Monday 12th December

Only four days before we break for Christmas and still lots to do... college work a priority so I can at least have a bit of holiday time. It will be a mad rush like last year to do all the present shopping and making the house look nice. I feel as if I am on automatic pilot most of the time these days, I have to prepare my book for printing which will act as my multiple; a promotional tool to use to launch myself in the outside world. On Friday Simon, my neighbour in the studio asked how many followers I had on my blog... 'followers' I said ( trying to sound clever ) 'err, no idea'. He took my iPad and went back to his space. Friday had been a tiring day and I had been sat thinking of the work I still had to do when suddenly he said 'mmm, you have lots of followers in America and Russia and really busy in Austrailia'. To say I was amazed is an understatement...it is quite strange, no, very strange at my age to be able to look at a map of the world and see where my followers are. I feel positively energised and shall start blogging regularly, this one is going on and on but I am allowed to blow my own trumpet a little.

Friday 9th December 2011

Relaxing after an exhausting spell of normality; vacuuming and dusting... shock and dismay I know but needs must, we have guests to stay and it is Christmas soon after all. This week was so tiring and feeling unwell too so it was hard to keep going. If anyone ever says that an art degree is a proverbial walk in the park then they had better watch out...I have never worked so hard in my life and thats the truth.

Friday

A slight feeling of relief after yesterday's formative assessment. I had the company of two other students... I always feel apprehensive before starting my presentation but once I got started I actually enjoy discussing my work and my thoughts behind it. Our work is so different which makes it all the more enjoyable to just spend a few hours chatting about the module and our plans for our summative assessment in January.

The problem is, it is soon going to be Christmas and the fact that I haven't bought even one present yet can add to the stress and having to juggle everything at once. I want to do well at college so much and really feel that I now know what my working practice is and its possibilities for the future. It sounds so dramatic to talk of stress which ultimately is down to me and my lack of good time planning...not always but time just seems to fly by these days.

Time passing.

Photographs of summer project work.

Unbelievable, I am in my last year of my degree course...a new space in the studio to work in with the new first years and second years jostling for their space. It is a large studio with some students sharing spaces but the elite few or the antisocial variety have a bit more privacy. I had privacy last year...except for my counselling sessions at lunch time (joke) but I am now sharing. I will not name my space mate but I just hope she can put up with me. I am generally in the workshops most of the time anyway... it takes a few days to get used to just being back into a routine of college.

Enrolled.

Well, I enrolled today as a 3rd year student...it is hard to believe that 2 years can go by so fast. It was great to see everyone again and discuss the summer and just the realisation that we will be 3rd years when we go back. I am excited about it but at the same time I don't want it to pass too fast...then it will be down to me to make sure the last few years have been the best thing I have ever done. I have been so fortunate in being a mature student at such a great college, amongst such lovely students and staff who have allowed me to feel part of 'it'; it being a creative environment that makes me happy to get up at 6 in the morning 5 days a week.

I think sometimes people have the wrong idea about art students, having worked in the real world I am in the best position to have an opinion and I have never worked harder in my life...

Results.

Thats it, just had my assessment and it went really well...the relief ! Now I shall relax a bit and spend a bit of time with my friends and family who I tend to neglect during college time.

Paperworks

An exhibition 'Paperworks' at the Civic Centre in Barnsley is on until Friday 26th August and features many renowned artists from the UK and abroad. Not only is the work in paper, cut and folded into many different pieces it is also pulped and manufactured into vessels and sculpture. The gallery is in the town centre and admission is free. The staff were only too pleased to talk about the individual artists and their background. I really enjoyed how each artist using the same material could produce such diverse work from beautiful jewellery to large hand cut hangings. It is well worth a visit. There is also another gallery just around the corner: The Cooper Gallery. Barnsley seems to have made a major effort on improving the town and its regeneration really impressed me.

www.barnsleycivic.co.uk 01226 327 000 for details.

Thursday 16 th June.

The 6 mile trek in Dovedale where many older walkers ( 70+ish) decked out with all the 'gear' were whizzing past me smiling and joyful clutching compasses and maps, quite embarrassing really... so I would always take out my camera, look as if I wasn't the least bit puffed or tired when they approached and click away until they had passed by. After returning home feeling reasonably okay the shock of descending the three flights of stairs to the kitchen next morning for my cup of tea can only be described two words ... a nightmare; my calves felt like huge walnuts and every step was an indication that I definitely need to return to the gym ... before it is too late.

I have made my decision regarding tonight ... and it is going to be college. Eva Rothschild would have been great but I love to see the college with such an atmosphere, everyone appreciating the work on show ... and its a chance to see some of my peers and tutors as well before everyone breaks for the summer.

My blog will continue over the summer, although, I know at times I tend to ramble about things not linked in the least to my art but I do rather enjoy it and it really helps to look back on my older posts and my thoughts at that time. It is a diary, I suppose of my experiences during my degree course as a mature student and a way of reminiscing at a really special time for me. Having found myself in a position to study full time it will be interesting for me to look back on this time in my life and a blog is by far the easiest way I can do that.

