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| A possible change in my rules - focusing on one : being mindful - and expanding on this? Maybe too vague |
Needing to tackle this brief and get underway as soon as possible once other modules had been completed, meant that I had to think on my feet in terms of what I wanted to produce and how. I would have liked to invest more time into the development side of this brief, especially in terms of how I want to visually represent my 10 rules, however I am pleased with what I have come up with so far. I am leaning towards the idea of created 3D paper cut scenes as I feel they have a lot of impact and I want to finish this year off with a little bit of craft, after spending a lot of time attempting other forms of media throughout this year.
Shadow Box
For my portfolio when applying to this course, I attempted my first shadow box scene and I was really pleased with it and thinking that this could be the format in which I complete my final 10 pieces representing my rules. It is super fiddly and a little difficult to work out each layer in advance but want to attempt a mock up at least. I feel that presenting the work in this way really compliments my 10 rules, as the scenes will almost bring the rules to life giving them truth and meaning.
Explanation of rules I want to illustrate so far and why
Organisation
Organisation has played a huge part in the development of my practice and how i work overall, during my first year of university. I haven't been on a course or in education at all for the past 4 years prior to the start of this degree, therefore it has taken nearly the whole of this first year to get back into the swing of things. I now own a personal diary, uni diary, notebooks for each module as well as calendars for my wall and I make use of them all to help me keep in control of all aspects of my life.
Mindfulness
Being mindful and present is so important to me, and a key feature which has been lacking in my first year at uni. I have been so continuously engrossed in work, which has meant I have been unable to switch off the stress and tune in to what is going on around me, often in moments of what should be enjoyment and downtime. This is something that has to change for me, I am unhappy floating through life without properly engaging with the people and environment around me, as I often find I don't remember important things/events or take pleasure in the little things. The concept for this piece is based on a photograph I took at a time where I remember being my most mindful and present. I was sat in my friends garden, alone, in the height of summer a long time ago now, and I was watching her many carp gliding in and out of the water. The light, breeze and sounds were just right and caught me off guard and I found myself transfixed by the motion of these beautiful fish and their lives in this pond. It was all so calming, quiet and still, that I felt I was completely in the right place at the right time and thankful for how my life has been so far and for what is to come. All super soppy I know, but I haven't had many moments like this in my lifetime, and need to do my best to help create more by being present mentally as well as physically. This piece will be created as a keepsake - to remind me of a time when I was most present in my life, and how I can be again.
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| Photograph taken during mindful moment |
I haven't really managed to find the balance this year, both with personal work, interests, relationships and university and everything that comes with that. This has meant that a lot of my interests have been neglected in a major way and this has such a big impact on my happiness overall. All I literally have to talk about are the latest uni briefs I am currently working on - my friends must hate me.
One of my main interests which I would like to make more time for is growing my plants. My house is full of them and like me, they are all looking pretty sad at the moment after being stuck inside all winter. My student house doesn't have much of a green garden space, but it does have a yard, and so this summer I would like to make a portable veg-box style patch where I can plant all the flowers and edibles I want, knowing when I come to move into a new house for 3rd year, the veg box can come with me. This is to represent my portable veg box idea, and I hope the real one turns out just as well in real life!
Adventure
For me, being adventurous is stepping outside into the unknown both literally and figuratively speaking. I have spent a large majority of my time throughout this first year at uni, being stuck inside my house - either being ill or working super hard for hours on end. It is so important to venture out and get to know your surroundings, and this piece is a homage to that and all that can help inspire me in the great outdoors.
Creative
Out of my 10 rules, "Be Creative" is at the top as it is something I need to remember to do daily for myself as well as my professional practice. In reflection of my first year at university, I need to develop a stronger relationship with my personal and uni sketchbooks. This means a change in the way I want to work and approach briefs, however I feel this step will be extremely beneficial. I plan on tackling this over the summer period, filling sketchbooks of my own with all that interests and inspires me and mainly improving my observational skills and development of creative ideas.
Frame Mock up
I had a lot of fun making this shadow box frame but i am a little worried about how long it will take me to assemble 10 along with the artwork within it. This mock up has been made using flat coloured card, however if I am to choose this format for the final pieces, I want to incorporate paint, texture and mark-making into the elements to give the piece a more illustrative feel and aesthetic