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In a follow up to my new IPS direction and the work I want to make post-grad, here are some artists that I have researched and referenced in my exploration of this topic. Much of this area is sculpture, but I wanted to move away from that slightly as I donât typically make 3D work, and instead try and find instances of outdoor paintings: (NOTE: For some reason I couldnât add photos to this post, but they will be present in the development book)
To All At Sea
This piece, painted by Anthony Garrett and sculpted by Mark and Loz Shipwrights, is a memorial of the Royal Charter Storm of 1859. They describe it as: âa giant painting moving with the wind ... it is designed to encourage a creative interaction with an important piece of Welsh heritage and also our environmentâ
It was built on a coastal section close to where the crash happened, in Moelfre, Anglesey. The painting is mounted on a metal sculpture of a boat, aligning the sealines, blurring the line between painting and landscape, and event and landscape. The piece moves with the wind, transmitting data to a website and at 17.55 every day it draws an arc. It is a direct representation of history, magnified by placing it directly in its own context. The piece was accompanied by a poetry reading and a musical performance.Â
This embedding of art within its landscape has massively inspired me, as I really draw upon the impact that this piece would have on the viewer. By existing outdoors, interacting with weather and the elements, the piece is deeply elevated to another level, and a painting becomes something bigger; an experience, a place and a piece of the earth.
High and Low
Also made by painter Anthony Garrett, this piece places paintings directly into the Snowdon landscape. He, with a small team, carried huge canvasses into the mountains and painted whilst within nature itself. In the film linked, it is interesting to watch Garrett make the paintings in the setting itself, watching the movements and gestures he makes. They show the gradually and complicated set up of the paintings in the lakes, floating the piece into the lake on the rafts.
I love the way that the piece is dwarfed by its surroundings, sitting like a stamp amongst huge paintings. The colours blend it into the water and the lakeside, but its sharp corners drawing the eye to it and creating attention. It exists as a zoomed out, mini version of the landscape itself and because this is framed within a camera shot too, it becomes some what meta as the element of the photograph is doubled up.Â
The effort required to create the piece and place it in that surrounding is something I want to create in my own way; if I carry this piece with me on the hardest trek of my life so far, I have added to the grit and heart of the work. It magnifies the love and dedication I have for mountains, and the need I have to display this work within them as accurately (albeit experimentally) as possible. I feel my work will differ visually from Garretts as his work is a more traditional landscape, usually colours from the area rather than bright and garish climbing colours. However, the aim we both have, to take the work back to its home, or to take it somewhere new, is very much shared and I find his efforts very inspiring.
First There is a Mountain
Kate Paterson developed fully compostable bio plastic sand mounds, each within a UK location, recreating to a smaller but exact scale five mountains in the world, representing each continent. Each âmountainâ had a text accompanying it, that was read at each launching event. The structures were all temporary, and have all now composted and broken down. Her work attempts to touch upon the incomprehensible timeframes and events that lead to the formation and eventual breakdown of every mountain or rock form on earth. This notion takes me back to a lecture I went to at The Alpine Club, on the geology of the Alps, where I learnt the geographic events that led to the mountains creation. I also learnt there that every mountain is temporary, and eventually they will all fall. To think of these solid giants as temporary is mind blowing, and I feel that is exactly what this series is attempting to represent.
She created 3D moulds from NASA data to create exact mini representations, so you could use them to make sand castles (sand mountains?). The fleeting existence of the sand piles and the tiny scale compared to the human stature gives thought to the enormous scale of the universe, and how comparatively small these âhugeâ rock formations are to everything else around us.
It is a humbling experience to look a this work, and it ties so many ideas into such a simple concept. I admire the depth she has obtained from these formations, and the new context she gives to the mountains, as these sculptures are found on the coasts of the UK, rather than the dizzying mountain ranges the data and mountains originate in. I like the story telling of the piece, and the way it gives new context to a piece of mountain data.
Peoples Landscapes
The National Trust commissioned a number of artists to create art and events surround the lead up and key ares involved in the Peterloo Massacre, the most violent protest in UK history. They used location and story telling to create a filled narrative, overlaying art with history and location. I like the intertwining of history and art, and the way each was âperformedâ or presented within the location it comes from. Perhaps I could elevate my work to become specifically about one climb, or one journey in particular, then return to that location with the work (or even make the work there, like Anthony Garrett). This could be followed up with an event or a launch, maybe not in the area itself as it might be difficult to reach, but in a nearby town or gallery. I feel local people tend to be keen to see work and therefor might be quite open to the idea of an exhibition.
