changing now I've started to produce some mono prints and stencils for it. My initial idea is still the same but I feel like I'm still searching for the best way to present it...

During some more research (my new favourite thing ever - seriously) I came across the work of the Spanish photographer, Max de Esteban. In his photo series "Proposition One" many retro objects like analog cameras, record playes, and other retro gadgets are depicted in ghostly X-rays-style images. 

What interested me most was the fact that his images weren't created with an X-ray, but by disassembling the objects, painting them white, and taking many photographs as he reassembled them piece by piece. The final image is a photograph made up of many layers of the object.  

This series of photographs will be a great source of inspiration for the screen prints I plan on doing. I better get Photoshop-ing! The deadline's less than two weeks away now!!!

I'll keep you posted

-x-

It's HEEEEEEEEEEEERE!!!!!

So so so so so so so so soooooooo excited!!!

My keyboard is finally here! :D I say finally as if I've been waiting a long time, even though I only ordered it on Monday night, it seemed to take forever for it to arrive! I went down to reception to collect it yesterday and the man behind the desk looked at my "You've got mail slip" looked to my super excited face and chuckled a little, probably still adjusting to the strange packages that pass through halls each day - my keyboard adding to the list.


So much better than a TV no? :)

I gotta say I felt pretty proud carrying it under my arm through the court yard, up the lift and into the flat. And Vickee and Emma (2 of my 4 lovely flat mates) were pretty excited to see me open it and get playing too.


It was beautifully sunny today as well!

 I'm gonna ease myself back into playing the piano again, hopefully mastering one piece a week before I hit the grade work.

Week one: A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton

-x-

Artists, Posters and the London 2012 Olympics

I got back to uni last night so I've had some time to unwind with my flat mates before I got on with some work, and a new term means a new start! Although I haven't been set anything new just yet so I decided to continue working on my entry for the "Where Art Meets Science" competition I registered for in December.

Here's a link to an article on it if you'd like to know more :) http://bit.ly/yShlCy 

I never used to like researching a topic as I've always been more of a hands -on-practical-making-kind-of-girl, but I've gotta say that it's grown on me these past few months. Research is not only EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to support your work but also can be pretty interesting! Like today for example, I've just been reading up about Paralympic runners and body mechanics, which sounds pretty boring - I know.

Then I come across this article http://bit.ly/vhohSA about well known artists involvement in creating posters for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. But what I found even more interesting was the fact that they'd entrusted controversial British artist Tracy Emin to make a contribution. :l

This worried me a little as I know her work to be quite shocking not to mention challenging!

But I was pleasantly surprised by her Paralympic poster titled "Birds".

Emin took the Paralympic values of Inspiration and Determination as the starting point for her print and created what she describes as a 'love letter'.
Two small birds, delicately perched on branches, appear to kiss beneath the words 'You inspire me with Your determination And I love you'. The Agitos (Paralympic logo) floats below them like feathers or leaves falling from the tree.

Birds have frequently appeared in Emin's drawings to symbolise freedom and strength, whilst her use of handwritten text expresses personal thoughts and emotions. Her print is an inspiring dedication to the Paralympic Games and athletes.[1]

Here's Emin at the revealing of the London 2012 poster collection stood with her poster "Birds". Nice One Emin!

-x-

[1] Quoted from article http://bit.ly/vhohSA