I am sorry for the huge post.
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Showing posts with label Personal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Personal. Show all posts
Thursday, 6 November 2014
1500 words for a years events, not bad!
And maybe not so many pictures, and not so many relevant, but a nice look-book of the visually appealing kind.
I am sorry for the huge post.
I am sorry for the huge post.
The world is turning so fast I can't stop looking
So it has been long over due for a blog post, now more than ever. So much has happened to me this year physically and spiritually, and it is time I come out of my shell as I feel I can gather my thoughts appropriately. I promise myself I will not leave it this long. I don't know If i will promise that my posts will consist purely of illustrations and of such a topic, but it will be consistant of important issues and personal subjects.
mental trash can
(expression.) a place where one writes 'junk or 'crap'
in order to 'take out the mental trash' and make space
for more .
eg: my blog is a landfill!
I am sorry for bombarding you with so much in one post but is is inevitable. I will have to make subtitles "wow, that's when you know!". So I will begin with post number one.
My working year.
My last year has been spent working at a home for the elderly, Sunrise Senior Living of Bramhall. Over the year I have come to experience life in work, adulthood and true teamwork. Having to work along side people and work in unison is something that takes patience and trust, the latter being some kind of personal difficulty. The job itself felt like a good move for me, as the core motivation was to help people and ensure excellent quality of life, something that I feel is very close to my heart. I feel like I have had an inside look at things that not many people will see and experience, the emotional side of being there for people in need. I found that I could go home happy, and be pleased with the work I had done in making people feel better. However, there was something that I had perhaps ignored, or tried to avoid for sometime. Having to go home when you know someone is sick, or having trouble coming to terms with their aging and sickness, was a very very hard thing to do. There were times at night where I'd stay up and worry about it, there were times I stayed an hour behind, this is not the kind of work you can pick up and go for 5pm. It is very hard to detatch yourself to something like that, and for me i feel it is impossible. But I do have some lovely memories, and I often think of the residents and collegues I became friends with. I often smile, when I think of how many people I made smile, through a bad day. One inparticular (Names have been changed for protection), Vivienne was struggling with depression because she was losing her ability to walk, and communicate. There were times she would leave notes and tell me she didn't want to carry on. But everyday I would try my hardest to fit in a spa-bath for her, she loved having a spa-bath. Because of her illness she would often fall, many being quite bad falls. The spa-baths always made her smile, we would even joke, it was so nice to see someone who is going through something so life changing, to smile and joke, and forget about everything for 15 minutes. That is one of my many highlights. And so my year at Sunrise came to an end, taking with me some great memories and friends.
My Spiritual year
As always I am learning and reading, challenging my beliefs and questioning. I believe that the best way to learn it through challenging your beliefs and opinions, and not to be offended or scared when new theories are infront of you. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs, however, one should not become settled in them for too long. That is what I believe. This year I feel that our world has taken a big step in challenging beliefs, traditions and people's comfort zones. I see many people promoting feminism, one speech that I find to be most on point was made by Emma Watson in United Nations to launch the He for She campaign, on September the 20th. In the past so many men have been scared of the word feminism, the very notion of it seemed to appeal only to women, which brings me to the point. Emma Watson has challenged that problem, and challenged men to step up, as a whole we need to change this, not as a gender, not only as women.
I have seen many people discovering the idea of feminism, and adopting it - I applaud you! It is still an upstream struggle. And there are some who are still unwilling to see that the heart of feminism is equality and essentially a subheading of humanism. So to the people that say;
"People who never mention the words "feminism" or "women's rights" were suddenly interested." - Amy McCarthy on Huffington Post
*This post may cause mild frustration
It is never to late to start. I see this kind of opposal all the time, and it has got to stop. Who are you to question someone elses motives? If you suddenly want to beome a vegitarian, feminist, activist - who is someone else to tell you that because you didn't think that way 1 year ago, you can't think that way at all. It is scaring people into silence and it is this kind of toxic perversion that sends us back into the stone age. Stop!
Live and let live.
Travels and Working Abroad
Finally, the last three months I have spent living in Varna, Bulgaria. Whilst my time here has only been short, I have done a couple of things of which I am proud of. I have become a member of the Bulgarian Red Cross (BRC), working with children who are living in poverty, have family troubles or are from a low social status. The purpose of the work is to provide a sanctuary, and a happy place for them. As I cannot share much details of the children and problems, I can briefly say that I have found it to be similar to working at Sunrise, bitter-sweet, wanting to do more but knowing that you cannot for obvious reasons. My time there has left me in ucertainty of my future, as I wanted to teach before and empower youngsters through learning, but i have interests in psychology now. However time will let me see which path is right for me. I personally find it extremely hard, emotionally to deal with accepting the hardship some go through. Though my soul wants me to help these people, I find that I am often overwhelmed by my emotions. As I have not been here long I will update more on this subject later on.
And this week, actually I am writing this article whilst working (naughty me, but it's a slow night) I am currently at the Bulgarian Red Cross Festival, the first since 1991 (that's older than me!) and I am proud to be here. I am representing England, though not officially, but I am the only English person here. It is a Festival which celebrates the BRC's achievements, rewards the volunteers and brings together all the humanitarians. We all have in common the desire to help the less fortunate and people who need our help. Earlier this year a natural distaster hit various parts of Bulgaria. A flood destroyed the homes and belongings of many people, the majority of which were already living in poor conditions with little to no money. After the floods, many of the people were homeless, with no clothes, shelter, food and water - and this is where the Bulgarian Red Cross comes into it. The BRC not only provides, food, water, shelter and health care, but volunteers continue to work with these victims until their quality of life is restored. The BRC also continues to work with many deprived people, like the place I work with children. It is purely funded by a small government allowance, not nearly enough to keep the whole thing going, which is why it relies on donations. Life is very hard in Bulgaria as the government is very corrupt and was not very long ago considered a 3rd world country, so there's not much money to give out. But luckily there any many people who are willing to lend a hand, for nothing but a thank you. This week has been eye opening, and it makes me feel good to know that there are so many good people scattered around everywhere. Thank you!
mental trash can
(expression.) a place where one writes 'junk or 'crap'
in order to 'take out the mental trash' and make space
for more .
eg: my blog is a landfill!