Doug Aitken
Aitken created a series of structural sculptures called âMirageâ in southern California. Each building is covered in mirrors inside and out, and is placed in an area of significant beauty, including mountains/rock formations. I love this work as the views and nature becomes the work, reflected and rethought when engulfed in the mirrors of the ranches. Each area, time and angle brings something different to not just the viewer but also the piece, as it becomes the ever-changing nature of surroundings.
These buildings represent the distortion of suburban living, by taking an architectural template and turning into something void of life, instead merging it with its surroundings to become something different entirely.Â
I am drawn to this work as it reflects the area simply by existing, as takes place in wild places. The boldness and scale of this project is very impressive, and is something I take great inspiration from.Â
Jaspar John (flags)
Johns famous painting of the American flag is featured on this list as I have discussed the concept of flags in reference to the fabric paintings I am creating. Much like my approach, this painting was made on a cut bed sheet, and then encaustic with wax. The expressionist gestures representing something and becoming it at the same time play with the idea of âpatriotismâ. I relate this to my work as I truly do not wish to become patriotic or British in my approach to what some may perceive as a flag. I believe that climbing and mountaineering should be a universalised and unpatriotic activity; I resent the days where flags were placed at the top of mountains, deeming them âclaimedâ by the nation that first summitted it. I am glad that now the climbing world seems to be leaving that behind, as now first ascents are prioritised by person, not place. The entire notion that flags of countries should be placed is inherently imperialistic and colonial; the mountains belong to no one and everyone, so thus to place a flag is meaningless. However, my work can change the meaning of placement, and adapt the notion of âthe flagâ like John did, as I will refuse to involve nationality or permanence in the work, instead focusing on the shared passion all climbers feel.
General Artists:
Matt McCormick
For the structure of the paintings, as some become looser and less heavily structured compared to my original paintings, McCormickâs cowboy/western paintings really came to mind. The collage-esque structure of the work, as well as its use of dry materials against wet paint is mirrored in my work, and has inspired me a great deal as I learn more about composition and placement. The looser nature of fabric means that everything is no longer in a rigid grid, like it had been on the wood, but instead now even the slightest wind or movement will effect the view of the work. All of this must be considered as I begin to make these paintings.Â
Nina Cosford
Now moving on briefly to the rest of my work, specifically the reportage work I am developing for my website from my trip to Japan, I take great inspiration from Cosford and her travel journals. Geoff recommended I checked out her work, and noted that she was sponsored to go on trips, and gets commercial work from the sketchbooks she creates on these journeys. This is my ideal line of commercial illustration work, as travelling is one of my biggest passions in life, and sketchbooking on my trips is a highlight of the experience. To get the chance to do this professionally would be groundbreaking for me on a personal level. I think it will be worth exploring Cosfords work and clients deeply, in order to prepare myself for approaching them in the future. It also helps me understand and process how to display this work, both in the sketchbook itself and on the website. She makes short films about her process, which is also something I could do in the future, once I get a camera.Â
Photography:
In my tutorial form, Rachel recommended I check out some photographers who work with mountain photography to prepare and present my plan on how I would photograph my work in the natural setting.Â
Jimmy Chin
Chin is an idol of mine, a true symbol of being a master of many skills, as he is a world class photographer, cinematographer and climber/mountaineer. Chin embodies what I wish to do with my creative outlet, but also his photography is important to me as it comes from the view of a climber. He knows the people he shoots, he knows how they are feeling when they climb as he is a great climber himself, and he can keep up with them on expeditions. This leads to incredible photos, and to me really represents the concept of âmethodâ, as all of his work comes from being so involved and experienced. In terms of the photography itself, the mountains frame themselves in the photo and the eye is led on a journey, following the explorers through the photo and leading them to the surroundings.Â
The bright colours of the clothes worn by the explorers, climbers and mountaineers juxtapose with the sheer whiteness of the snow around them, and the grey of the mountains and the sky. The alien-ness of the human in extreme places is emphasised by this sharp difference, and that is something I wish to emulate in my paintings; the idea of the human being âotherâ and indifferent in the eyes of the mountains. Climbers will all tell you, the mountain does not care about you. You are tiny, small in its world. We go on regardless, in search of beauty and experience and life. I want my paintings to contrast in that way; unlike Garrets paintings, and Aitkinâs mirror buildings, I want my work to contrast, to stick out, like the way climbers do when they are sat, tired but excited on a ledge of a mountain. We want to become one with the mountains, but it will always be a cold relationship, but that never stops climbers.Â
