Best day in like forever!

An inspiration to us all..! Did we peak at childhood!?

WOW! What a day! Carlos from http://www.thecloudcommission.blogspot.com/ came into our uni today, and what a breath of fresh air he was! Personally, I feel he came at a perfect time; early enough for the day to inspire the remainder of our own projects, and yet late enough to be on the very last day before the easter break, a perfect and fun end to the term I think!

I have to say a huuuuge thankyou firstly, for the amazing gifts we were given! I received a little old moustached mister and a lasercut diamond brooch, both of which are fantastic! As soon as Carlos began with his powerpoint I was awestruck! His way of drawing characters really stood out for me, I automatically fell in love with them, and when I found out I could be recieving a brooch of one of them I actually cried a little!

The way Carlos spoke with so much passion about what he does really caught my attention too - he is so very involved and pro-active and seems to be loving every minute! Isn't it great when you meet someone like that and their enthusiasm and passion is automatically transferred to everyone around them!? Every person he spoke to today was grinning from ear to ear, he really did have a big impact on us all I reckon. =D

For me, the words he spoke to me about not worrying about not having the time or right project to accommodate my ideas, but only to worry when the ideas have stopped coming, will stay with me for a long time. When there is no longer an imagination then you can fret, but until the day comes that you run out of ideas then you still have enough passion to keep on doing what you are doing! (Like i said earlier - inspirational!)

Drawing in a fun or creative environment, where time is sparse and space is limited really does affect the way you draw. Not only is it tricky but it really helps to loosen you up! Why try to create a photo-like image when you could quickly sketch the 'idea' of that same thing in one minute? If the audience can tell what your drawing is then hasn't it already served it's purpose? Or maybe the image isn't recognisable - maybe just the audience interaction is enough to say it is successful? Today really has got me thinking...

And on a last note, kinda going off on a tangent but still relevant! How come schools teach you how to draw picture perfect with every line in the right place when in actual fact in the real world the 'perfect drawers' get no recognition at all, and the artists who are creative with it, giving only inclines of that same image or a simplified linear sketch actually are today recognised and sought after. Even i would probably prefer the latter.. how come?

Do we have to now regress in our drawing styles to become popular or did we just peak at childhood?


Remember... http://www.thecloudcommission.blogspot.com/ !!!

Necklace pendant I made for my mum's 50th!

It's amazing what you find in the post...!

Buying off Ebay really does pay when you quite randomly receive an artist’s business card along with your package! The card was interesting, and I had to check it out straight away! I logged straight on to Blogspot, and looked her business up, ‘Guerilla Embroidery’. Only after a short read had I realised that I had stumbled upon something precious! I automatically fell in love with her embroidered gun and skull! The excitement I felt at discovering a new artist, proved how good an idea it was to include a business card with a postal package! Very easy way to maximise sales and increase her audience! Something to take note of for the future - I think so!

One man's trash is another man's treasure!

It's been a tough few days, i've had alot of obstacles to overcome, but nevertheless i have reached the other side, and have flourished because of them. My work for this project now has a path with a light at the end!

My theme is 'Eco Revolution', and after first thinking 'Wow! I could really get into this one!' i endured a few problems, with how to come to an end submission for Ceramics, yet be eco friendly in the process, seeing as using kilns aren't very eco friendly at all.

For textiles and jewellery i got really excited at the thought of making some jewellery out of recycled materials or using plastic bags to weave or coke cans to make a necklace!

I settled on using 'throw away objects' to make my art, such as cans, packaging, paper, plastics etc. I came to a few hurdles in trying to develop my ideas further but still trying to make the objects look unique and special rather than a piece of rubbish. Let's face it, not everybody has the nack to make a grubby, crushed coke can into somethign wodnerful! And i am certainly experiencing this right now!

Now, after a few dark days, i have come out on top with a 3 piece mould of a drinks can fully made in ceramics, ready to start slipcasting next week. I think i shall be entertaining the idea of a decorative wall piece incoorporating throw away bits n bobs from around the kitchen/home, showing what could be done with products after you have finished with them rather than throwing them away so hap-hazardly.

 

And for my textiles/jewellery collaboration i have stumbled across a golden idea, through exploring other materials, of melting bottle plastics in a certain way, that they curl and twist in unexpected ways and give the most amazing sculptural forms! Now, i am mixing these forms with silver (and possibly other materials) and beginning to embark on the design process journey. Soon i will have little gemstones of work that scream class and high-end market, yet are really only made out of recycled bottle plastic! Well i hope, i shall update you on that one soon.

One man's trash is another man's treasure! :) x

A shot in the dark...

First post!

Here is a before and after shot of my first attempt at a final piece for my Ceramics brief!

My springboard for inspiration in this brief was 'layers' and i chose to focus on natural layers, found on the beach, and amongst cliffsides and rocks.

Getting used to working in clay is DIFFICULT! It is totally different to any other medium i have ever used, but i sure am eager to learn more and really get to grips with it!

I guess this blog is to not only showcase my work, but also document tips and techniques, and generally discuss all things Applied Artsy!