I am sorry for bombarding you with so much in one post but is is inevitable. I will have to make subtitles "wow, that's when you know!". So I will begin with post number one.
My working year.
My last year has been spent working at a home for the elderly, Sunrise Senior Living of Bramhall. Over the year I have come to experience life in work, adulthood and true teamwork. Having to work along side people and work in unison is something that takes patience and trust, the latter being some kind of personal difficulty. The job itself felt like a good move for me, as the core motivation was to help people and ensure excellent quality of life, something that I feel is very close to my heart. I feel like I have had an inside look at things that not many people will see and experience, the emotional side of being there for people in need. I found that I could go home happy, and be pleased with the work I had done in making people feel better. However, there was something that I had perhaps ignored, or tried to avoid for sometime. Having to go home when you know someone is sick, or having trouble coming to terms with their aging and sickness, was a very very hard thing to do. There were times at night where I'd stay up and worry about it, there were times I stayed an hour behind, this is not the kind of work you can pick up and go for 5pm. It is very hard to detatch yourself to something like that, and for me i feel it is impossible. But I do have some lovely memories, and I often think of the residents and collegues I became friends with. I often smile, when I think of how many people I made smile, through a bad day. One inparticular (Names have been changed for protection), Vivienne was struggling with depression because she was losing her ability to walk, and communicate. There were times she would leave notes and tell me she didn't want to carry on. But everyday I would try my hardest to fit in a spa-bath for her, she loved having a spa-bath. Because of her illness she would often fall, many being quite bad falls. The spa-baths always made her smile, we would even joke, it was so nice to see someone who is going through something so life changing, to smile and joke, and forget about everything for 15 minutes. That is one of my many highlights. And so my year at Sunrise came to an end, taking with me some great memories and friends.
My Spiritual year
As always I am learning and reading, challenging my beliefs and questioning. I believe that the best way to learn it through challenging your beliefs and opinions, and not to be offended or scared when new theories are infront of you. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs, however, one should not become settled in them for too long. That is what I believe. This year I feel that our world has taken a big step in challenging beliefs, traditions and people's comfort zones. I see many people promoting feminism, one speech that I find to be most on point was made by Emma Watson in United Nations to launch the He for She campaign, on September the 20th. In the past so many men have been scared of the word feminism, the very notion of it seemed to appeal only to women, which brings me to the point. Emma Watson has challenged that problem, and challenged men to step up, as a whole we need to change this, not as a gender, not only as women.
“It is time that we all see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals.” -Emma Watson, He for She campaign
It is a very inspirational speech, which is why I chose to write about this.
I have seen many people discovering the idea of feminism, and adopting it - I applaud you! It is still an upstream struggle. And there are some who are still unwilling to see that the heart of feminism is equality and essentially a subheading of humanism. So to the people that say;
"People who never mention the words "feminism" or "women's rights" were suddenly interested." - Amy McCarthy on Huffington Post
*This post may cause mild frustration
It is never to late to start. I see this kind of opposal all the time, and it has got to stop. Who are you to question someone elses motives? If you suddenly want to beome a vegitarian, feminist, activist - who is someone else to tell you that because you didn't think that way 1 year ago, you can't think that way at all. It is scaring people into silence and it is this kind of toxic perversion that sends us back into the stone age. Stop!
Live and let live.
Travels and Working Abroad
Finally, the last three months I have spent living in Varna, Bulgaria. Whilst my time here has only been short, I have done a couple of things of which I am proud of. I have become a member of the Bulgarian Red Cross (BRC), working with children who are living in poverty, have family troubles or are from a low social status. The purpose of the work is to provide a sanctuary, and a happy place for them. As I cannot share much details of the children and problems, I can briefly say that I have found it to be similar to working at Sunrise, bitter-sweet, wanting to do more but knowing that you cannot for obvious reasons. My time there has left me in ucertainty of my future, as I wanted to teach before and empower youngsters through learning, but i have interests in psychology now. However time will let me see which path is right for me. I personally find it extremely hard, emotionally to deal with accepting the hardship some go through. Though my soul wants me to help these people, I find that I am often overwhelmed by my emotions. As I have not been here long I will update more on this subject later on.
And this week, actually I am writing this article whilst working (naughty me, but it's a slow night) I am currently at the Bulgarian Red Cross Festival, the first since 1991 (that's older than me!) and I am proud to be here. I am representing England, though not officially, but I am the only English person here. It is a Festival which celebrates the BRC's achievements, rewards the volunteers and brings together all the humanitarians. We all have in common the desire to help the less fortunate and people who need our help. Earlier this year a natural distaster hit various parts of Bulgaria. A flood destroyed the homes and belongings of many people, the majority of which were already living in poor conditions with little to no money. After the floods, many of the people were homeless, with no clothes, shelter, food and water - and this is where the Bulgarian Red Cross comes into it. The BRC not only provides, food, water, shelter and health care, but volunteers continue to work with these victims until their quality of life is restored. The BRC also continues to work with many deprived people, like the place I work with children. It is purely funded by a small government allowance, not nearly enough to keep the whole thing going, which is why it relies on donations. Life is very hard in Bulgaria as the government is very corrupt and was not very long ago considered a 3rd world country, so there's not much money to give out. But luckily there any many people who are willing to lend a hand, for nothing but a thank you. This week has been eye opening, and it makes me feel good to know that there are so many good people scattered around everywhere. Thank you!
