The end is nigh.

Today is the last day I can add a new post to my blog; hand over time is 2pm tomorrow. A crisis with the Internet connection at home forces me to be sat in the college library typing this and therefore any hopes of 'going out with a bang' will not happen . It is very busy in here and therefore I feel a little uncomfortable; not like my own comfy sofa, laptop on the coffee table[a sign of my mature student status] and a glass of red wine.

I am in good company though with my fellow FAFD students Jasmine, Simon and Elaine who are in the same position, finishing off our blogs and work for our Influence file for Eve whose hand in time is also 2pm. Jasmine is a whizz on the keyboard, making me feel a bit inadequate although I try to go a bit faster in case she is watching.

My mood is fairly relaxed to say summative assessments are looming and to say it is the first time I have ever 'blogged' in my life I don't think the result is all that bad. When I look back at my first post when I was hopeless I have come a long way. If I am honest, once I got into the routine of sitting down and doing it I have quite enjoyed adding my experiences occasionally.

My intentions are to continue after tomorrow, adding new posts because I do find looking back [reflecting] on my old posts very interesting; they are an easy way of recording my progress, opinions, concerns and my state of mind...gulp... at the time. Finding the time to sit down, relax and blog is the hardest bit really but due to my ability to 'story tell' I am never stuck for something to say. I do go on a bit but I hope it does make some sense and that my work was of some interest. On that note I say goodbye for now.

Sunday 2pm.

The sun is shining outside, the Monaco Grand Prix is on the TV and I am sat typing my blog. I am surrounded by the contents of my journal which I am just tidying up a little before I submit it on Weds along with my blog details.
I was worried at first about doing a blog but I must admit to having enjoyed it somewhat; it is a good way of reflecting back on your thoughts, progress and influences.

The 3D workshop is closed today... now what?

To my horror the 3D workshop was closed today stopping me dead in my tracks. I retreated to the studio, made myself a coffee and sat down pondering.
The word procrastination sprang to mind so I glanced at one of my white plaster houses, remembered the packet of self setting clay in my drawer and sprang into life.
I moulded the little rose buds by flattening a thin strip of clay and rolling it up, then I stuck them on quite easily with a little Bostic.
The clay is porous so after I had let it dry for a few minutes I painted them with Gouache. Due to it being opaque the effect was lovely... almost the texture of rose petals...velvety. I was pleased with the result.
I then decided to add the wire mesh to add a different narrative to the work; the house is not lived in yet the beautiful roses carry on growing.
I tend to drive along and I always notice abandoned houses, unloved, unkempt, sad and my imagination conjures up all sorts of ideas. This piece of work is my last one to be finished before my summative assessment and I think it is a nice way of finishing off my group of sculptures. I will definitely start exploring new materials and just see what happens.

COMING TO THE END.

6.35 am on Friday the morning after the 2nd year Exhibition at the Empire House in Dewsbury. It is tradition for 1st Years to help out behind the bar serving drinks and being useful, Simon, being well spoken and of male model appearance was given the doorman's job. We kept him supplied with lager so he was happy. I didn't get in until very late last night and woke up this morning feeling about 90... and I have a busy day ahead of me; Simon and I are filming our collaborative work .
It went well but neither of us had the energy left to watch it or see ourselves stuttering and looking and listening to ourselves sounding ridiculous. We collaborated once more and agreed to delay that experience until Monday.

I have spent all weekend downloading our voice recording and linking it together; the whole recording lasts nearly 2 hours... it is really difficult to hear yourself talking... I keep saying 'Yeah' a lot!

Having downloaded 185[to be edited] images of my sculpture my laptop is now moaning at the amount it is being asked to store. I dread the idea of it collapsing under the strain and need to spend some time putting my files onto a hard drive.

It is now going to be a hectic weekend so all visitors have been asked to keep away

It is in the title.

More mesh.

The staples look terrible from this angle but this is actually quite a quirky little piece. I am not sure where the idea actually came from but I just played around with the arrangement, made a box with the mesh and here it is. It is work and the harder I work the greater the momentum. The feeling this gives me, the surprise it is taking place at all is just so amazing, with my background its is a constant surprise.

I love this journey I am lucky enough to be on and I am not the only student on this course who is doing something completely different to what they had expected. Life is full of surprises isn't it!

Using the steel plate.

Since using the thin steel plate earlier with my buildings I have intended to try again because I really liked the effect it gives in sharp contrast to the wood. This is made with 'found' Oak from a bin in the 3D workshop, it was full of holes so I had to cut around them to see if I could salvage anything.

I loved the colour and the grain and began making high rise flats first then gentle little cottages, a church all softly curved. I then place them on the steel and voila, I liked the effect a lot. I then found some thin wire mesh, cut out a strip and placed it between the houses and left it there; it has a strong statement. To be honest it was the first time I had ever drilled though steel; all the buildings are secured with screws so I can turn them or move them around if I wish.

It is a definite progression in the right direction for me, mixing and experimenting with different materials.