Edinburgh Trip

The bulk of my photos are of graffiti seeing that is what I am planning on to do my work on.

 I also discovered the story of Barry. 

I'm assuming that this was from a stag do or something, but still, poor Barry.

I also took other pictures that weren't to do with my theme, but got me into the habit of taking pictures and looking for things to take pictures of.

I also went through Mary Kings Close with some other people, because my theme wasn't fully established yet, and Just to see if I drew any inspiration from anywhere. (No photos, :( Sorry )

I also went through Greyfriars Graveyard again just to see if there was anything I hadn't thought about. (Although most of the pictures I took were of a crow, I may have got a bit trigger happy with the camera)

After this some of us went to TGIFs for something to eat, so in all it was a productive day ;)

I really enjoyed the day out taking photos and it really helped spur my mind on to thinking about my theme. I think the highlight was definitely the story of Barry :)

Anyways, until next time -
Róisín -x

Preperations

Not much to report this week, as I'm going to do a separate post on the Edinburgh trip.

This week in Creative practice I mostly just did some research ahead of the Edinburgh trip, as it's hard to much of anything until we've actually been. Right now I'm thinking of looking at graffiti and the people who did it. I was thinking of maybe looking at the marks we leave behind, be it deliberate or accidental and also the idea of legacy.










Also I forgot to post the finished product of last weeks video so here it is :) (sorry for the crappy quality, but it was recorded on my phone and I may or may not have got a bit excited about the transitions.)

We then went around different areas of the college recording sound and will put it together with images for next week.

In PDP we looked at coming up with multiple solutions to the one problem, so that we are able to choose the best one that fits. I thought more about what I want to do with my project and have almost written off the theme of religion entirely, mostly because ~I think I will have more fun with it, and won't waste time doing pointless research, and get on with physical experimentation.

In Contextual Analysis we looked more into the idea of knowledge and power.

So see you soon for the Edinburgh post, expect loads i phoaties ;)

Roisin -x

Back for another year!

Week 1

So first year is over and done with, so I'm back for round two :)

I've learnt a lot since last year, one of the main things is to stop wasting time, and try and get things done as soon as possible. So I have made a plan of when I'm going to do things so I have plenty of time to finish things, and still have a social life at the end of it. I'm really going to try and focus a lot more this year and put more effort in. One of the changes I've made is I'm going to start getting an earlier bus to college, so I turn up early, so I can work on things before class. I also bought a bigger bag, so I can carry more supplies into college so I can work on things in class, instead of putting it off until I get home. Also I bough a new camera, as I am planning on taking more photos this year, and am also going to invest in photoshop.

PDP

This class was mostly dedicated to introductions to each other, since new people have just started college, and also people have came form HND classes, and to the lesson plan for the year and we also looked at reflection.

Creative Practice

So we got our first brief, which is 'Multiples' and during this we take a trip to Edinburgh for research.
I think I'm going to like this brief, since this is my only studio class, meaning I will be able to focus entirely on this brief and not have to keep going between different ones.
I have been thinking about a few ideas for this brief including religion, people, and also graffiti, but I'm not going to focus on one at the moment, until I've been to Edinburgh and took some videos and photographs.

In our film class, using anything that could film, eg our phones, we were to capture different things around the college. First we were to film three separate areas around the college, we were then to film someone else doing some thing, and finally we were then to film three objects and keep the camera static. After this our homework was to edit all our footage into a one minute video using windows live movie maker. I've used this programme once before, so I knew what to do, like how to trim clips, and how to apply transitions. Since I was using my phone the video quality is pretty terrible, and there is virtually no sound to the video, but this was only an introduction to a class that I am looking forward to this year.

In our painting class we had a little pop quiz! It was mostly questions on paint, colour, artists and techniques. This quiz showed me that I need to look at more artists (and actually remember their names, as I tend to forget them) and also pay attention to the pigment names of the paint, rather than just picking up the first one that I need, as this would be helpful in the future. I also learnt what 'Scraffito' and 'Frottage' are. Scraffito is when you use oil pastel as a base and then paint over the top of it and then scratch into it to reveal the pastel underneath. And frottage is basically a posh word for a rubbing.

Contextual Studies

First we looked at the run down for this year. I think this year is going to be better, as it looks like we will be more prepared for the essay and the presentation, as this time around we have two drafts to hand in before the final submission, which I am quite glad about. In terms of what I am going to write about this year, I am not entirely sure. I want to stick to a similar theme, but not necessarily the same one. Last year I focused on Hitler's degenerate art show and how he used it as a propaganda tool. I think this year I want to look more at censorship in other ways or areas. For instance there is modern day censorship, and Stalin also used art as propaganda, who I also mentioned in my essay last year. Anyway I have a few weeks to think/ start panicking about that.
We then looked at Knowledge and Power, and the lecture mostly focused on Michel Foucault's theories on how Knowledge = Power during the 18th century.