The Peak District.

Photographs were taken yesterday during a 6 mile walk in Dovedale near Ashbourne in the Peak District. An area with spectacular rock formations of limestone emerging dramatically from a rich, green landscape so beautiful I was speechless at times. This is an area new to me and one that has really provoked ideas. These caves were so beautiful; limestone worn away into such amazing forms, white, silver, charcoal grey contrasted with lichen and tiny plants growing in the crevices.

Hepworth was influenced by the Yorkshire landscape that she saw from the window of her father's car; undulating hills and forms. I felt like that yesterday; natural forms carved by years of wear and the movement over centuries. I am drawn by form; curves, archways from delicate structure to huge formations... and then the textures. I could have spent a whole day just taking photographs and sketching. Influences are all around in the landscape and this area was brimming with them. It was a very good 4 days!

Memories.

Oh 2010 Latex, cheesecloth 214 x 214 x 214 cm.

Down 2008 Plaster and acrylic polymer, polyurethane rigid foam 210 x 69 x 65 cm.

When we visited the Saatchi Gallery I filled in my email address in the usual way so they have records of who the gallery is attracting and can then email invitations to the private view nights and news of any forthcoming artists. Today came news of 'the shape of things to come' an exhibition of up and coming sculptors. I looked on Google and looked at the reviews, one as per usual by Brian Sewell was really interesting/if a bit long. It is unfortunate to be here when I would love to be there.

The Saatchi Gallery was the one that really made an impression on me. The way they show the work in such surroundings was perfect; each smaller gallery was a surprise and the one artist that I can't get stop thinking about was Juliana Cerqueira Leite and the work: Down and Oh. With Down Leite used tons of clay in a large block, burrowed her way inside from the top, scooping out the clay and then eventually the outer layer took on the shapes of feet, toes, elbows, fingers and is so clever. Cast in plaster it is suspended from the ceiling and it is so different from anything I have seen before.

Similarly with Oh a small octagonal room was built 8x8' that had 2 tons of clay inside. By entering through a small hole at the top the clay was scooped out until Leite by holding pencils at arms length and turning around the sphere was eventually formed. The interior was then painted with latex to cast the 'balloon'. Cheesecloth was mentioned but I imagine this is on the inside to had strength. The details given at the side of a piece of work are never enough for me; it was only by reading the guide later that the true essence of what I had seen hit home. This is the same at any exhibition and I am sure most people would like to find out more. Kathryn, who was with me was equally 'taken' with this work.

Exhibition Ends.

The exhibition was taken down today and returned to college. Thanks must go to the group members who took part... it was quite a day! I was indebted to Francine and Val who came to my rescue when I was struggling with pit props, 'normal' size plinths etc etc. I felt my age today.

News re Elaine will come later when I have more facts to blog.

A Double Booking.

It is just typical that in this busy life of mine ... some would smile at that ... but it is the exhibition at my college on Thursday 16 June at 6 pm which I love to go to. It is a chance to see the work of the third year students prior to their show in London in July. But, at the same time Eva Rothschild is in conversation at the Hepworth Gallery at 6.30 pm for £5.00 ... what a quandary I am in.

I saw Rothschild's work for the first time at the opening of the Hepworth. The work is sculptural using a wide range of materials and it has been awarded 4 rooms in the gallery which is an indication of Rothschild's description in the guide as ... ' one of the foremost contemporary sculptors working in the United Kingdom'.

A Very Good Day.

What a fantastic morning... The Hepworth Wakefield. It was so exciting to cross over the footbridge and see Chantry Bridge from the opposite side of the river. Being from Wakefield I was really taken aback by the width of the river and how the gallery seems to emerge from it. The architect David Chipperfield has caused so much controversy with the design of the building that the local papers have been full of complaints about the cost and its box like appearance, people either love it or hate it. I have observed its construction and admit it was a bit of a shock at first...but...after walking across the bridge you are really seeing it for the first time. The river swirls beneath you, the sound of the water adds to the experience and the appreciation of a great building rising up from the river surrounded by industrial buildings that seem to have been given a new lease of life.

It wasn't until I had seen the work on show that I realised how the architect had used the work of Hepworth to reflect the form and power of the building. Both Hepworth and Henry Moore were from Wakefield and their work and friendship is celebrated in the galleries. I have been reading many of Hepworth's books recently so to see her workbench, tools, maquettes and finished sculpture was absolutely incredible. I am captivated by the surfaces; smooth, glossy, gleaming and then in sharp contrast to the textured surfaces on the same piece. My head was swimming with the sheer beauty of it all; plaster, wood, marble, bronze; it is all there. I found the drawings and the examples of how Hepworth constructed using wire mesh, wood, paper etc really interesting. It added to the exhibition and understanding of the practice.

