Yesterday I went to the Open Forum session led by Matt Roberts Arts at the Bath Artists’ Studios where I had a one-to-one portfolio session with Matt Roberts where I had the chance to discuss with him ways to promote my practice. This has come at a great time for me to come out of the college world prepared with knowledge of how I can make it work for me.
In the evening I listened to a panel discussion between Matt Roberts, Cara Lockley (of Hand in Glove, Bristol http://handinglove.org.uk/ and Jennie Syson of Syson Gallery Nottingham http://handinglove.org.uk/ ). This was a fascinating romp through so much of the art world that I’m unaware of. Really exciting projects Jennie and Cara are involved in. Particularly interesting to me was that Jennie’s first London exhibition experience was at R K Burts Gallery with Works on Paper – as Fine Art HCA students are doing in October (I’ve just got the proposal in a week ago). Also the ethos of ‘Hand in Glove’ that Cara is a director of is along very similar lines of the Framework Group in Hereford, both aiming to support emerging artists in our areas.
I know what I need to do now – and that is focus on my practice. I have had so much going on – all good stuff, but it has meant time away from making. I’m working half at home and half in the studio at the moment, with slightly my larger scale piece at college, but both cutting up writing and layering.
My piece at home needs cutting and sticking repeatedly to break it down, but involves drying time between each. The piece at college needs tonnes of sheets of writing to keep up the layers. With these pieces there is no obvious end point.