Jacob Robinson
I particularly looked at Robinsons âDry Stone Wallerâ short film, made in Cumbria about the ancient craft of dry stone walling. I really enjoyed the quiet stillness of the film, with no need for voice or digital processing (filmed in film I believe), and as a result creating a holistic experience of mountain and craft. The film really creates an atmosphere as the wind howls and the murky clouds are shot so well that it feels as if you are getting wet from the misty rain. The angles used, low to the ground and lack of drone footage, makes the experience of viewing more human, and moves away from these epic, high cost Redbull style filmmaking (of which I also enjoy, but which gives an entirely different experience of the mountains). The slow pace gives you time to take everything in, as if you are sat on a bench or on the floor admiring it yourself. I like films that donât rush, or force you to look at too many things at once like this.Â
I can really learn from the framing of the shots and the atmosphere created here. This relates to my work as initially for the degree show I had planned to play sound in the background of my work, to enhance the closeness of the mountains and allow the work to take on the persona of âclimberâ. I think photographing my work in this way will take my initial concept to another level, as now the work is climbing itself, like those who take photos in the mountains.Â
Jonas MekasÂ
I chose to include Mekas simply because I love his photographic style; classic, on film reels and filled with story and colour and love. The three images stacked on top of each other creates a sense of movement and longevity, as it embodies the time the photo was taken. Rather than having a singular still image to represent a moment entirely, the three photos together create a timeline, a full moment, realised in a triadic state. It creates intimacy with those it captures, and tells you a story. I love this structure, and I want to experiment with it in a simpler, rougher way as I donât have the technical means to take the photos on film currently. I do have film photos of some of my climbing experiences, so I should experiment with collaging them and merging them wih my paintings.
Over the last week I have returned to London and settled back into my home life. I havenât been massively productive over this transition period, but many key ideas have formed and I am very excited to look into them further.
The main idea that has surfaced through my tutorials with Rachel is the idea of taking my (to be made) fabric paintings out into the mountains on my next trip. Since they will be so portable, I would carry my painting with my in my hiking bag on my trip and take photos of it in a natural setting. This means that my work becomes cyclical, taking inspiration from mountains and then returning back into its new state by existing within the mountains themselves. This idea of the âoutdoor installationâ and âoutdoor paintingâ is something that has been explored by artists before me, and so I look forward to researching that in more depth in another post.
To add to the conceptual notion of this presentation and context, the work begins to fulfil its own type of journey. This can be expanded by me giving smaller paintings and flags to my climbing/mountaineering friends, who could also take these on their own trips. My work would begin to travel the world, independent of my body, and like a river returning to the sea, these love letters will return to the mountains, shared by other people that love them. I love the idea of sharing this passion with the people and places that inspire me, and the work existing directly but temporarily (in order to stay with the âleave no traceâ philosophy) in the very physical context that inspired the work to begin with. Travel becomes the work itself too, as you geographically collage with the work and the surroundings that you take the photo in.
As I begin to accumulate enough photos, I can eventually develop these photos into a book called âLove Letters to the Mountainsâ, in which the original painting is photographed on a blank background, and on the adjacent page the same painting is presented in a mountainous scene, laid out and naturally held by nature.
Obviously I cannot make these photos and developments currently or before the end of term, but I can make the paintings themselves and begin to start playing with their layout and design. I will present a detailed final plan in my development book, and this will constitute the final piece. I need to start learning about cameras, as I will need to buy one in order to take these photos.
As well as IPS developments, I have also been working on:
My website (see previous post), which is now public and is gradually being added to as I scan and edit my work, finalising work that I have had sitting around for a long time.
The athlete profiles; in discussion with Rachel, she suggested I start playing around with the idea of editorial illustration in this context, and i have asked a graphic designer friend of mine to break down these drawings and see what I can improve. I have continued making the pencil drawings and the digital paintings to keep this work going alongside the redevelopment of the context and content.
Since I am now feeling settled in at home and am comfortable getting back into a more intense work schedule, I hope to be a lot more productive this week and start making the fabric paintings.