"Through humanism to peace and friendship"
Thursday, 31 October 2013
Late Night Epiphany and Rants
So tonight i've been hit by a huge wave of enlightenment / inspiration. I was just casually listening to U2 and my imagination started going wild. I've been trying to perfect the way i'm drawing human figures and faces, for a little while now. And I know practice is what makes perfect in this scenario. But I feel like i keep hitting a huge brick wall recently, theres something visually missing or wrong and I can't put my finger on it. Maybe it's just a lack of substance so far, since most of them have been personal meanings.
Another thing that i've strangely come to just this very moment realise is that i need to stop comparing myself to other people. It came in to my mind for a sec and it seemed like one of those statements that people just say but because it's so over used nowadays it just doesn't sink in, but it kind of came back and hit me about how serious and how much that is holding me back. I know most people probably won't care, but writing this down really helps me organise my head. Anyway, I realise that no matter how much I adore Ellie Willis' style of drawing, even though it is amazing, that's not my style, and even though it may not be as realistic, or so intricate, mine is the same but on a different side of the spectrum. It just knocked me off my chair like how much it's making me feel negative towards my own creations.
And I know it's off topic but i need to stop comparing myself to people, period. It hit me so hard that THAT is my biggest problem and ridiculously terrible habit. I know it sounds stupid how someone can just suddenly realise (when it should be extremely obvious) but when you're mind is kind of full, it doesn't focus on one specific thing and I think tonight i hit a point where i really had a strong sense of self focus. I know i knew it all along but it really came into focus tonight.
It's not much, cause I don't feel like sharing some of them, but here you go :)
Another thing that i've strangely come to just this very moment realise is that i need to stop comparing myself to other people. It came in to my mind for a sec and it seemed like one of those statements that people just say but because it's so over used nowadays it just doesn't sink in, but it kind of came back and hit me about how serious and how much that is holding me back. I know most people probably won't care, but writing this down really helps me organise my head. Anyway, I realise that no matter how much I adore Ellie Willis' style of drawing, even though it is amazing, that's not my style, and even though it may not be as realistic, or so intricate, mine is the same but on a different side of the spectrum. It just knocked me off my chair like how much it's making me feel negative towards my own creations.
And I know it's off topic but i need to stop comparing myself to people, period. It hit me so hard that THAT is my biggest problem and ridiculously terrible habit. I know it sounds stupid how someone can just suddenly realise (when it should be extremely obvious) but when you're mind is kind of full, it doesn't focus on one specific thing and I think tonight i hit a point where i really had a strong sense of self focus. I know i knew it all along but it really came into focus tonight.
It's not much, cause I don't feel like sharing some of them, but here you go :)
Saturday, 24 August 2013
Goodbye England, hello Bulgaria!
So this will have to be a quick post, but I'm working on some cool art whilst here in Bulgaria! Check back in September for some real good sketchbook drawings! Here's a quick sneak peak at some of the kind of things I'm doing...
Wednesday, 8 May 2013
Emotional Update
Doesn't it look good all set out neat? I love it. I'm proud of myself for creating this work & for coming so far in the 3 years i've been here. I'm really going to miss my times here and all the lovely people. A big thank you to my tutors Gary, Ian, Jo & also Rick for helping me out with lots of last minute things and guiding me for the years i've been here. Thank you to my classmates for being really awesome people & amazing illustrators, you made my time here really enjoyable! Thank you to Kieran for helping me with screen printing & teaching me loads of new ways to have fun with my work. Thank you also to Jane with my critical work in the previous years too! And a big thank you to everyone else!
Monday, 29 April 2013
Turner's Gallery!
This week Turner's has opened their gallery to show off all the 7x5 submissions! I unfortunately have to take mine down because i need it to hand in for my Final Major Project, but it did go in their gallery for about a week! Having seen everyone else's canvases I feel like we all thought out of the box, there were so many different styles and ideas and they were all equally eye catching. It felt like stepping into a gallery where snippets of art from each time period were taken and put onto the canvases. It was very nice to see that people from the community had come together to make such a lovely exhibition for a good cause! So well done to everyone!
There's mine!
Hopes, Fears & Opportunities Part II
So I think no is a pretty good time to start writing my Hopes & fears! It's 1 week until the deadline, and I'm pretty scared! With everything still digital it's making me nervous, I'll feel much better when I have more physical stuff to hand. At the minute I have a pretty big 'To-Do' list, and I've managed to get a lot of stuff crossed off. There are a couple of things left, but what's scary is that they are pretty big things, so to speak, and will be quite time consuming.
My hopes for my Final Major Project are pretty simple, my grade. It's not necessarily what I should be focusing solely on right now, but at this point I can't blame myself, since it's the one thing we have been working hard to get since we joined university, and right now it's very important to me! So I am hoping for a 2.1. Grades aside, what I want more than to leave with a grade, is to leave with a lavish portfolio of work that my style shines through on! I want to start a small brand and online shop which sells my work put into fashion (so my dress making skills can come into play after being dormant since highschool!) so for example, you could but t-shirts, skirts, hoodies, and also publish zines every few months to keep myself creative. Next year I hope to have started doing this, along side re-sitting my maths GCSE. I have already made preparation for this, since enrolling myself on a Numeracy course after Cristmas, I have been taking some afternoons out to study so I will be eligible for my GCSE course next year. Along side my learning Maths and doing some creative things, I hope to have a job as a teaching assistant. I have a few friends teaching at an college I used to attend that it very arty, so it would fit right in! This would help fund me through the year until I am able to do my PGCE in Teaching, since I want to become an art teacher.