One thing that always fascinates me is reading about their lives and how they interacted with other artists, formed friendships and sometimes homes. During my access course I studied Piet Mondrian who was a great friend of Hepworths and it just makes me smile when I can imagine them together, eating, drinking and discussing their work. It is one of the ongoing delights of art history that gives me a real thrill.

Later the same day I took my Mum to see the exhibition at Crow Nest Park and it was lovely to show her what I have been doing. If only my Dad could have seen it too. She was really impressed with Elaine's work re the Brontes and how it looks in the setting; against the mullion windows and period features of the room. The Park was so busy due to the sunshine and the cafe next door was heaving with people sat outside at the tables, chatting and keeping their dogs apart. It really is a lovely place.

All the work was intact, Xaiou's brilliant dvd was playing; his 'tea dunking machine' and his incredible 'murder of crows' proved a real draw and everything looked just as though it had always been there along with all the other exhibits in the museum. We are due to remove the work next week when the exhibition ends, which we still need to organise as a group, our manager is on holiday in China...again, so we shall just have to manage without him.

May 30th.

The wedding in Ayr was lovely, it was windy and raining but they had a hog roast which everyone enjoyed with crispy crackling and apple sauce, lots to drink, no haggis (shame) and everyone had a great time. Sarah kept the bridegroom waiting 30 minutes which was a bit concerning, I began to wonder if we would be taking the giant set of cutlery home with us. I avoided the 'piece of artwork question' and hoped that the weight of the nicely wrapped cutlery set would feel a bit like a heavy piece of sculpture. Mr and Mrs are honeymooning in the Dominican Republic and will unwrap it on their return...it was a nice cutlery set and quite contemporary.

Next day we visited the Mackintosh House which was worth seeing; it is a reconstruction of the principal interiors of the home of Charles Rennie Mackintosh the Scottish architect/designer and the artist Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh. It was very enjoyable and being allowed to take photographs was unusual.

On My Mind.

The bride and groom are expecting a piece of sculpture for a wedding present on Friday...by me...oh dear. Due to the recent workload I am going to disappoint them ( I wonder if a card and an iou would be okay for now) I am finding the change in my routine a bit difficult to get used to; I still wake early and am constantly thinking about the direction my work is taking. In fact, it is constantly on my mind.

Tuesday and No College.

Yesterday was packing up day; everything in my studio space packed away in boxes and piled up until the end of September. I have so much stuff that it took me ages. Some of the others were in too, all jointly agreeing to keep in touch over the summer break. It is hard to believe that my second year is over, time flew by. I shall be moving into a new space with hopefully lots of room and good light.

Today was therefore my first day without driving to college...I wake at the same time and it takes me a second to realise that no I can take my time, have a rest even. It is a strange feeling not thinking about modules, assessments etc for the first time for ages. I can now have my haircut, do clothes shopping and clean, clean, clean the house for visitors at the weekend. How exciting does that sound? The course is going to be over in just over a year, then who knows what will happen.

Saturday 21st May.

With a wedding to go to next Friday I have been frantically searching for an outfit today; 7 hours and nothing...absolutely nothing. By 3pm I gave up. I have been so busy with work for college I haven't had any time to get anything. There will be people there who I used to work with so I am really looking forward to it, and I really need a weekend away. By late afternoon yesterday I felt so tired; must have been the relief of handing in all my work and knowing I had managed to do it. The exhibition report was hard to do; it isn't the content, I rather enjoyed collating all that together...its the computer. If only I could use them like the other students can, it would make my life a lot easier. I am so much better now but I aim to practice during the summer break, oh the summer break what shall I do. At this precise moment I know I need a rest, recharge my batteries a bit and think about my work.
The Hepworth Gallery opened to the public today so I shall be there asap; it looked absolutely fantastic on TV last night. I have a few books about Barbara Hepworth and I really admire her work. It is fantastic for Wakefield; now we have the Yorkshire Sculpture Park which is fantastic and now an Art Gallery of great status in the country as well. It will attract visitors from all over the country and abroad so it can only be good for the area.

20th May 2011

I woke up this morning and it is the last day of submission deadlines; my exhibition report is sitting on the table downstairs ready to go. It has taken a lot of effort and as per usual I wanted it to look a lot better than it does; its okay but due to the time I took doing my submission for my workshop practice I was a bit rushed towards the end. When I was printing it out I ran out of paper... with one sheet to go, it was not a good moment. I had to use a sheet that had two words written on it; nothing to do with my report ( I must remember to tell Eve ) it is on the back of one of my pages. The mistake I made was to print out some of my appendices before my main report section; having always got lots of paper imagine my horror running out on the last lap. It was also submitted on a memory stick so it should be okay...hopefully.

Sunday

Very busy today so here are a few more photographs of the exhibition.