Since my last website post I have changed or added a few things to my website, and publicly launched it the public has access to my site and I can start publicising myself with it
I registered for a domain name so that I owned the URL of the site, and this also eradicated the .portfolio aspect of the URL
I registered for a professional business email, meaning the email address does not have the email company in the title, and instead it refers back to my domain name. This also involved opening up a new art-specific email so I can keep track of all art work related items separate to my personal email, maintaining a professional outlook.
I also registered for google analytics, as well as google search optimisation. This will help me keep track of the activity on my website, and understand the traffic and how to improve it.Â
I created a logo for the sidebar of my website, the favicon, my instagram and have also begun designing a new business card with my new details on it. This logo is a development of my old logo, which simply consisted of a cowboy hat. I have now changed the colour scheme to match that of my site and added mountains to the background, to highlight the two main themes of my work.
I added some new work now that I am home and have access to more of my sketchbooks - I added the âcowboyâ page to represent my reportage work, and the new work Iâve made for âlove letters to the mountainsâ. I like that I am gradually adding to my site, as it keeps up interest as every time I add to it, I post and more people look at the site.
I fixed the homepage, turning it into a GIF that displays my key work, adding an element of movement to the site, as well as an overview of my work. This homepage is accessible both from the âhomeâ button and when you click on my logo.Â
All of these adjustments have really helped me to become more acquainted with professional behaviours, and I feel much more prepared to present myself post-grad to prospective clients. The fact that everything is cohesive and similar in colour, font and design means my âbrandâ is consistent and clear, which hopefully means people are understanding of what my work is about, and what I have to offer them. With the logo, I deliberately changed it for each purpose whilst still keeping a lot of the same colours and contents. For example, I knew my full logo wouldnât be visible in a favicon or instagram logo, so for the favicon I shortened it to just my initials in clearer colours, and for instagram I got rid of the text and changed it to just the image in the logo.
I have really enjoyed this process; I have never been a massively digital worker, but I have learnt so much about web design, digital practice and professional business measures in this short time. These are valuable skills to gain and the fact that I have them prepared before graduation makes me feel confident and proud of the work that I have made. The fact that I have created my own place for my work online means I can make for that purpose, as well as in general.Â
I still have plenty of work to put up, some of which I sadly cannot access due to COVID, but for now I am content with the work that is up and the designs I have made. I look forward to posting more and being able to send it to clients when I am ready.
For the external brief, I chose to work on the Guardian brief, alongside the still ongoing collaboration with Bouldering Bobat (currently on hold due to COVID), as I admire the Guardian as a publication, and I found the article provided very interesting and relatable. It was about noise pollution and white noise, an issue I can heavily relate to myself as I also struggle with noise pollution and use white noise as a coping mechanism.Â
I started this brief by reading and then re-reading the article multiple times, going through and annotating which words stuck out to me and had visual connotations. This helped me form a mind-map about all the imagery related to the article and what it all means. From there, I began to focus on the key elements of the article so I could break down what was most important to represent in the images. This ended up being the difficulty of the noise pollution itself, the visual representation of the effect of white noise, and the resulting worry about the emptiness of the white noise. These three things became the visual language that I used to create the piece itself.
I then began coming up with various different options and thumbnails of ideas so that I could have a short period where I simply came up with as many ideas as possible. Quickly I then chose my favourites and turned them into more detailed drafts to submit for the first deadline. One of the roughs was very minimal and was my favourite - I typically donât do minimalism very much but this time I actually found it quite useful to represent the key parts of this article without any confusion. The other rough I produced was more illustrative and complicated (see below - first is turn, second is main illustration):
In the feedback we received the week after, they said:
âI really liked the turn illustration. Bold, dramatic, simple clean. I'd be tempted to use that on the opening spread and continue the simple clean graphic approach for a turn page spot - along the same lines so they felt connected.â
I took this on straight away, and I agreed with it too. I think with this article it was important not to overcomplicate the artwork, as the basis of the writing is so clear and understandable. The second draft really didnât match up with the minimal style and they clashed a lot. I should have sent them more than two roughs, but I didnât know that at the time as this is my first âprofessionalâ briefing. I then worked up the draft they preferred, and rethought the turn illustration.Â
In the midst of this was the beginning of the pandemic/lockdown, so I ended up having to work on this whilst staying in my sisters home. Luckily I thought to bring the work with me in case I got stuck there (I am now nearing a month and a half of being here as I write this) and also ordered my new tablet to get delivered here just in case. This meant I could work up and finish this in time for the final deadline.