In terms of the shows at the end of the year, I am really looking forward to making my own space. It's a good chance to start experimenting with big things like this, and it will be a lot of fun. I have also decided to get together with a few friends from surface design and illustration and attend another Teenage Market, and some of the Hand Made Market events going on. There are a couple more events in Marple & Heaton Moor run by another group of artist that does the same thing. And that reminds me, about a month ago I recieved an e-mail about my work. It was from a man who runs a similar event to those, but in Oldham, he admired my work and promised me a table if i was to attend, but unfortunately it was too close to the deadline for me to get anything extra done, so I have postponed it until next year!
During the summer holidays I will also be taking a 2 month vacation to Bulgaria to do some sight seeing and work experience. I have arranged to stay with a family there and I will be taking care of the farm and also I will be going into an Orphanage to do some fun activities with the children there.
Lastly, my fears! Yes we are here again. These last few months have been up and down. Right when I'm starting to feel good about something I become pulled down by worrying. I have had a few things go very wrong in the last few weeks and I have broken down, it has been hard to pick myself up but there is nothing I can do but to move on and try and find a way around it. I am still uncertain of my work, and I sometimes think to myself whether anyone likes it, or they are just trying to be nice. I know I've developed my style for good now, the only thing i have to perfect is professionalism. I know the past ew years my professionalism has improved a lot, but it will always need work. I have spend quite a while in Photoshop teaching myself different techniques to achieve better quality work, and it really has made the difference. Again I am struggling with time management, but the idea of 16 weeks hasn't been in my favour. I much prefer to get something done faster rather than lingering around - i have always worked that way. Having more space to fill is scary to me. I start to panic and over think and misjudge what i have to do. Towards the end it becomes a lot clearer. It's a good thing I have picked up on this because I know what kind of things I will be more suited to.
I have yet to start my animation but I know exactly how I want it to look & how I'm going to do it. I have used stop motion before so I know the basics. The only thing that has worried me a lot has been the production of my mannequins, there has been a misunderstanding with the ceramics department downstairs and it turns out my mannequin wasn't ready, so i had to get it fired last minute and (completely unrelated) it randomly turned out smashed. It was completely out of my hands and it has given me a bit of a knock today. I know what I have to do to fix it though.
Scary times!
My hopes for my Final Major Project are pretty simple, my grade. It's not necessarily what I should be focusing solely on right now, but at this point I can't blame myself, since it's the one thing we have been working hard to get since we joined university, and right now it's very important to me! So I am hoping for a 2.1. Grades aside, what I want more than to leave with a grade, is to leave with a lavish portfolio of work that my style shines through on! I want to start a small brand and online shop which sells my work put into fashion (so my dress making skills can come into play after being dormant since highschool!) so for example, you could but t-shirts, skirts, hoodies, and also publish zines every few months to keep myself creative. Next year I hope to have started doing this, along side re-sitting my maths GCSE. I have already made preparation for this, since enrolling myself on a Numeracy course after Cristmas, I have been taking some afternoons out to study so I will be eligible for my GCSE course next year. Along side my learning Maths and doing some creative things, I hope to have a job as a teaching assistant. I have a few friends teaching at an college I used to attend that it very arty, so it would fit right in! This would help fund me through the year until I am able to do my PGCE in Teaching, since I want to become an art teacher.
In terms of the shows at the end of the year, I am really looking forward to making my own space. It's a good chance to start experimenting with big things like this, and it will be a lot of fun. I have also decided to get together with a few friends from surface design and illustration and attend another Teenage Market, and some of the Hand Made Market events going on. There are a couple more events in Marple & Heaton Moor run by another group of artist that does the same thing. And that reminds me, about a month ago I recieved an e-mail about my work. It was from a man who runs a similar event to those, but in Oldham, he admired my work and promised me a table if i was to attend, but unfortunately it was too close to the deadline for me to get anything extra done, so I have postponed it until next year!
During the summer holidays I will also be taking a 2 month vacation to Bulgaria to do some sight seeing and work experience. I have arranged to stay with a family there and I will be taking care of the farm and also I will be going into an Orphanage to do some fun activities with the children there.
Lastly, my fears! Yes we are here again. These last few months have been up and down. Right when I'm starting to feel good about something I become pulled down by worrying. I have had a few things go very wrong in the last few weeks and I have broken down, it has been hard to pick myself up but there is nothing I can do but to move on and try and find a way around it. I am still uncertain of my work, and I sometimes think to myself whether anyone likes it, or they are just trying to be nice. I know I've developed my style for good now, the only thing i have to perfect is professionalism. I know the past ew years my professionalism has improved a lot, but it will always need work. I have spend quite a while in Photoshop teaching myself different techniques to achieve better quality work, and it really has made the difference. Again I am struggling with time management, but the idea of 16 weeks hasn't been in my favour. I much prefer to get something done faster rather than lingering around - i have always worked that way. Having more space to fill is scary to me. I start to panic and over think and misjudge what i have to do. Towards the end it becomes a lot clearer. It's a good thing I have picked up on this because I know what kind of things I will be more suited to.
I have yet to start my animation but I know exactly how I want it to look & how I'm going to do it. I have used stop motion before so I know the basics. The only thing that has worried me a lot has been the production of my mannequins, there has been a misunderstanding with the ceramics department downstairs and it turns out my mannequin wasn't ready, so i had to get it fired last minute and (completely unrelated) it randomly turned out smashed. It was completely out of my hands and it has given me a bit of a knock today. I know what I have to do to fix it though.
Scary times!
