And so it is all over.

We've swept the embers and waved away the smoke from the small fire I inadvertently started on opening night. (Well really, all I did was switch on my lights). 

We've had our grades. For me: a Distinction. Along with many others. Happily everyone has got the grades they need to progress to University - which they have all made seem so very easy.

And Annie and I are back to the real world; itching to get on with things.

Thank you, all the wonderful team at Strode College, very, very much. It's been fab - despite Duncan and Chris' mockery of both my art work and, now it seems, my drilling 'talents'.

So long, the world of art. It's been a blast.

So, we are nearly at the end.

My stuff has been up for a while, I've kind-of been off doing other things for a while, and we are nearly all marked and tidied up.

 My final display, which I love.

So. What have I learnt during my year of Art Foundation?

I have learnt that I love making things, and that I am reasonably creative. But that I am also not particularly good at making things - and certainly not good enough to make things of a quality that I would be happy to sell.

I don't think I'll ever crack painting. Much as I'd love to.

But I do think I could easily go on to do more in the machine embroidery field (weirdly something I knew even before I started). I am so much more confident at a sewing machine than in any other medium.

But most of all, I have loved it. Oh, how I've loved it. It's been such a privilege. Doing it with Annie. Having such great tutors. Such a great bunch of students, Being at such a great college. It's really been a truly special experience.

I will go on making things - a lot. And I will have the confidence to do things much more off my own bat from now on. After all, if I can work out how to make a giant Twitter bird, I can work out how to do anything.

I'm really lucky that I'll have a dedicated studio in our new house, which I'm going to make completely white and use a lot.

So, from now on, it's back to home-made presents for you all. And copywriting as a job for me.

And the best thing is that even my troll, Norbert, found a happy home. He now sits on my friend's desk, representing the inner-soul of her evil ex-husband. A bit sad for Norbert (who I rather love); but she's delighted!

Final Stages

Last night I wrote my evaluation essay.

Today I rummaged around my lovely butchers' attic and found a small desk to borrow for my installation. I stapled my new netting onto the top of my box. I removed and replaced a plug. I hung my panels. I placed my other panels on top.  I replaced some light bulbs. I painted one final wall. I washed the floor. I ate a baked potato and a Chunky Kit Kat. I printed out all my final sketchbook stuff. I removed some final edges from two panels. I had a 'discussion' with Chris about my Jerusalem label and kept it on. I had an order from Annie to remove it. So I did.

And I have finished. Yes indeedy. But I'm not saying that too loud, or Chris and Duncan will make me do some more...

And I'm really, really pleased with it. I love the panels - especially the boy at the front. I love the feel of the installation - Sue, the textiles lecturer, said it felt like being in some kind of temple and that you should take your shoes off before entering (which made me really pleased). I love the way all the faces seem to be staring at you, gently accusing. And I love the fact that I have finally produced a piece that has gravitas and looks professional.

But I'm also very glad to have finished (bar some pasting and cutting this evening). For I feel I have lived and breathed this project for a very long time. Which has been great. But also quite tiring.

Let's hope all the effort has been worthwhile!

The Box Comes to Life

I was so chuffed this morning when I got to college and found that lovely Chris had finished building my white box (well, almost). So lovely of him and I definitely owe him several beers.

I really enjoyed today. Well, maybe not the painting of the box (getting as much paint on myself as the latter) but I really enjoyed starting the process of 'dressing' it all.  In fact, when I'd got the netting on the top and started hanging some of the panels in front of the painting, I had to do a little dance of glee, I was so chuffed.

Oh, and what a lovely ancient little garden centre where I bought the netting (twice) as well.

All in all, a very satisfying day.

I'm going to place this loosely above the netting, which i think works really well

Polyfillergate

Had a bit of a hissy fit today. I blamed it on my cold. And I wrote a little note to Dave to apologise for swearing. (Just a little).

However, a positive thing to come from it was that you can make polyfiller from PVA and plaster. (Thanks, Chris.)

Chris making said plasterfiller.


So, I'm on with building the box for my installation. Ok, in truth, Chris is on with building it (complete with very fetching Bob the B overalls) and I am handing him the screws. I tried to suggest I drill/screw whilst he held the wood. But for some reason he wasn't having any of it.

Chris and the ever-patient Dave, having a very important conversation

 It's all getting a bit busy on the top floor

My door, that will front my box

Against Guru Chris' best suggestions, I am going to put a couple more explanatory quotes in my box. He's a great lover of 'show not tell' (or is that just in literature?) Anyway, getting people to work things out for themselves with Art.