Feeling nervous about tomorrow; handing our work in for assessment so I am preparing sketchbooks, using the computer etc etc. I am 'up to my eyes' and I still have my submission sheets to complete yet. Not happy!

Monday and Tuesday.

Xaio's 'Murder of Crows'
Amanda's bear rug, wolves head and fire.

Elaine's exhibits re: The Brontes.

It is strange to think that our work is in the museum until the beginning of June, I wish now that we had left a comments book. The museum staff were very worried about the work; most of the museums exhibits are in display cases so I can understand them feeling a bit worried about our work. Rope barriers have been added to put people off touching the work. These photographs show both the rooms we used; the blue room downstairs and the cream one directly above. We were so lucky to have been able to exhibit there and the work just looks so 'at home'.

Sunday.

Photographs taken by Xiao Fei Wu Dyson of my sculpture who just happened to take these when the sun was shining. I have taken so many but the sun makes all the difference. I love the colours and the reflection in the glass. One is positioned on the ground floor and the other is directly above on the first floor. Nothing is glued; it is all free standing: wood, plaster and lead. They actually look better here than I had envisaged when I was told where they had to go. The stone wall is the old house that has had a new extension added to add a lift shaft and new toilet facilities.
Today, I feel a bit deflated...and yesterday it was a bit strange being at the venue on my own. Several visitors were looking at the work so I was only too happy to talk about the pieces whilst I was taking some more photographs for my file. The museum has different staff at weekends who were really friendly and offered some facts about the house that I didn't know. One of them has had several spooky moments; a ladies reflection in the glass display case, a misty apparition near the ceiling ... and ... feelings of someone or something touching her arm. Creepy !

The morning after.

I need to visit the museum this morning to pick up the rubbish and just check that everything is okay.

The exhibition went really well and everyone enjoyed it. Having a venue that was perfect for us as a group but, I was so impressed that at night it really came alive; the lighting showed our work off so well which could not have foreseen during the day and the opulence of the rooms added a real feeling of quality and prestige to the occasion.

It was something that the visitors who had never been to the museum before mentioned just how nice it was to be able to see the other rooms complete with their exhibits as well, whilst they enjoyed a drink and a piece of 'award winning pork pie'.

Thanks must go to the first year students who manned the bar for us [a tradition] which was appreciated.

The worse bit about a 'do' is all the empties next day; boxes and boxes of bottles [some still with beer in] to dispose of...not nice! It was raining too which added to my enjoyment whilst loading up the car and then standing pushing each one into the bottle bank. Happy days.

Its just a thought...what must I have looked like with all those empties?

Exhibition Day!!

It is here and I have a feeling of butterflies in my stomach which have been flying around for days. Due to living so far away I need to take my car tonight which puts a stop to me having a few drinks which I really would have enjoyed. Anyway, never mind I wouldn't have wanted to be a bit tipsy in charge of my pit props... health and safety!

All that needs doing today is to arrange the spotlights to show the work at its best. We are once again very lucky that these are already part of the interiors fittings. All the staff at the museum have been very helpful throughout, in fact we have been so fortunate with the venue that we have not had anything to worry about beyond the decision making about display.

We have all helped each other throughout without any problems; once again a real collaboration between the group.

The eve of the big night.

The Museum at Crow Nest Park and the cafe nest door.

A day of last minute preparations; buying the drinks: champagne, beer, glasses, napkins from the local supermarkets which vary in price so much we were dashing between them finding the best price. The room where my work is has a lovely atmosphere, cool and calm.It is finished but the upstairs room is hectic. While we have been there this last few days visitors to the museum have been walking in interested in what we were doing. It is a busy place with a wonderful cafe next door which serves very reasonably priced food and seems to be very popular. We sampled it for the first time today with a well needed break and were not disappointed [ I can highly recommend the pie and peas ].

Weds...2 days to go.

It all came together for me when the newly painted white plinths [ thanks to everyone who helped me] were carried into the room, it isn't until then that all your ideas and expectations can be fully realised. I was on my own, quietly trying out different arrangements, taking my time when I stood back and looked at them. It is an amazing feeling, seeing your work in a different surrounding...it was a special time. The atmosphere is really special; it is easy to imagine the house as a family home with the beautiful mullion windows and a fire crackling away in the hearth.

A hard day for everyone.

Just can't sleep! It's 12.45am.

Need to get up at 6am to load up the car for the exhibition so by my calculation I will only manage 5 hours and that is if I can get to sleep now...so off to count some sheep.

I have never seen so much bubble wrap; my plaster slabs for my sculpture are pristine and I dread the journey in the car. A chip will drive me insane after the work I have put in.

The rooms at the museum are immaculate in every way so we began to set up our first public exhibition without the need to do any preparation on the venue first. My major pieces [ 2 x pit props] will not be positioned up against the newly decorated walls in case of damage, totally understand; however careful I would have been I would have been a nervous wreck placing them.