Again, I just mind mapped the various ideas I had, playing around with similar visuals to the main illustration, until I decided which one was my favourite and then worked that into a final image. In the time I spent finalising the original image, I decided on a colour scheme which was fairly minimal in colour choices which continued the minimalist themes, and which allowed me to plan the turn illustration according to the colour scheme. Here are the final pieces I sent in:
I am quite happy with these pieces; they represent a complete experimentation for me, as firstly I rarely do this minimal style, and secondly working digitally for a final piece is completely new to me. I learnt a lot about working digitally for this piece, becoming more familiar with brushes, painting on photoshop and the benefits of being able to play so much with colour, placement and size. It was also good to follow something through to such a clear end, as often my projects are so ongoing it is difficult to âfinishâ them. Editorial work is new for me, but I really enjoyed it as it was a straightforward assignment, allowing me to just stay focused on something small and manageable at the beginning of this stressful global situation.Â
My skills as an illustrator came along greatly during this small project as this was my first time responding to direct, short feedback and minimal tutor interaction. It felt good to be self-reliant and work to a brief like this. I enjoy editorial illustration and this project helped me realise that it is something I would be interested in working with again.Â
I am still awaiting feedback, which has been delayed due to COVID, and I think hearing back from them will be really interesting and helpful as it will round off the project and allow me to further reflect on how successful (or not successful) this experimentation has been for me and my work.Â
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So now that I have had my first tutorial, and some âterm timeâ to start reconsidering my projects and future work following quarantine and online teaching, here is my renewed plan towards my work:
 - the biggest problem I initially faced was the fact that I could no longer make my wooden paintings (at last for now) and I would have to find an alternative. In discussion with Rachel I mentioned fabric, and she agreed that this was a good alternative as it can become quite sculptural, and I can use this as a new way of interpreting my project. For example, I can move my project, with wind or rope, and also change directions e.g. lay it flat and make it topographic, or hang it diagonally to recreate an overhang. I can also use it to recreate things like tents, to mimic This brings about an entirely new way of seeing my paintings, and I am excited to interpret this through drawings and planning experiments.Â
- Most of the researching and experimenting in terms of the smaller scale drawings and paintings can remain the same, as I have all of the materials and space back in London, where I will be soon (hopefully). For now I also still have enough to continue pretty much as normal.
- The website again is something that can pretty much go on as planned, but there are a few elements missing as I am away from that work or it hasnât been made yet. Over the coming weeks this should hopefully be resolved as I get reunited with my work and can scan everything in and continue making the new work digitally.Â
- I will continue with the tutorials and emails to maintain a connection with my tutor and also will be doing the same with my peers to get ideas and stay mentally on track, as we as enjoy that social aspect.Â
- In terms of the new work for the deadline, I was already preparing my website and development book work, so I am pretty much on track. I am aiming to produce new work in these spaces to continue the IPS as planned, but also using this challenging time to make something different and reconsider my original approach.Â
One of the few things I managed to accomplish during the first month of quarantine was developing my first official website, which I used Adobe Portfolio for. I started by using SquareSpace, but it was a little too complicated and it didnât make sense for me to pay for two subscriptions when I already pay for the Adobe suite.Â
I started planning long before I made it, based off the lectures I had attended about website design and also a long discussion I had with Adamina before term ended about what my website would really be. From those experiences, I concluded that I needed to clearly market myself and the unique attributes I have as both an artist and a person, as well as the work that I want to be making when I graduate, and the work that I most enjoy making. The website had to give a strong sense of my personality and the work that I make, as otherwise I feel the work wouldnât be enough to communicate all of that. This meant writing a strong âaboutâ section, where I clearly define and sell myself, and clearly defining the projects and âgenresâ of my work.
This all took considered planning, which ended up with me focusing on the concept of âthe rock climbing cowboyâ, building on my initial artist identity that was built in first and second year through my fashion line and cowboy reportage comics. Itâs a unique identifying point, and is somewhat humorous due to itâs complete ridiculousness. I also focused on the fact that I consider myself a âmethodâ illustrator, and how I always do or go to the things that I make my work about. I am a very obsessive and passionate person, so when I choose something to make work about, you know it is probably the thing I think about the most.Â
I also considered a colour scheme to use for the website, my business card and my new logo for instagram. This colour scheme came from the colours I use most in my work, which are all bright and colourful, but still compliment each other and hopefully donât become overwhelming. The font also came from my work - I chose to continue with the use of Baskerville, as any âmodernâ typeface looked too complicated and distracted the eye. Baskerville was perfect as it looked good, wasnât boring but didnât distract any attention away from the work.