What's left of my dolly :(
Sunday, 31 March 2013
Turners Art Challenge
So a couple of weeks ago a small art shop close to my uni has decided to make an 'art challenge' called 7x5. Anyone of any experience can enter for £2, 50p of which goes to a local charity and then you get a small 7x5 inch canvas to draw onto. All the drawing will go on display in a small gallery they have opened upstairs. I decided to enter, since it's for a good cause, it's an opportunity to get my work in a gallery for free, and it's a ton of fun! So this last to weeks I have been planning what to make, and actually making my small piece! For the challenge, you can work in any media you want, the content can be anything you want, as long as it fits on the 7x5 canvas you are given, so it's pretty open. One of the main challenges is to think of a design that would fit onto a small canvas (which is why it's called the '7x5 art challenge'), and i don't mean to boast, but being taught how to be an illustrator may have given me a better consideration for using space well. I know all artists will have experience with this, but usually you create work to any specific size that you like, but going through the process of making editorial images, I have learned and practiced well how to make good use of space, and not complain!
So moving on from my mahoooosive ego (yeah right), I'll give you a bit of insight about my work and the meaning behind it. The piece I have named 'Unbound'. It took me longer to decide the name rather than actually making it, but i think the name is a good fit and says a lot about it. Being hit with a lot of issues regarding self confidence and not being afraid to EXPRESS yourself lately, I've decided to stick to my guns and go along with the theme. It sends a positive message out, and I feel very passionate about it, so naturally i went with it. If you didn't know I'm actually basing my entire FMP on this subject, so I'm really in the mood! The concept is that there is the girl in the picture, inside a picture frame, her face is neutral, but her hair is very striking. The hair itself is reaching out into the white plains of the canvas and even spreading to the side of the canvas that you would only be able to see from a certain angle, as if it is going to crawl off the canvas. Her eyes are closed and the mandala and piercing eyes on her forehead indicate she is using her mental power to reach a heightened level of ingenuity. It's all very intense. Her hair is laden with white dots that look like tiny stars in a black night sky, as if it contains infinite amounts of energies. I can't explain much more in words, please take a look for yourself. I am very proud of this picture!
So moving on from my mahoooosive ego (yeah right), I'll give you a bit of insight about my work and the meaning behind it. The piece I have named 'Unbound'. It took me longer to decide the name rather than actually making it, but i think the name is a good fit and says a lot about it. Being hit with a lot of issues regarding self confidence and not being afraid to EXPRESS yourself lately, I've decided to stick to my guns and go along with the theme. It sends a positive message out, and I feel very passionate about it, so naturally i went with it. If you didn't know I'm actually basing my entire FMP on this subject, so I'm really in the mood! The concept is that there is the girl in the picture, inside a picture frame, her face is neutral, but her hair is very striking. The hair itself is reaching out into the white plains of the canvas and even spreading to the side of the canvas that you would only be able to see from a certain angle, as if it is going to crawl off the canvas. Her eyes are closed and the mandala and piercing eyes on her forehead indicate she is using her mental power to reach a heightened level of ingenuity. It's all very intense. Her hair is laden with white dots that look like tiny stars in a black night sky, as if it contains infinite amounts of energies. I can't explain much more in words, please take a look for yourself. I am very proud of this picture!
Thursday, 20 December 2012
Self Publishing
I guess this post has turned out to be a bit more personal that I had hoped but it's still a good self reflection and a good plan of action for me to have. Self publishing is very important. These past few weeks I've been trying to get myself out there a little bit more, and trying not to let my fear of other people criticising my work or insulting my work get to me. Having made 20 business cards and setting up a page on Facebook, I really have to face my fears now. In mind of setting up my own website, and the website research I did, I've set up a page, which is actually a Facebook page. Although I can't completely customise it, I've tried to make it look professional and a bit interactive. I know Facebook is though of as unprofessional, I think it's a good way to get yourself out there. 99.9% of people nowadays have a Facebook account, and you can add them to your own personal page, and spread it throughout the internet. It is very accessible. I've managed to get myself 60 followers, and hopefully as more people like it, more people will come and have a look. I have also set up a Linked In account and applied all of my work there too, as well as having a more personal twitter page that I send sneak peeks of my work before it is finished on, as well as a couple of other things too. I like to keep my pages professional but personable, so that it's easy to relate to without sounding like a child getting hyper over every thought they have during the day and writing it down. Twitter is good because you can target the audience you want with hashtags and spread your work to others very easily. I've noticed a lot of successful designers like Kath Kidston and Laura Ashley have their own twitter and Facebook pages, it's cool to think that these people we look up to are just a message away, it feels like you're getting a more personal side of the person rather than the professional front you see on adverts / other websites, it's nice to see the human side! Hopefully I'll be taking over the internet with my illustrations soon as well! I will eventually have my own domain set up. My dad owns a web design company so I count myself as lucky to have someone with knowledge in that area to help me out a bit and be able to make it completely my own without breaking my bank balance, and after all, what kind of a student can afford to have a website professionally designed!?
So if you're reading this, hopefully you are interested in my work, and however you have found yourself reading this, maybe you can check out these sites I've been talking about? :)
Facebook.com/RedJayDesign
Twitter.com/_RedJay
So you're probably wondering, why Red Jay?
Because because because becauuuuuuse, I think it's important to have a nice name for a business! My initials are R J F, but a few old friends call me RJ, and I love Blue Jays (favourite bird ever) so naturally it's red jay. It's my name, kind of, and it's what i'm about. I love animals!
My Business Cards!
So if you're reading this, hopefully you are interested in my work, and however you have found yourself reading this, maybe you can check out these sites I've been talking about? :)
Facebook.com/RedJayDesign
Twitter.com/_RedJay
So you're probably wondering, why Red Jay?
