University of Chester

I like to work on a number of projects at once, each project potentially consisting of several pieces of work. This helps me because it is both pragmatic and helps me to be prolific in producing work. When I come to a dead end on one project, I can avoid procrastinating by getting on with another.

Up until the Christmas break I had been exploring a number of different projects (around nine across both fine art and photography), but now has come the time to narrow down my ideas in the run up to the degree show. I hope to continue with just two projects for each subject.

This week I have to give a presentation for my Formative Dialogue Assessment, which basically means that I will be giving a talk about my fine art work so far this year. This has helped me to focus on which of my projects are the most successful. The one that stands out the most for me is my project based on the sea, which bridges both fine art and photography.

For the fine art side of my sea project, I have been working on a painting based on the Virgin Mary in her role as Star of the Sea. In my second year I painted two paintings based on the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, subtly substituting the traditional love-heart style heart for a more realistic looking heart. I once again drew upon this image to create a new Immaculate Heart-style painting. For me this is both a painting of the sea and a portrait of Stella Maris (Mary Star of the Sea). The imagery included in the work is based on Christian symbolism and depictions of Stella Maris, such as the crescent moon on which she stands, and the use of the anchor as the Christian symbol of hope. The finished work will be an un-stretched piece of canvas hung in the style of a banner.

I’m a mature student from Sheffield in my final year at the University of Chester where I study Fine Art and Photography.

My concerns centre on themes of death and religion. In my third year I have become interested in the sea and more particularly in solo navigation. I see the sea as both beautiful and terrible and find that the fear and otherworldliness of the sea relate well to my concerns.

Recently I submitted work for an interim exhibition. This consisted of three pieces of work all relating to different aspects of the sea and under the umbrella title of The Sea.