Then I broke down my projects into groups, considering throughout what work I would want to be making when I graduate and the goals I have for myself in life. This ended up becoming rock climbing (broken down into subsections that include: athlete profiles, love letters to the mountains, life drawings, letterpress and monoprints), nature (which included my two main life drawing mountain trips, Snowdon and Val Dâisere), reportage (my trips to Colorado and Japan, as well as the study I made on cowboy culture) and my sketchbook. I find these categories represent my best work, and the work that I want to make for a career. Some of this work is either not available as it is in studio or in my house in London, or hasnât been made or finished to a standard ready for the website.Â
I have simply uploaded as much as I could to the website, which I would say makes up about 55% of the website. I found the experience really informative as it broke down the essentials of myself and my work, as well as how I want to present myself for the future. There are a few things I need to fix, such as the grey colour of the text in the sidebar, but mostly I am happy and proud of the website as I think it does a good job of representing myself and my work. I am looking forward to some thoughts on it from my peers and tutors! Here are some screenshots of it in progress:
This overwhelming global experience struck as we entered the easter break, a time that I was planning to take to work over-time on my projects by coming into university and painting a lot more. I had also planned to develop my website over this period, along with my online presence and instagram make-over.
I have ended up staying at my sisters in Ironbridge during quarantine, as I planned to just visit for a weekend before lockdown hit and I became stuck, but very safe and happy here. My mental health has faced a lot of challenges, as often I become too overwhelmed to do much more than play animal crossing or watch a film, and anxiety frequently keeps me from sleeping. For a month, my performance and ability to make was entirely compromised, and I just managed to make the beginning of my website and some work for my athlete profiles, as well as finish up the Guardian external brief in time for the deadline.Â
Whilst it wasnât expected of us to work throughout the holidays, especially considering the magnitude of the viral disaster and the stress it brought, as close family members of mine had the virus, I was still worried about the lack of work I was making. As the first day of term has come and gone, and we have seen the new brief, however, I am filled with newfound confidence and motivation that I can fulfil the new requirements as best I can, and have prepared a revised list of things I can be doing towards these goals.Â
My work, other than my larger paintings and final piece, can and will stay largely the same as before, as they were either in a sketchbook or small enough to do at home. Until I return to London, which I plan to do when itâs a bit safer, I cannot produce paintings in a large scale. But! Once I am back I plan to paint on cotton or other fabric as it can be large scale but also easy to transport and access. I will discuss any further alterations or decisions in my tutorial with Rachel.Â
I was disappointed with the universities behaviour during the initial lockdown, as the three weeks of static silence only made my anxiety much worse, as I panicked about everything and the lack of choice we all had. The university never included the student voice in their decisions, and we all felt very shut out. I collated the years feelings through Facebook and sent them to Jen in an email, which helped us all connect a little more. I appreciate that these decisions are beyond the tutors and they have little control over what happens.Â
For now I will just make the most of the new brief and make the best work that I can considering everything, without forcing myself too much. I will be prioritising my mental and physical health as much as possible throughout the future term.Â
This week has been very busy! On the Monday and Tuesday I developed my work for the external project - the Guardian editorial brief - so that I had a rough ready to send over to Nic early (as it was due Friday). I was happy with the rough I designed; this is the first work I have had to make at uni that doesnât relate to climbing/mountains (lol I didnât realise how obsessed I am) and I was surprised at how much I have enjoyed it. The fact that I related to and enjoyed the article was probably a large factor of this appreciation as I also hate noise pollution and use coping mechanisms similar to white noise to cope when it is particularly bad. The work I made therefor felt somewhat informed by my own experiences and became slightly personal. It helped to understand the writer so clearly, so I feel confident that the work does represent the feelings behind the article. I am looking forward to getting the feedback and working on it more as I have decided to do this piece digitally with my newfound confidence from designing wedding invitations for my brother.
