MA fees have rocked in the UK, artist fees haven’t. MAs are brilliant for investing in your practice but what is Plan B? What can be achieved in one year and with £1000?
Booked five sessions at £50/hour with a mentor who is an artist and has training in mentoring. https://veroniquemariaservices.wordpress.com/
At the fourth session we defined what is at the core of my practice which was like seeing the thread behind and in front of me, of all the projects, childhood interests, activities, light up and make sense. I understood why the titles to Tracey Emin’s drawings recently at the White Cube meant more to me than the images, that the power in the work I make is in the personal insights and expressions, and to stop taming and hiding that. Text is part of my practice, I’d been keeping it separate.
I’ve noticed an increase in work being made, in confidence and clarity in what I’m doing, and value. I’ve been calling myself an emerging artist for the last few years, it’s happening now. I’ve wrapped up about 20 pieces of work for a show this weekend, and organised surreal drawing workshops.
I’ve budgeted another five sessions with Veronique.
Initiate your own peer sessions.
In 2014 I joined contemporary art group ARTEL, we exhibit annually on a theme.
Last year: ‘Raw – reflections on the aftermath of war’.
This June – ‘Possessed’.
Our first peer critique will be 29 January, each artist is bringing a piece of text to discuss that relates to their practice to encourage curiosity, debate and insights into each others practice.
I had been looking at artist residencies as a way to invest in my practice, to give me time and space with mentor support to develop my practice. But I am limited because I can’t drop everything and go live in Scotland or Canada for three months (dog, kids, part-time job, etc) let along the costs – many residencies come with artist fees: you stay, you pay.
Much of my developing work has been inspired by woodland and I often return to Kingley Vale. So I approached Natural England offering workshops in return for a residency. Last week I submitted Grants for the Arts funding for R&D, mentoring, materials, workshops, exhibition and legacy installation (onsite). It’s Natural England’s first artist in residence and fits perfectly with my practice. It will explore drawing methodologies that engage people with landscape and landscape of the mind/imagination. Will post more on this later…