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to this year,
See you soon :)
- Róisín -x

Last week of everything D:

Week 40

We went over our statement for assessment and my lecturer gave me some tips on how mine could be improved, like adding in some images and references. I don't have much to do, but it needs to be finished for next week, as I have a hand in for PDP and pathways.

Pathways

So I started the making of the book, and have to be very precise in the cutting, which I am not used to. I am usually more rough with my work, whereas now I had to be exact, otherwise the pages won't fit with each other. I also need to catch up on my annotation, which I have left till the last minute again. I have been doing little bits throughout the project, but still not enough.
I just have a couple of more pages to go and a few tidy ups and that will be me done. I can't wait until everything is done, so I can enjoy my summer and also tidy my room.

Contextual Studies

Our lecturer went over our essays with us individually, and I have more to do than I thought, but I think I should still be okay. I just need to talk a bit more about the degenerate art show as a propaganda tool, rather than the assumption on Hitler's hatred of art.

Sorry I've not had much time to take photographs this week, but I will upload the final book next week.

See you soon (when I'm all finished :D) - Róisín-x

Deadlines!!!

Week 39

Hand in!!! wooh!!
So that's transformation done and dusted :) I can now concentrate on getting the other subjects done.
1 down 3 to go

PDP

We had time to make a statement for assessment for our pathways project, so that we could go over them in class next week to find out how they could be improved.

Pathways

After last week of working out how I was going make and organise my book, this week I worked on what was actually going into the pages by brainstorming some ideas in my sketchbook.
I also did a few more experiments with salt, ink, and I also did some experiments with collage of maps and added in ink.
Using the photographs I took of the coast, I edited them in photoshop:

I was thinking about using them in the page where I illustrate the physical journey of immigration. I wanted it to seem as if my granddad didn't know what to expect of Scotland, as he had never been before. So I distorted the images and I think I will cover them in a layer of salt to further distort them.

Contextual Studies

So I got my essay and presentation feedback. I have got a few things to do for my redraft, but nothing too excessive. I did really well on my presentation, I got a 1A :) which I was really surprised by, because I'm usually bad with presentations. So I think in future I need to worry less about them as I can actually do them, I just get really nervous. It's not even worrying about speaking in front of people, I always worry about the content of my presentation.

See you soon - Róisín-x

Transformation Complete!!

Week 38

So I finally finished my final piece for Transformation:

 For the class in Friday, I used the image of my final piece, and edited it using photoshop:

I also tidied up a few of the pages in my sketchbook, and added in the final piece and the edits I did in photoshop and added in some annotation, finished my statement for assessment, and it is all ready for the hand in. Phew! :)
I am quite happy with how my project turned out, although I think I could have done some more experimentation with some of the other workshops that I did. However, I think that the areas that I did experiment with, like image transfer and photoshop for example, turned out really well, and I also enjoyed them and consider using them in other projects. I think was the point of this brief, to try out areas of art that I have never done before, and to make discoveries of my own, which I have done, and really enjoyed doing.

Pathways

I got some images of Falkirk and Ireland from the relevant time periods to maybe use for my project, however, I think I will stick to just using my own.
I made up a plan on how I am going to do my final piece for this project. This was really complicated, as I was trying to get it into the shape of a Celtic cross, and also incorporate the the overlaps in the story. But I managed it in the end and think that it will turn out quite well. I also made a maquette of how I am going to bind the book.
I also edited some photographs in photoshop.

Contextual Studies

I made a start to my essay and is so far going quite well I am mostly using the information I used for my presentation so I won't need to do much more research.

See you soon - Róisín-x

Busy busy busy

Week 37

In PDP this week, we looked at the statement for assessment and what we should write in them. In groups of three/four we had to discuss what we thought should go in to each section. Here is the sheets my group presented. 

Pathways

In pathways this week I was looking at Celtic designs and mythology, since both Scotland and Ireland have a very strong connection to this period. I specifically looked at designs for bulls and cattle, because when my grandad was young he worked on a farm, and was also chased by a bull in this farm.

I was in Berwick at the weekend, and during this I went down to the beach. I took some photographs that I could use for my project, because I was looking at the sea. I also collected some shells trip see if I could also use them. 

Transformation 

Just a couple pages to go in the sketchbook, and apart for the final piece, that should be it all finished. For my main final piece, I wanted to do an acrylic painting on decayed wood. So first of all I used sand paper to scratch some of the wood off, and I also sanded off one of the corners. I then burned some of the wood, I started with the blow torch but it wasn't strong enough for what I wanted. So I had to set up a small fire in our barbecue to burn the edges.

I then sealed the wood using watered down glue to try and protect the burnt and cracked parts.

I have began my painting for my final piece, which should hopefully be finished by next week.

I also submitted my essay proposal, which is to write an essay on Hitler's motives for putting on the degenerate art show, and whether this worked.

So this means that I am working on stuff for three deadlines, and since I was on holiday on the weekend, it looks like I have a busy few weeks ahead of me. However, I did manage to take photographs of the coast, which I am thinking about maybe editing them on photoshop, and using them for pathways.

See you next time -
Róisín -x