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!