All is well...hard work, but at least we have plenty of time to complete before Friday. I suppose I shall be nervous but excited also, it will be an enjoyable evening and a culmination of a lot of hard work by everyone.

Sunday

Sunny again! Had to go to famous DIY store that brags about employing 'oldies'[hope for me in the plaster department then] for some beeswax for my wood plinth. Then a couple of visits to see family and back...slight interruption from planned schedule due to long chat with Kathryn [chicken bone lady] who had to keep breaking off to scold her two boys. How she manages to cope with them and a degree is amazing; Elaine who is a second year with me has 4 kids! so I can't moan can I ? Anyway, on it went until I was getting so hot sat in the car I had to say 'Turrah, see you Tuesday'.

The images above show what I got up to, dressed all in white [too lazy to change] with a piece of cornicing and a bag of coal dust. The coal dust was literally poured on at the bottom, then blown around a bit, sprayed with car lacquer to adhere some of the dust, waited awhile drinking coffee and then let the loose dust drop off. After the lacquer dried I used a graphite stick to add a little interest.It was done fairly quickly and I like the result a lot; I also like how it looks on the photographs. The neighbours will be watching me from their landing window...she's mad, look what she's doing now...call that art!!!

Saturday and the days are passing by.

Not long to go now before I return to college; nervous, worried, hopeful, excited, are all descriptions of my state of mind this morning. I have a lot to do getting everything ready to hand in on the 12th, 18th, and 20th of May. After that it will all be over really until the end of September. Then,I will be a third year.Unbelievable!

I have been outside all day in the sunshine finishing off my sculpture/s with old roof beams I got from a local dealer a few weeks ago. They are at least 150 years old and have inscriptions on the back scratched into the surface; real memories of the past.

Royal Wedding.

Well I watched it sat at my new Dell transferring all my work from my old laptop. She looked beautiful and he, well not bad either...when they drove themselves in the Aston Martin belonging to Pops I felt a tear, or was it thoughts of the money I had to spend on the laptop?

A new laptop.

I was right to worry; my old, faithful laptop had a major blip this morning after refusing to load up 5 times, and that was it the worry was too much for me...and the noises it was making was like it had just had enough...so I felt I had no choice but to go for its replacement; off I went to John Lewis for a new one... A tomato red Dell. My old one has been brilliant to cope with my inadequate fingers pressing this and that, me always huffing and puffing constantly even though it was always my fault.

To change the subject I finished reading a book by Margaret Gardiner about Barbara Hepworth titled 'a memoir' this morning. It is about the early years of her career and is very interesting. I can't wait for the Hepworth Gallery to open in town at the end of May.

I had a moment of great joy this afternoon; I purchased a set of chisels,files and rasps from Aldi recently and today I tried them out on an old bit plaster.
Brilliant! so I used the little files and rasps at improving the finish on my plinths for the exhibition. Well, then I used a chisel on a part dried plaster block...when it cut through it so effortlessly I was in heaven. It was total joy!! Sad... but joy!! Now I know why my Dad was so particular on keeping his tools immaculate.
I sensed an awakening; my mind went off in all directions: plaster, wood, stone...clean,smooth lines, carving, cutting, oh its going to be a busy summer. The lawn was covered in bits of plaster, I smile at the change in me; at this time of year I would have been planning my hanging baskets [slight over exaggeration there possibly] but not now, no, who cares I'm having a great time. Last years baskets resemble a dried up David Nash!

One week to go.

Back to college in a week. The days pass by so fast and my laptop ( not my lovely iPad] ) is oh so slow these days that I am getting really worried about it so I have spent most of today just deleting pictures and rubbish so everything can be safely put on hard drive that I want to store.
I try to record the work I do in the workshops either on my camcorder or camera but it isn't always easy when your hands are dripping in plaster, covered in sawdust or worse still the black left from working with lead.

A painful Monday.

It isn't a pretty sight my toe this morning and the bruising is travelling up my foot... It contrasts well with my shell pink nail varnish though. Just had a thought; what if my toenail drops off just in time for Sarah's wedding...oh great! More stress!
Carol, my brothers girlfriend who is a nurse saw it today and recommended strapping it to the next toe...whilst typing this I have had a brainwave...PLASTER...what an idea and no need to visit the hospital.

Easter Sunday.

The birds are singing but the sun is hiding.
My large chicken is sitting in the fridge totally unaware of it's future; that maybe one day it could be included in Kathryn's portfolio, a large ball of chicken bones!

I have my plaster slabs to sand today; they have taken weeks to dry out due to the size. Plaster is something I really like using, it is the time consuming mould making that can be a bit time consuming and laborious though. Having purchased a bag of plaster from a local company I intend to really experiment with it over the summer break, just to see what I can do with it. I seem to be drawn to the sharp edges you can get and the stark whiteness of it but I want to try using it for removing surface texture. It can be messy so I shall need to plan the process of where and how to do it without upsetting anyone; It isn't a worry at college but my kitchen would not look brilliant with a cloud of plaster everywhere; flour, yes ( those were the days when I found the time to bake ) but not plaster.