Because because because becauuuuuuse, I think it's important to have a nice name for a business! My initials are R J F, but a few old friends call me RJ, and I love Blue Jays (favourite bird ever) so naturally it's red jay. It's my name, kind of, and it's what i'm about. I love animals!
Thursday, 15 November 2012
Hopes, Fears & Opportunities Part I
There will be 2 parts to this post, the first half way through the semester and the second at the end.
For my hopes fears and opportunities, i will be discussing how i have planned to keep on top and achieve my goals so far, and what I can do to step up my game further on from this point I am at now.
Hopes
My hopes up until now have been that I manage to stay on track with my work and not fall behind, and in doing so i will have more time & effort to put into my work improving the outcomes. I've also hoped and tried to balance out my style of working so it can sit nicely in the middle of everything i've done so far and connect to previous work, and also work to come. I must, however, keep in mind that in doing so I have to not let that control my work and then become stuck, I have to keep experimenting and discovering new things, but learn how to use them in my own unique ways.
So far I have to say I've more or less pushed myself and managed to keep up the good work! I just have to keep setting higher goals and refine my work.
Fears
I've had a few demons in my head! I suppose I'm not as confident with my work as I should be, and I become my own worst enemy. It sounds silly when i put it into words but I get scared when I have to face doing my work in fear of it being unacceptable and bad, and having that mindset I actually put myself off doing it well, and sometimes even doing it at all, I know my work has definitely suffered because i struggle to see past this wall of bad thoughts that fill my mind, and I'm trying not to associate doing my work with bad things happening, and that doing work really is my way of communicating. It shouldn't be something I'm putting off doing because it makes me unhappy, it should be something that makes me happy that stops me from doing exactly that! I'm also pretty harsh on myself when i receive criticism and i think i take it personally sometimes, even though i shouldn't take it as a bad comment i should take it as a helping hand from my peers but again it's down to my lack of confidence. I feel the way i've written it in words it seems really really negative and that i'm extreme, but I don't mean it to come across that way i'm just trying to portray what it's like with my words.
Working with fears is difficult and sometimes is overwhelming, i did struggle a bit last year, but so far i've stayed focused and my game is on! Think positive, be influenced and never close my eyes!
Opportunities
There will be many opportunities this year, and actually being in Stockport College studying a degree is an opportunity in itself really. Learning & getting a degree is really something i try to be thankful for as not everyone can have it so easily. But talking of up and coming opportunities I've actually arranged for myself to get some work experience in a school. When I leave I've thought about becoming a teacher and I am seriously considering it as an option when I leave, so this is really a good start for me. It will be in January. Other opportunities have come for me and i consider myself to be lucky really, my dad just so happens to be in the printing industry and has a lot of contacts with people who have studios and businesses, from Web Designers to illustrators, so I am going to see if i can get an interview with someone through that. I also would like to try and get one by my own means to prove to myself that i am perfectly capable without help.
For my hopes fears and opportunities, i will be discussing how i have planned to keep on top and achieve my goals so far, and what I can do to step up my game further on from this point I am at now.
Hopes
My hopes up until now have been that I manage to stay on track with my work and not fall behind, and in doing so i will have more time & effort to put into my work improving the outcomes. I've also hoped and tried to balance out my style of working so it can sit nicely in the middle of everything i've done so far and connect to previous work, and also work to come. I must, however, keep in mind that in doing so I have to not let that control my work and then become stuck, I have to keep experimenting and discovering new things, but learn how to use them in my own unique ways.
So far I have to say I've more or less pushed myself and managed to keep up the good work! I just have to keep setting higher goals and refine my work.
Fears
I've had a few demons in my head! I suppose I'm not as confident with my work as I should be, and I become my own worst enemy. It sounds silly when i put it into words but I get scared when I have to face doing my work in fear of it being unacceptable and bad, and having that mindset I actually put myself off doing it well, and sometimes even doing it at all, I know my work has definitely suffered because i struggle to see past this wall of bad thoughts that fill my mind, and I'm trying not to associate doing my work with bad things happening, and that doing work really is my way of communicating. It shouldn't be something I'm putting off doing because it makes me unhappy, it should be something that makes me happy that stops me from doing exactly that! I'm also pretty harsh on myself when i receive criticism and i think i take it personally sometimes, even though i shouldn't take it as a bad comment i should take it as a helping hand from my peers but again it's down to my lack of confidence. I feel the way i've written it in words it seems really really negative and that i'm extreme, but I don't mean it to come across that way i'm just trying to portray what it's like with my words.
Working with fears is difficult and sometimes is overwhelming, i did struggle a bit last year, but so far i've stayed focused and my game is on! Think positive, be influenced and never close my eyes!
Opportunities
There will be many opportunities this year, and actually being in Stockport College studying a degree is an opportunity in itself really. Learning & getting a degree is really something i try to be thankful for as not everyone can have it so easily. But talking of up and coming opportunities I've actually arranged for myself to get some work experience in a school. When I leave I've thought about becoming a teacher and I am seriously considering it as an option when I leave, so this is really a good start for me. It will be in January. Other opportunities have come for me and i consider myself to be lucky really, my dad just so happens to be in the printing industry and has a lot of contacts with people who have studios and businesses, from Web Designers to illustrators, so I am going to see if i can get an interview with someone through that. I also would like to try and get one by my own means to prove to myself that i am perfectly capable without help.
Thursday, 4 October 2012
Creative Review: September
This is our first Creative review session and for this we had to pick 3 things, a news article, a book, and a movie to talk about, but not just any, something that has some kind of a meaning to us in anyway possible. This is a very personal post to me, and as I understand, it doesn't matter if the connection with our work is not as important here, it's something which I have to explain why.