However, I'm a great fan of being told a bit more (proving me to be definitely more a communicator than an abstract artist). To be frank, Duncan suggested I look up Doris Salcedo's work. And I love the fact that her subterranean crevice, stretching the length of a Turbine Gallery in the Tate Modern, 'asks questions about the interaction of sculpture and space, about architecture and the values it enshrines, and about the shaky ideological foundations on which Western notions of modernity are built.'. But in truth, I'm far busier wondering whether this £300,000 work will cause any long-term structural damage to the foundations of the building.

Had a bit of an unfortunate time with the printer on Monday. Exams finished and I nipped in to print out my blog. (For yes, dear reader. I do think that the only people who read this are my immediate family, well, three of you, and Moger). So, I printed it out as I would like it to be seen as an integral part of my experience this year. Anyway, a hundred or so pages in, I was thinking to myself what very good value printing at college is. What I didn't realise was that they'd taken the block off printing for the exams, and when I went to do a precautionary top up of my card, I was minus thirty three pounds. (Which I'd have far preferred spend on something else, perhaps polyfiller, than my blog).

I think the very nice man from IT failed to believe that I hadn't suspected something was wrong. Little does he know me...

This week... I am painting Jerusalem

However, I could alternatively have called this post: a week of firsts.

- I suggested to Chris I should cut a bit out of painting. He said no. But subsequently agreed it was the right thing to have done. Yes!

- I told Chris the painting was finished. He agreed. Another high fist: yes! 

I'm quite pleased with it actually. I was a bit resistant about painting it via a projected acetate copy of the original painting as it seemed rather like cheating. However I was assured it wasn't and that lots of professional artists do that kind of thing. (And to think. I've spent all this time trying to learn to draw...)

 It looks ok here, but I thought at this stage it was looking a bit wishy washy.

 I decided against gold leaf as it seemed to separate from the rest of the painting - even though this is obviously just a piece of card!

 But using gold oil paint, rugged on with my finger worked well. Chris suggested I distress it and let drips from above run over it. However, the two paints resisted each other, so that didn't really work.

So this is the finished painting. Re-projected with the foreground a bit more worked on.

And this is sort of how it will look in the installation.

So, a good week.

I painted Jerusalem. Chris agreed with me (twice). And I hopefully bought a house.

(And to think Duncan accused me of not being in because I was sunbathing...)

A Eulogy

Or does something have to be dead for one of those?

Well, polyester organza is hardly known for its beating heart, so it'll do.

This is a short post to say that I love, one and the same, polyester organza.

I've cut it. I've torn it. I've pinned it. I've drawn on it. I've stitched it. I've re-stitched it to buggery. I've submerged it in water. I've scrubbed it. I've hung it. I've picked at it. I've even ironed it. (Directly; with a pretty hot iron). And still it survives. Intact and shining.

Which, for such a delicate fabric is, I think, pretty amazing.

Silk organza would probably have been prettier. But, I'm wondering, would it really have stayed the course.

So, here's my little hats off to polyester organza. (Grey, not white, as I thought that would be too stark).

I am in awe.

Not very good photos, taken against the lamp as I was ironing, but you get the point. Loving the panels with the paper removed. So much more effective...

pS:  And my other favourite comment of the week. Pete asked me if I could do various things on Monday, to which I responded I was still quite busy. 'Oh, I thought you'd finished all your course work,' he said. 'No. I've got to paint Jerusalem,' I said.  Not something you say every day.

And I did paint it. Today. With the help of Chris. But it's a bit wishy washy at present. So I'll post it when it has more punch. (And some gold leaf. If Duncan remembers).

Norbert the Troll

Boy, am I going to relax tonight. I am done. All up to speed and have even completed my sketchbooks.

Meet Norbert, the Troll. I quite like him. I like his wire wool hair, his too much alcohol red nose, and the lines under his eyes.

He's quite a sad troll. When I was glueing the hair, a superglue tear rolled down his cheek. Sadly I wiped it away before I realised how appropriate it would have been.

Maybe in another time, another life, I'll make him a girl troll to cheer him up. Although with his eyes going in completely different directions, he might find it hard to see her...

I even put him on a little plinth I scavenged from the cupboard. Cheers Norbert.

One Million Stitches Later

I am so tired, I can't be bothered to write! At the end of all my stitching, I then had to do two more embroideries for my textile workshop.

So here they are.

And then, below, are all my finished faces.

Phew...

 I love the tag on this. It's amazing what a difference a colour accent makes.

Lots of experimentation here. Not sure how successfully, but it's done!!