University of Wales Aberystwyth

Probably the last blog of all.. boo hoo!

As this is probably my last blog, I shall leave you with a little poem, my apologies for the layout but the formatting is rather strange and does not allow for text in poem form! My thanks to AN magazine for the opportunity to share my thoughts with the great unwashed, and to those of you who posted comments about my work. So here it is…

Welcome to the School of Art

Complete with gorgeous sea-view

Where better place to make your start?

Come open day to preview.

Very soon you’ll feel at home,

They’ll give you space to paint

For inspiration you won’t roam

’Cause the building’s really quaint.

Once you’ve got yourself set up –

Found solace in the darkroom

Morning comes and few get up

Lets work in ones own bedroom.

Scrabble at the start of term

To bag the nicest space

But people seem at home to learn

Deserted without trace.

Come the end of three year’s work

Its time for exhibition

But where do all the students lurk?

They’ve lost their inhibition.

Spinning tins and scenes of hell

Moaning T.V. screens

A bedroom made and papered well

A tray of lentil beans.

Oil paints and canvas slack

That heady blast of turps,

Lithograph and spotty back

And sounds like strangled burps.

They’ve really come on quite a treat-

Though some forsook their place

Decided not to take their seat

They couldn’t stand the pace.

And so my friends I leave you now

Three years just seemed too few-

For we must stand and take a bow

And move to pastures new.

To get work home you’ll need a van

Or maybe horse and cart-

Perhaps you have a postgrad plan

For another School of Art…?

Its all over now… well, nearly

Wow that all went very quickly. The degree show has been looming for months and months, and then pfft… its over. Just like that!

What's more I have sold four paintings! Yay! This was totally unexpected and has really boosted my self esteem – maybe there is some sense in being an artist after all… Two of the paintings were sold before the show had even opened, and my work was still under bubble wrap – there must be some very determined buyers out there!

The show itself was a success too, several other people sold work and the general atpmosphere was of nervous excitement. It all looked very professional and people were all dressed up – not a paint-spattered shirt or dog-eared flip-fop to be seen.

All that remains now is the formal assessment, and possible scrutiny by a panel of external examiners. I'm really going to miss everybody when I leave.

Spirit Levels High for Student in Hanging Relief Fiasco

Yay! Its finally up!

After a day spent with spirit level and screwdriver, my thirteen paintings are up on the wall. Despite our printed schedule stating that work was to be up by the end of last week, and this Monday was to be reserved for labelling – there are still students who have not yet finished preparing their space ready for hanging, and some who haven't even started! What's going on?!

It's a great feeling of achievement to see the fruits of three year's work on the walls, I really feel as if I have done something now, rather than the usual portfolio seen by a secret few and the secret on-line results viewable to an even more secret few. Now everybody can see what I an others have been doing over the last three years, its also quite a relief as I had no idea how they would look when up on the wall.

Next stop – opening night! Watch this space…

Decorating dilemma – is it possible to suffer from "Emulsion Blindness"?

Whoosh there's a lot to do! Spent all day yesterday clearing my studio, or rather gallery space, in preparation for the graduation show. Floor scraped, walls plastered and painted, today I hope to begin a trial hanging using sugar paper shapes in place of the paintings. Its absolutely roasting hot in the studio, which now has all its windows boarded over, and with hours spent staring at the blinding white painted boards we're all going a bit "snow blind"! Using tape measure, masking tape and some blue wool, I hope to achieve even distribution of paintings and some kind of uniform regularity. Watch this space!

Went out painting on Tuesday by the river, a very secluded spot, but phew was it hot! I managed two good pictures and three rubbish ones, plus some sketches, which isn't a bad ratio. Not good enough to go in the exhibition, but they have made it to the portfolio of unselected work. It was such a hot day that when I'd done painting I jumped in the river for a swim. Let the joys of summer continue!

Hammer and Nails in Exhibition Ho-down

Although you'd have thought that with just two weeks to get our exhibition up, it would be all hands on deck – however the studio seems strangely deserted and lacks that frisson of panic in the air. Perhaps everybody is ahead of schedule and ready, and it's just me that's madly gluing and hammering into the wee hours…

No paintings have been completed this week, and this distresses me slightly. However, all the work for the exhibition is finished and framed, at last, so I am free to wander with my brushes again now the pressure is off.