The Plot
The Movie I chose was called 'The Other Boleyn Girl' and it was about the Boleyn sisters, and the story starts off my introducing us to the characters and their lifestyle. Anne & Mary were very close sisters. Anne was the straight forward daring one of the sisters, whilst Mary was the gentle kind hearted one, also being the better looking one of the pair. Mary was married off to an average man whom she loved, but the family had something different in mind for Anne. Annes uncle was in connection with the king, Henry and had talked her father into getting the kings attention to possibly become his mistress, and after she had given him a son she could be married off to someone with a high title, like a duke. The kings wife was unable to produce a son and the king was growing impatient. The plan was to get wealth and a sure future for the family and get a well respected family name. But Annes mother was unhappy with the prospect and warned her husband. Anne was in agreement with her father and took on the challenge and shared thoughts with her sister about how one day she could become a duchess if things went well. Eventually the king came to visit and seemed to take a liking to Anne, as she worked her quick and clever mind to charm the king. The king took Anne hunting, and being over confident she caused an accident and the king was hurt, though his pride more than anything, the family was anxious to find out if the king had changed his mind about Anne. Mary was assigned to take care of the king whilst he recovered from his fall. The king became interested in Mary, her beauty and her kind heart, but being the kind hearted sister she tried to keep out of his way so her sister could do her duty. After the king left, Mary got a message from the king asking her to go to court and tend upon the king himself, everyone persuaded her to go, and Mary knew the real reason why she was being sent off and tried to refuse, but she was denied refusal. Anne became angry with Mary thinking that she'd done something to charm the king. With no choice, Mary left to court to give Henry a son whilst Anne had an affair with Henry Percy, the Earl of Northumberland who was already betrothed, her father and uncle found out and she was exiled to France until her father forgave her, and had to keep it a secret or the plans for Mary could be abandoned as Anne had brought shame to their name. Anne & Mary's mother warned her husband again that if something goes wrong their daughters lives could be at risk, but he denied. Mary fell in love and pregnant and was sentenced to bed rest, whilst Anne began to seduce the king once again, angry at Mary and blaming her for being exiled. But Anne played games seducing the king knowing that he had chosen her sister over her, and tempted him, then turned him away, but the king promised to keep away from her sister and wife. After Mary gave birth to a baby boy, the king paid attention only to Anne, and decided to send Mary back to the country with the her son, then Anne could have him all to herself, and made plans to marry the king and give him a son who is not a bastard. Anne talked Henry into getting rid of the queen, and the queen is forced to leave court, just after Anne gives birth to a baby girl to the kings disappointment. Anne becomes pregnant for a second time but has a miscarriage, and is so scared the king will find out and kill her, that she asks her brother to sleep with her, and he does try but he just can't. Jane Seymour, another girl at the court finds them together, which is perfect for her because she's had her eye on Henry for a while, so she tells him everything. Anne and her brother are found guilty of both Treason and incest and are both sentenced to death, and they are beheaded. Mary tried to reason with the king but he warned her never to return.
The reason why I chose this move is because I am very interested in history. As a child our school focused a lot of our studies on this time period so it has always been something i'm knowledgeable about. I am also quite interested in old traditional tapestries and the paintings from it too. My grandfather used to own an old hall called Barlborough Hall in Derbyshire and most of it's decor was 16th century. My mum used to tell me ghost stories about it and there was a lot of personal history in that place, it was very eerie. I was sad when my Grandfather sold it since i felt like I had a personal connection with the area, although it was far away and i rarely visited it somehow felt like home. My mum had stayed many times in the hall and always came back with stories from friends who had stayed there / caretakers and maids (it was a hotel at the time). So it's always been influential to me, i had taken on a personal interest in this, which i felt i've lost in more recent years, and watching this really brought back some good memories. It's not something which i directly link with my art work but it was in my mind when I was doing my Age UK work in the second year.
The book I chose was the Horse Whisperer, though I didn't talk about it in our review, this is my all time favourite book, I was going to do it as the movie but I really wanted to talk about the Boleyn movie too. I've read the book once when I was quite young, and I won't bore you with a long plot but it is something that you must read - horse lover or not. The book is by Nicholas Evans and i've not actually read any other material of his, the only real reason why I picked it out is because horses have always been in my life since i was born and i have a real passion for them. The book is about a girl called Grace and her horse, Pilgrim who she loves and they are close, but one snowy day she goes out for a ride with her best friend, Judith and the horses slip down a hill onto an icy road and they are hit by a big truck, Grace and Pilgrim survive but Judith and her horse are killed instantly. Grace has her leg removed because it was so damaged and the horse, Pilgrim slips into a wild mental state, trusting no one and becomes angry and tormented. Grace becomes depressed and her mother, Annie is determined to save both Grace and Pilgrim, and finds out about a so called 'Horse Whisperer'. Both Grace and Pilgrim slowly heal their mental and physical wounds with the help of the horse whisperer, Tom Booker whilst they stay in his remote ranch in Montana. Annie begins to fall in love with Tom, and him with her, and in the end has to make a hard decision, does she stay with the man who she really loves, or does she keep her family together after this ordeal? In the end, I won't say what happens but it made me cry at 11 years old and still does now. The reason why I like the book and the movie is because it is so well written, you can understand the exact feelings and emotions the characters have and even though i've not been through anything like that, I know how they feel. As a horse lover I can understand how the horse is so important to her, after losing a horse myself. The movie is equally as beautiful as the book, the characters are amazing, the scenery is breath taking and the music is haunting. I think the music in the movie is one of it's best elements because it moves you without words. It's a lesson really, because as an illustrator, we have to emote to people like that, without words. It's nice just to listen to it whilst writing, it's very inspiring. The music is by Thomas Newman, who has created other master pieces, I love his music so much, he really has a gift. I'm actually stuck, I don't know which piece of music to link. If you have the time you should listen to them all.
