Sunday.

The day before our trip to London and at last I feel a bit better. There is no way I am missing this so I need to pack. I really enjoyed last year; Leanne, Elaine and I shared a room...this year Kathryn has replaced Leanne so hopefully she will have the 2'6" bed cos she is long and slim [other two are 3'] I had it last year, not good! Unfortunately she is only staying for two nights which is a great shame so we plan to blitz the sculpture exhibitions asap.

Antibiotics and a steroid nasal spray.

This cough is driving me mad; it's one of those that tickles and is uncontrollable, embarrassing and very loud. The title explains the result of my doctors visit.

Another day feeling terrible.

Having had such a bad nights sleep I have dragged myself to the GP's in the hope of getting an early morning appointment. It is impossible to get through on the phone at 8am so there I was stood waiting for the surgery to open to beat everyone else to the receptionist.

The receptionist who is normally very nice looked at me over her spectacles...and said 'name'? her fingers poised over the keypad,she seemed to take delight in telling me the only one available was at 3.20pm! 'Okay,thanks'. I crawled back to the car, arrived home, made my lunch and a flask of tea and climbed the stairs to bed...nightdress on and under the duvet by 8.30am. The NHS!

I need to improve so I can get some work done.

Not such a bad day after all.

After spending all day in bed feeling dreadful I can say a huge thank you for BBCiplayer; I have spent a joyous time watching Anish Kapoor talking to Alan Yentob about his work and it was brilliant. He is an artist I haven't read much about but after watching this programme I am now going to study him more. Alan Yentob used a word to describe some of the pieces, that word was 'beguiling' and it summed it up wonderfully. It was a real treat to watch and even better to understand what he was talking about. A year ago I could have admired his work but to actually understand where he is coming from just shows how much I have progressed.

12am

Have just caught sight of myself in the mirror...not a pretty sight! Feel dreadful and I will only moan if I continue to type; example- I ache so much I can hardly press the keys. Bye for now.

Just my luck!

It's reading week at college when I had planned to do my research for our exhibition at Crows Nest Park and get on with some practical work. True to form I am in bed with a terrible cold, sneezing and coughing uncontrollably. Why can't we find a cure for the common cold? Next week is our trip to London so I must be better for that...last year was great!
This year I shall be much more focused on what I want to see; sculpture! It may be a bit of a cliche to say 'journey' but that is what it feels I have been on since the start of my degree course in Fine Art. It is a gradual learning curve and one that can be extremely frustrating at times but eventually it seems to happen naturally and almost without you being aware. I am so much a 3D person, loving the results of being able to be fascinated by how I can now simplify the idea right down and feeling confident that it is enough. It's all about the materials and thinking visually. The old Ann was too literal; everything bar the kitchen sink, now the joy comes from breaking it down to the sculpture itself; the form, the material and very important, the space where it will sit.
From researching other artists: David Nash, Rachel Whiteread, Richard Wentworth, Richard Serra, Anna Barriball and many many others my knowledge and understanding of where my work is going is more informed and makes me feel more confident that what I'm doing is okay.

The enjoyment of taking an idea, however small and watching the process take over and realising that your hands can create a piece of work of some standard that gives me a feeling of pride ,and a great deal of satisfaction. Is it because I am a mature student? I can't answer that really but perhaps because I have waited so long for this experience that I am relishing it so much. The weeks are flying by now; almost like being on holiday for 2 weeks when the first week drags a bit but the next one flys by and you are at the airport on your way home.

Back again!

This can't be put off any longer; I enjoyed my last blogging experience and have regretted not carrying on doing it into my 2nd year as a student of Fine Art.