It feels like I’ve not blogged for ages. Maybe I’ve not had anything interesting to say. I’ve been sourcing items to potentially use within my work, although I’m not sure if I will use the actual objects, or rather drawings of them. Today I received a box of crows feet through the post – that’s something you don’t get everyday. Yesterday I got a rabbit’s skull. I feel like some kind of morbid collector of animal parts.
My website is finally up and running: www.alice-lynch.co.uk. It’s not perfect, and needs a bit of tweeking, but for now I think it’s ok. I shall play with it a bit when the degree’s finished, probably take out some of the images and add in newer/better ones. I also need to write a better statement and bio, but find it hard to write seriously about myself so have been procrastinating a bit on that front.
I had planned on sharing some photo’s of the glass domes I’ve been working on, but they’re still on my camera and I’ve lost the lead somewhere so that’s not going to happen today (had to order a new one off ebay – a bargain at £1.99!). I’ll put in a little pic of something else I did instead, which I have incorporated within the domes.
Everyone at college is gearing up for the grad show. We share ours with Graphic Design, which historically means some kind of Graphics vs Fine Art showdown over the ‘branding’ of the exhibition. Fingers crossed this won’t happen too much this year…
It has recently been drawn to our attention that we’re supposed to have an ‘online presence’ as part of our module outcomes. I know that blogs count towards this, but since I’ve always planned to have my own website anyway, I now own
http://www.alice-lynch.co.uk. Hoorah!
I had several days of deliberating over (or probably over deliberating) the domain name, as unfortunately, alicelynch.com and alicemarylynch.com and the co.uk versions were already taken. I did consider using my future married name (Alice Holmes) but decided just to stick a hyphen in my current name instead. The site’s still very much ‘under construction’ but I’d like to get it at least functional within the next couple of weeks.
Our initial discussions regarding the degree show brochure and budget, etc have taken place, and we’re all feeling pretty positive about it all. In past years, fine art students have had to share the budget and brochure with the graphics and lens based media students (we attend a small college), but this year we are pushing for control of our own brochure and budget. We also need to start planning personal business cards, postcards and all the promotional material… lots to do!
On the work front, I’ve completed an experimental ‘exploded box’, and have started on a second, larger version. They’re not quite what I want yet. My glass domes are just beginning to come together now, after a few failed attempts at creating exactly what I’d envisioned. And I’m mulling over an idea to create a handmade book using some of the little illustrations that appear in my works. I do feel more focused now, although do still get unhelpful urges to go off and paint pirate cats or something. But they will have to wait.
Lastly, a few days ago, a fellow student and myself ran a children’s workshop to show a group of primary school children how to make a plaster tile – a basic introduction into abstract mark making and using clay and plaster of Paris. I was actually strangely nervous before starting it, but found the whole experience really enjoyable and rewarding – the children were so enthusiastic and excited by the materials. It’s made me think about my options for post-degree…I would definitely be interested in running more workshops, which is something I’d not really considered before. General positivity all around!
Our dissertation and semester A feedback has been…feeded back…and I’m pretty happy with my marks. Not amazingly spectacular but a little better than I’d estimated, so I can start the final semester with a smile (hoorah!).
We’ve recently had a rearrangement of our studio spaces at college, and I’m so much happier with my new space. I hadn’t realised how much the studio space affected how I worked. It now feels much more conducive to productive working (very important considering the final exhibition has suddenly become very real and worryingly close!)
I’ve been working on some layered ‘boxes’, and have just started on some ‘exploded’ versions of these boxes, to take away their sense of confinement (in other words, remove the frames and sides – open up the box). I’ve set myself the challenge to get one finished by the weekend (slightly feeling the pressure to produce more work now the dissertation has finished!).
Lastly, I’ve been ebaying and charity shopping again and picked up some great vintage anatomy books and glass domes – there’s an idea developing involving 3D layered structures displayed under the glass domes, like taxidermy or a biological specimen. Lots of plans, just need to stay focused!
The dissertation (“The Art of Staying Young: A Critical Analysis of Childlike Qualities in Contemporary Art”) is handed in…
And breathe.
I’m almost happy with it. I feel I could have done better, but it’s also important to keep the degree/life balance in check. Someone needs to do the housework and cook the children’s tea. I’m just glad it’s all over with now, and we can concentrate on studio work, and THE DEGREE SHOW.
Our previous semester’s work is still being assessed so we won’t receive any feedback until next week; until then, I’m trying to have a bit of a clear out, mentally as well as physically.
I’m very aware of needing more focus in my practice for this final semester, yet am a little wary of focusing in on the ‘wrong’ thing. Decisions, decisions. I think some feedback will help.
It’s the Christmas holidays and I’m in Full Time Mum mode. Today I’ve been helping my 8yr old make some stopmotion animations, which are pretty amazing. They involve flying socks and a cushion-eating blanket.
On the last day of college, I did (“performed”?) my peer presentation, which consisted of the standard powerpoint presentation and a discussion of my work so far. I always get a severe confidence crisis when actually explaining what I’ve been doing (is my work valid? does it mean anything? why am I doing this? …etc), so it was good to receive some positive feedback from people. It’s given me the confidence to carry on full force with my plans, and take them as far as I can. I feel happy with my ideas, but do occasionally have a wobble that I could/should be doing something else. The possibilities are endless, and I know that at this stage, for the purposes of the degree, I need to just focus on developing the best work possible from the ideas I have been exploring so far.
In my presentation, I included the photograph of child-me on the bike to discuss how I feel like I still have my “conceptual stabilisers” on. My tutor suggested that rather than conceptual ones, I still have my physical stabilisers on. So next semester I need to work at getting those off. It feels a bit scary/worrying to still be in the experimental stage as I’m approaching the final semester though. But perhaps as artists, we never come out of the experimental stage.
I’ve been mulling over the idea of reducing my work down into miniatures – I tried scaling them up but they just aren’t working as larger pieces. There’s something about smaller works that fascinates me. I loved the ridiculously minute paintings in the film “Synecdoche, New York” – I’m not sure I’d go that tiny; I need to have an experiment. The microscopic/microcosmic content of my work would perhaps suit being viewed through a magnifying glass… Or maybe that link is too obvious.
Over the holidays we have to finish our dissertations, for which the final deadline is Jan 7th. I will be so relieved to have it handed in and to be able to focus on practical work and the degree show.
Here’s to 2011!