DROPPED A PIECE OF WOOD ON MY FOOT! Not good! I think my toe is broken and the pain was excruciating ( racked my brain for a better descriptive word but can't think of one ) it was so bad I felt sick. My footwear didn't help...slippers! Richard would have gone mad!
The lawn and decking is now covered in a fine layer of plaster dust and the ridges in the lengths of decking I found are difficult even with a hosepipe to clean. Not good, but at least my plaster slabs are pristine except for a couple of chips which are annoying but the journey to college next Tuesday is still a worry. I shall have to wrap them in something.
MY TOE IS A WORRY. PURPLE, RED, BLACK already and soooooo painful. I have sent a picture of it to Kathryn who I was supposed to be going for a day out to the Sculpture Park with, bloody typical. Leanne, my buddy from college who left the course is also supposed to be meeting up with me at some point this week... Just great!
I need to coat them [plinths not toes] with a sealant so they don't start looking grubby but I have never used one before so there is a tester in the garage drying for my perusal tomorrow.

Some of the Team.

The invitation to the exhibition 'Catbird Seat' shown above designed by Jasmine and Francine; drawing on the tradition of the house, its heritage and the name taken from' Crow Nest'. If you are described as being in the 'Catbird Seat' you are in an advantages position. A good name for an exhibition.The invitations for the exhibition have been posted; a real effort by everyone. The team having different roles and responsibilities managed ourselves very well; we work well together which makes it much easier. If you have seen the sweet factory on Emmerdale then that is what we looked like; cutting, folding, inserting and posting. I enjoyed it; a good plan coming together.

Thursday night.

Just been out for a meal to the local Chinese restaurant... It wasn't anything to write home about really...was looking forward to it too...crispy duck was nice as always but I can't help feeling sorry for the duck.

Called in at college today to pick up a few bits, Kathryn was there doing the same. Other than a couple of staff and caretakers the place was empty, no students. It is a strange place without any people.

Kathryn is a first year on the same degree course and she enquired if I would be having a chicken over Easter, " it's a yes, why?..."save the bones for me" she said "I want to make a ball out of bones".

Kathryn had spent the previous afternoon, sat in her garden, brandishing a glue gun sticking chicken bones together. She has 3 small sons who will grow up, I am sure with very creative minds!... Or perhaps they will make great anthropologists!

B&Q.

8.30 am trying to buy a really strong adhesive that will stick lead to plaster/wood/anything really. I once tried using the glue gun to stick lead to wood but that was a no no,it just laughed at it.

Every time I go for anything I always end up buying other bits and bobs; I have just spent £13.98 on a tin of beeswax for a wooden plinth I have been working on.

A day cruising the shops.

A day doing what I haven't done for ages...shopping with my Mum and niece looking for a handbag for her. We had a lovely lunch together and it was really nice to catch up on the gossip with them. Doing my degree has impounded on my social life to some extent; I don't visit as much through the week and my weekends are usually spent working/ thinking about working/ thinking about why I really ought to be working.
My niece reminds me of how I was at her age, frantically searching for the right bag, the right shoes etc etc. It was a lovely day.

Sunday morning.

Lewis Hamilton has just won the Chinese Grand Prix, it's the London Marathon again and the sun is shining.
I have just peeped into my ' garage studio ' and it looks quite inviting, there's nothing like a bit of a spring clean and a tidy up. My plan for today is to sort through my photographs into some order and delete any rubbish. My laptop is groaning under the weight! ...and it worries me. Having not become a whizz and no optimism of that ever happening the computer still fills me with woe.

It has been a lovely day; 10am- 5pm down the garden feeling pretty content, sat at my laptop sorting through my photos and whoosh...the bloody thing crashed!!! It is working again but it has filled me with dread..so..looks like a new one. I can't risk it happening again and losing something for college.

All in all a mixed day but fresh air can't have done me any harm after spending all day in college breathing in plaster and Lead dust! How I shall manage without my usual luncheon; jacket potato with tuna and cheese with a side salad, I am a creature of habit. Friday is the best day at college for lunch...fish n chips with mushy peas, lovely!

Saturday.

We broke up from college yesterday for 2 weeks. I have tidied out my 'studio' in the garage today; it is staggering the amount of stuff you accumulate that just takes up valuable space. The sun was shining so it wasn't too bad and it looks a lot better now. It is strange seeing all my watercolour paints, oils and acrylics that I used to use now unused on a shelf. From watercolour Sunday painter to a woman whose nails ( once highly manicured ) now resemble hands of a male plasterer. I worry due to the fact of an important wedding at the end of May in Scotland to go to; a couple whose guests all knew me prior to my 'sculpture' metamorphosis. A well groomed Ann whose nail varnish was just so on both feet and hands and hair always 'done'. At this time I would have been planning my outfit meticulously but no not now; all I have on my mind is the Hepworth Gallery opening in Wakefield and the new exhibits at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Hey ho!!