The Movie
The Plot
The Movie I chose was called 'The Other Boleyn Girl' and it was about the Boleyn sisters, and the story starts off my introducing us to the characters and their lifestyle. Anne & Mary were very close sisters. Anne was the straight forward daring one of the sisters, whilst Mary was the gentle kind hearted one, also being the better looking one of the pair. Mary was married off to an average man whom she loved, but the family had something different in mind for Anne. Annes uncle was in connection with the king, Henry and had talked her father into getting the kings attention to possibly become his mistress, and after she had given him a son she could be married off to someone with a high title, like a duke. The kings wife was unable to produce a son and the king was growing impatient. The plan was to get wealth and a sure future for the family and get a well respected family name. But Annes mother was unhappy with the prospect and warned her husband. Anne was in agreement with her father and took on the challenge and shared thoughts with her sister about how one day she could become a duchess if things went well. Eventually the king came to visit and seemed to take a liking to Anne, as she worked her quick and clever mind to charm the king. The king took Anne hunting, and being over confident she caused an accident and the king was hurt, though his pride more than anything, the family was anxious to find out if the king had changed his mind about Anne. Mary was assigned to take care of the king whilst he recovered from his fall. The king became interested in Mary, her beauty and her kind heart, but being the kind hearted sister she tried to keep out of his way so her sister could do her duty. After the king left, Mary got a message from the king asking her to go to court and tend upon the king himself, everyone persuaded her to go, and Mary knew the real reason why she was being sent off and tried to refuse, but she was denied refusal. Anne became angry with Mary thinking that she'd done something to charm the king. With no choice, Mary left to court to give Henry a son whilst Anne had an affair with Henry Percy, the Earl of Northumberland who was already betrothed, her father and uncle found out and she was exiled to France until her father forgave her, and had to keep it a secret or the plans for Mary could be abandoned as Anne had brought shame to their name. Anne & Mary's mother warned her husband again that if something goes wrong their daughters lives could be at risk, but he denied. Mary fell in love and pregnant and was sentenced to bed rest, whilst Anne began to seduce the king once again, angry at Mary and blaming her for being exiled. But Anne played games seducing the king knowing that he had chosen her sister over her, and tempted him, then turned him away, but the king promised to keep away from her sister and wife. After Mary gave birth to a baby boy, the king paid attention only to Anne, and decided to send Mary back to the country with the her son, then Anne could have him all to herself, and made plans to marry the king and give him a son who is not a bastard. Anne talked Henry into getting rid of the queen, and the queen is forced to leave court, just after Anne gives birth to a baby girl to the kings disappointment. Anne becomes pregnant for a second time but has a miscarriage, and is so scared the king will find out and kill her, that she asks her brother to sleep with her, and he does try but he just can't. Jane Seymour, another girl at the court finds them together, which is perfect for her because she's had her eye on Henry for a while, so she tells him everything. Anne and her brother are found guilty of both Treason and incest and are both sentenced to death, and they are beheaded. Mary tried to reason with the king but he warned her never to return.
The reason why I chose this move is because I am very interested in history. As a child our school focused a lot of our studies on this time period so it has always been something i'm knowledgeable about. I am also quite interested in old traditional tapestries and the paintings from it too. My grandfather used to own an old hall called Barlborough Hall in Derbyshire and most of it's decor was 16th century. My mum used to tell me ghost stories about it and there was a lot of personal history in that place, it was very eerie. I was sad when my Grandfather sold it since i felt like I had a personal connection with the area, although it was far away and i rarely visited it somehow felt like home. My mum had stayed many times in the hall and always came back with stories from friends who had stayed there / caretakers and maids (it was a hotel at the time). So it's always been influential to me, i had taken on a personal interest in this, which i felt i've lost in more recent years, and watching this really brought back some good memories. It's not something which i directly link with my art work but it was in my mind when I was doing my Age UK work in the second year.
Image from: http://www.frontispiece.co.uk/site/product.php?id_product=1009
The Book
The Article
Since we were asked only asked for one of these I've yet to work on finding an article that I find important to me, though I have one in mind so expect an update soon with that in it!
Sunday, 26 August 2012
Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest & Museum of Industrial Olive-Oil Production
During our last couple of days in Lesvos we decided we could not miss out on one of the most notorious attractions of lesvos despite knowing that it would be a long treacherous journey, Lesvos is the 3rd biggest island in Greece and Sigri, where the museum is located, was on the opposite side of the island. It was well worth the time and dodgy roads, it was amazing what time and a little bit of volcanic ash can do to trees!
The Olive Museum
The olive museum was also some thing we visited in the last few days. It was not very high on our to-do list but since it was not too far it was well worth our time. It showed us an in-depth look into what the workers had to do to create the renowned olive oil of Greece, and also presented the agricultural side, and the technological development Greece was going through during the time the oil mill was in production.
I found this weird! In Greece :)
It was huge!
Hello! (This is me)
Really cool old box designs!
Sunday, 19 August 2012
Acropolis Museum
During my summer holidays, I went away to Greece and Turkey, and I made it a point to go and visit every museum I could find, regardless of the content. I had a really great 2 weeks and I am pleased to share some wonderful photographs of some of the places i visited. The First museum visit I will share is my Visit to Acropolis Museum, Exhibition of Archaeological Findings, which contains archaeological findings from the athens area related to the Acropolis of Athens, which is an ancient citadel, within it lying the Parthenon, the most famous structure within the citadel. The Parthanon is a temple dedicated to ancient greek gods. The exhibition has art, pottery, decorations, ect from the Acropolis itself.
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