class pictures

It seems I have to wait till the w/e before I can get a handle on what happens.  Culture shock.

So this week……had to give a 5 minute presentation on Monday for the painting module, chose Marlene Dumas.  I was called unexpectedly early so hadn't had too much time to get nervous and it went OK. Am working on pieces reflecting her style this w/e, which if you look her up you will appreciate is interesting.

This is her work based on a class photo from her childhood.  I am working on a 1903 class picture from the local village school

One mature student got into a wrangle with tutor about positive and negative, exasperated [in a quiet way] tutor [pink tie] finally asked, do you all want to be brought up to my level or for me to come down to yours?  Ouch.

Tuesday we did some dry etching, which is a quickish way to get a professional looking result and involves scratching into a perspex [tracing if you wish from a photo/pic] then rubbing printing ink into it, cleaning up and pressing in the printing press. 

Technician smiled and said he liked the quiet economic style, so I suspect I could have been bolder.

Wednesday the cohort trained up to London to do some History of Art research at the Courtauld and then visiting the Tanks at the Tate for some performance art and installations. 

I couldn't go [dentists] and am excused study as I already have the credits for this subject. They had a great time it would seem, I know some were dying to get to Camden Market [some had never been to London before, which explains] so I hope they enjoyed exploring.

Thursday I pottered in to pick up a blow up of the photo of the class in grand dads village school, 1903, to work a bit of Dumas magic on.  £14 to pay for A2 size technician had not even expanded to fit, harrumph.

Any extras this 2 semesters are to be paid for and from then on, all materials. Mutter, on top of my extortionate fee situation [no-one else pays, as they don't have a previous degree]. 

Any retired un-degreed person really should consider a university course as the loan will not have to be paid back.  

Did a lot of splashing about with printing inks and rollers for use as backgrounds to grenade, but so far they are not dry! At least that was free.

Friday I went to my textile group SLAPPERS, reassuring to be with people of same age for a change, stitching and nattering.

Previous Sunday I did an Embroiderers Guild day course with Jae Maries, charismatic textile artist, she  made us do some Fine Arts exercises re colour, form and tone and then tear up photos and mingle with fabrics, dunno when I will have time to finish that tho.

one more week then we have a week of assessments, so spending more time getting cold feet in conservatory painting and worrying.  Less time spent on Facebook however so a result.