I decided to have a bit of a rest today after a bad nights sleep and chill a little bit. It will seem strange on Monday morning not going to college, we are all going to meet up for lunch one day so that will be nice. It really is lovely having such a good rapport with each other, if we didn't get on then being a small group would have been difficult.

I intend to finish off my plaster plinths by sanding with wet n dry sand paper until I get a really smooth finish, at the moment they're drying out on my spare bed. Plaster is great to work with, I love the sharp clean lines.
I suppose it means no visitors can sleepover "sorry you can't stay, sculpture plinths drying"! It was a bit worrying taking them up the stairs last night to be honest, after they had survived the journey home as well.

Weds 13th April.

Today is our last workshop day with Richard...I worked on my plaster slabs for my exhibition plinths. It is hard work making the moulds first and these are quite large. I want them to look substantial even without my sculpture. Richard pointed out to me ages ago; it's all about the plinth. An average piece of work can be transformed if it is displayed properly, a really brilliant piece could be ruined if the display isn't right.

On our recent trip to London and touring around the galleries the one that impressed me the most was the Saatchi. It has everything; space, lots of light, wonderful work but you have the feeling that they know just how to show art. I think it was my best gallery visit ever; each room was an 'event'; when I walked in I was really excited about what I may see. I wasn't disappointed! The building is really impressive from the outside and has real presence on the Kings Road...it was a fantastic day!

I am sat now about to type my artists statement for my exhibition work and I am trying really hard. The sculpture I have done has to speak for me; I want people to take their time and consider it for what it is; a juxtaposition of materials in a sculptural way trying to convey visually an interesting subject. I really want people to like it or a least appreciate it.

It is nearly over.

A meeting this morning to discuss the end of year assessments...gulp! It is hard to believe my second year is nearly over, in fact I can't get over just how quick it went. Then, I will be a 3rd Year Fine Art For Design student. It will be taxing and painful at times no doubt but it is a roller coaster ride I'm on; holding on tight, feeling panicky at times but ultimately with a huge sense of satisfaction for climbing on in the first place.
When I look back at my work, it is only then that I realise my progress and the enormous change that has taken place. Whatever the future holds for me at the end it will be with a greater sense of purpose and depth that will be apparent in my practice.

Monday

Work work and more work.
Richard was at a meeting so we had Grace for tutorials this afternoon. She has a brilliant way of talking to you, commenting on the work and adding a new approach. We all love having her and my time was really useful; she liked my pit props but was really interested in the pieces of coal that I had sanded so that certain places are smooth in contrast to it's raw state.
She even went down into the 3D workshop so I could show her my very large pieces of coal. At the moment I am busy making some thicker plaster bases so I can see what they look like on their own in contrast to the sharp white plaster; a piece of sculpture in their own right, an amazing material, approximately 1.5 million years old. It may or may not be included in my exhibition pieces but I think I am right in believing that the majority of people will never have seen coal before in such large pieces. It has so many interesting factors; texture, shine, layers, smoothness, very tactile and feels warm somehow.

It fascinates me to think of the history of the coal industry and it's rise and fall in my lifetime. The wealth it once brought to our country and the mining communities where whole families were involved I find really thought provoking. Where I live the town is surrounded by old mining villages; Grimethorpe, Fitzwilliam, South Kirkby to name a few and the signs are there; where once a thriving industry brought a sense of purpose and pride these places have had to find other means of surviving in different ways. Now there's talk of reopening some of the old pits... Can it ever be like it was?

For now I am at least loving working with it...or other materials connected to it.

Pit prop debate.

My pit prop sculpture is to be critiqued by Richard after lunch in the gallery space outside the studio which meant I had to carry everything up in the lift in 3 trips; a pit prop is quite heavy and caused a few strange looks as I carried them down the corridor.
They actually look just how I had hoped; holding up the wall... the building.

Weds is workshop day.

Decided to remove plaster bases for my sculpture from the moulds; I have made 5 so far which is hard work but there is something nice about a crisp clean piece of white plaster. Making the mould is the worst bit I think but the better the mould the better the outcome will be. You can't make a silk purse out of a pigs ear!
The hottest day of the year so far so we sat outside on the grass eating our lunch, it really was lovely. All the students in our year get on really well, right from the start we seemed to gel. If I am honest the age gap doesn't bother me at all, in fact being the oldest relic in the studio is quite a label to carry.
The description usually attributed to students is not true to FAFD students on my course; there are the odd ones who arrive late on a regular basis but most work really hard, I have never worked harder in my life, past employers will smile if they read this but it is true; I arrive at 9am and leave around 5pm, 5 days a week so it is full time. I leave home at 8am full of excitement for the day ahead. It can be really taxing some days but I can cope just about and quite relish the different modules but the best bit is the company, who I hope won't mind if I keep in touch long after we graduate. Gulp, did I just type that?

