University of Lincoln

So, what have I been doing with myself?

I've been busy at the faculty of Illustration, helping to prepare for the Preview Night last Friday for the Illustration Degree Show.

So I've had twice as much stress (but twice the fun!) exhibiting in two shows :-)

The Unreal God And Aspects Of His Non-Existent Universe is now closed, and I have to go and restore the space back to normal by the end of tomorrow. As it's half term, I've had to book my son in to Kids' Club especially, yet I have no more Childcare Grant left, and I'm going headlong into my overdraft now :-(

The Illustration Show lacked a sense of occasion – it felt like everyone was all there in the same room, but wandering around in their own little bubbles.

Some colleagues and I went up and down Steep Hill to buy thankyou presents for the tutors, (no mean feat!) only one of them didn't turn up to receive his! He has since thanked us for it in an email he sent me, but no word of what happened on the evening of the show! This is a mystery that I have yet to resolve….. does he have a mysterious double life???? I shall find this out!

I will be going to help invigilate the Illustration Degree Show next week, and then I have the Faculty Ball to look forward to :-)

Writing this blog is my way of avoiding working on a proposal for a series of dolls that have attracted the interest of a certain artist friend of mine, and I really should finish it and send it off, because I'm panicking about being a single parent on benefits – aaaargh!!!

I always said that if the worst happens and I have to do that for a while, at least I can make art out of it :-D

But I'd rather not.

Other news, I watched Morten Harket on Loose Women on Tuesday. Whilst I've been having Degree Shows, the band members of A-ha have been performing at the Royal Albert Hall. I have missed them for my art – this is the suffering I have to endure!

I was invited to the opening of New Acquisitions at The Usher Gallery in Lincoln. I went there, and saw that they were now exhibiting a Salvador Dali work that I'd previously spied in the basement when we went to see the works in storage. They have also purchased two of Grayson Perry's ceramic vases that were exhibited in his "Charms of Lincolnshire" Exhibition in 2006.

Because I'm on their mailing list, I always receive invites for new exhibitions, and I enjoyed seeing the Luttrell Psalter tapestry inspired exhib in The Collection now that I have some time free. It renews my optimisn that although University life is finished, I will still be engaged with the art world outside, and if nothing else will have time to visit any exhibitions that interest me again.

After spending most of last week setting up and preparing my Illustration Degree Show ready for assessment yesterday, last night was the preview of my Fine Art Degree Show, The Unreal God And Aspects of His Non-Existent Universe, as part of the University of Lincoln Degree Show thisisit08, as detailed on the shows page.

I made a comic style comments book to go in it, and left to get ready and pick my children up from school, and as such I was running slightly late to meet the curator. But nevertheless, she had some positive comments to make about my installation, especially how it worked juxtaposed next to my colleagues' installation in the adjacent room.

I received positive comments from people who actually went in and "read" the comic itself, and all my worries that people wouldn't be able to see it the way I intended have been allayed by the response I've received so far!

So I will share some pictures here, and then I will share my Illustration Show as well – I have pictures of how it is currently, awaiting assessment.

I have finally printed the actual comic! I'm so happy to have that finished! I was going to print several copies, but now time is running out I'm just glad to have one finished comic to go in the installation to make it complete!

Everything else is back on track, but I still have a lot to do and today I had to clear out my Illustration studio. It feels sad to know I'll be leaving soon, but at the same time I'm getting quite excited and will be glad to graduate.

I've finally started to set up my space now, although this was hindered slightly by the fact that Channel Four were filming an advert for the University in the gallery for a while, and the place was awash with media people and equipment!

Now that I don't seem to have any other unnecessary distractions I feel quite excited at the prospect of my show – positive comments from people have helped!

I wasted a day attempting to print my comic onto newsprint through a laserjet printer and have since considered other options, but at least my comic is finished ready for printing, so that's satisfying!

Yesterday I foolishly thought that helping to self publish the Illustration catalogue would only take up a small amount of time…. but I have finished my dolls (whoops – shouldn't mention illustration work here!!) and am addicted to photoshopping a storyboard for a potential Brothers Quay style animation.

The dolls I have been making are to illustrate Black Jack Davey, a folk rock song by Steeleye Span… that's another story, but once I've set up my Fine Art show, I will also be exhibiting my Illustration work a week later!!

As a joint honours student I had the choice to exhibit at one show or the other, or both; the other joint students are doing both shows as well, so we're in it together. I know how Clark Kent feels now……!

The bad news is that A-ha themselves will not be able to attend my Degree Show, as they will be busy preparing for a gig at the Royal Albert Hall – I sent an invite to Morten's management via Facebook, but they declined. I'm sure they would've accepted if it wasn't for such bad timing ;-)