Tuesday 5 April

The 3D workshop was very quiet today, hardly any other students working so I could just do what I needed to with the room to myself and Steve [staff] who kept me entertained with some Tamla Motown [ hope I have spelt that right ]. It really was very enjoyable reminiscing whilst I was concentrating on my sculpture. I have a feeling this isn't going the way I had hoped; the weight is a problem, in fact that is its only drawback [ lead ].
I was trying to manipulate it using various tools to change its appearance from a plain flat piece of lead normally used for roofing into something that has certain qualities that are interesting.
It is hard work hitting the lead with a wooden mallet until it becomes soft, shaped and transformed. Both the images are work in progress

Monday 4 April

An extended Monday morning meeting to discuss the exhibition invitation. The choice of name for the exhibition ' Catbird Seat ' was after much discussion and deliberation; the name Crow Nest Park was the start. A crows nest on board a ship; the high lookout point led us to 'As The Crow Flies' which we liked. However, we then continued to explore further. I typed in Google another alternative to crows nest and a long list came up... Catbird Seat is described; as an advantages position... a good place to be. We loved it and it had so many visual possibilities... hence the reason for our meeting.

Eve [our tutor], Francine and Jasmine were all involved in the design of the invitation. All the rest of us feel a bit guilty letting them do all the work but I have no talent in that department. The examples are really good, so again we gave our input and a decision was reached.

I have spent the rest of the day working on my sculpture, bashing away at the lead... happy!

Thursday at 11.39pm.

One word...shattered!!!
I have been hammering away at pieces of lead playing around with shapes all day and my back is killing me; stood up all day brandishing a hammer is not the most relaxing of pastimes but thinking about it a friend of mine, Tracy who was an avid fan of cross stitch broke her wrist through constantly doing it.
I made a small child's shoe out of lead....just wanted to see if I could pound the lead thin to begin with to resemble old, worn leather. The process made me realise just how delicate lead can become and therefore its uses, its only downside is it is so heavy and although easy in a small piece anything larger than 6" x 12" can be hard to work.

'Lead' lead the way.

This photograph is the display case at the museum re coal mining. Very basic protection that was worn; boots, helmet and knee pads tied on with leather straps. The tiny snap box and its shape interested me and having purchased a good strip of lead I wondered what I could do with it. I decided to concentrate on the knee pads which were the exact shape that lead forms when beaten on the leather pad with a wooden mallet. It forms a natural curve; the shape of our knee.

During our Weds workshop day I began work on them and quickly saw some good results. Lead is full of surprises; it varies in malleability but needs such a lot of bashing to become soft enough to manipulate which is very tiring. I have driven everyone mad with the constant banging.

Tuesday 7.15am.

Yesterday was a good day, we visited the Dewsbury Museum to look at the rooms once again and discuss on site possible new ideas for placement of our work and just a useful exercise for us all.
The sun was shining, the daffodils and hyacinths scented the air and we were all in a good mood. I tried to imagine the night of our private view when guests will wonder around the house looking at our work and sipping their drinks. The house although now a museum has still retained it's beautiful interior with the original plasterwork and fireplaces which definitely add to it's charm and feeling of intimacy.

Today, Tuesday was really busy; I plan to cut my pit props to fit up against the wall which I know will be tricky to do. It was! You can see from the image that it is holding up a piece of plaster which is in front of a wood wedge.
Steve was a great help...pit props are heavy plus it was difficult due to the other students coming in and out. It really was trial and error. I am confident the result will 'have 'something, my interpretation of coal mining and the wealth it brought to the area. A prop!

Sunday morning.

Absolutely full of cold again, can't breathe, blocked nose, coughing but I need to start work on the coal asap. The clocks were altered last night so what I thought was 9am is actually 10am so I need to get moving now. It seems so long ago that I could spend Sunday morning browsing the papers, drinking coffee...just being lazy really.

8pm and totally shattered. I hate being blocked up, not being able to breathe up my nose. This proved a nightmare when working with the coal at the bottom of the garden today...what with wearing goggles and a face mast I felt ghastly. The neighbours must have wondered what the hell I was doing. By 5 pm my face was totally black and coal dust was everywhere but I am pleased with what I achieved.

I had to look at the shape of each piece individually before deciding what to do. Some were obvious but mostly I smoothed one side first using my new sander. The coal seems to be either very hard or very crumbly so it is trial and error to achieve anything good.
The idea of Whitby Jet but in a very understated way was behind what I tried today and I did manage to get some reasonably good facets.
I want to have some areas as it was when it came out of the earth; very textured, dull black or very shiny in contrast to the worked areas which are very smooth but angular in places.
My face and hair were 'jet' black, not a pretty sight but it was worth it.