On Wednesday I worked with Matt to take photos for my upcoming website, something that I want to work on over easter, and it took longer and more editing/work than I was expecting so I am glad that Matt was there to help me. He helped me understand lightbox, a software I have never used before, and to set up the lights and camera for the shoot. These are very valuable skills that I am very glad I have gained before I graduate. I have put a lot of thought into planning my website so this easter I just have to pull it all together and actually make it all. I am aware that the professional development marks arenât massively important but for me it feels absolutely crucial that I pull this off at a high standard as it sets a good precedent for the start of my life after graduation.
Over the week I began making my paintings again, instead working solely on wood now rather than in my sketchbook as it is closer to the work I will be making within the final piece. I feel I closed the book too quickly with the paintings and that the best way to improve them is through actually making them. I still really need to experiment with representing routes and other aspects of climbing, but so far I have been experimenting with including ropes in the border and I am actually really happy with it. The border isnât immediately obviously a rope so perhaps I need to change that, but maybe to other climbers it is more obvious so I should get their opinion too. In my next painting I want to include the route in the painting itself, to see how that looks. I really like making these paintings and hope to maybe sell them in the future (if people are interested).Â
In terms of research and professional development work I have been beavering away as always. I am now climbing very regularly, so have started to become friends with the climbers at my wall which is helping to expand my social connection and opportunities in the local climbing scene. This also is improving my own climbing, as slowly I am getting better at higher grades and can feel myself getting stronger. On Thursday I attended an international womens day lecture at ArcâTeryx, one of my favourite places for lectures, and really enjoyed hearing some womens adventures and experiences of the outdoors. The nice thing was, a few people there recognised me from other events so I got to catch up with them! Itâs nice that I am getting to know this scene and the wonderful people in it.Â
Most excitingly, on Saturday there was the firs London Climbing Festival. I went alone but made a few friends quite quickly. I went to a few really interesting talks and panels, including fear in climbing, social medias effect on the climbing world and injury prevention. I got a workshop with Omar Bobat, the man behind Bouldering Bobat, the YouTube channel I am interested in working with, on filming in climbing centres. The workshop really helped me understand framing and movement capture within climbing. After the workshop I got to talk to Omar and he was really interested in my ideas for a collaboration, and has invited me to their next filming session so that I can start drawing them! I am so happy that this connection has been made and that I can begin collaborating with such a good channel.Â
The highlight of the day was the chance to climb for two hours with one of biggest heroes in life, Lynn Hill. She was the first person to free climb the nose, and has done more for women in climbing than we can ever appreciate. To meet her was an absolute honour, and she was so down to earth. Watching her climb was amazing, and to receive climbing tips from her was unreal!! This has given me a massive amount of inspiration and I feel motivated to climb hard and work hard.Â
The overall festival was really enjoyable and I noticed they had a mountain/climber illustrator stand run by the artist Coralie Huon. This is the first time I am seeing climbing illustration first hand, and it is nice to know there are others making enough to be a freelancer from this area. She is also a climbing and outdoors enthusiast, so it is inspiring to see other women making work in the same vain as mine. Her work is really quite different from mine, as it is almost entirely black and white, but the work focuses on similar things.Â
For the next week I am going to be focused on making my paintings, and in my tutorial will be asking for advice on incorporating the other aspects I have researched into the main work.
Last week I was cracking on the IPS heavily, developing my athlete profiles and drawings of climbers as well as focusing on post-grad plans and online presence preparation. I also went to a lot of extra-curricular stuff that contributes to all my work and professional development as a whole.Â
I attended all the lectures on online presence, intellectual property and portfolio lectures which were massively useful in terms of my professional development planning and website preparation. I have begun thoroughly planning my website so that I can get on with designing it over easter. I am going to be taking photos with Matt tomorrow in preparation for this tomorrow. I have been mind-mapping all the aspects of this, from what my âbrandâ is to what I need to develop and design in contribution to the website. I have decided to focus on what work I want to be making instead of presenting all my work as a whole, which means curating my work, brand and look a bit more carefully as I have such a specific audience and goals in terms of my work because of climbing. Talking to the various careers reps has been massively helpful in terms of developing my understanding of this and I am looking forward to having a fully functioning website as it will make all of my dreams a bit more real.
The discussion within the intellectual property lecture also brought up some important topics as I often work from other peoples photographs and use found images in my works. I discussed my work with the lecturer and she said that my use of the post cards is fine, but the quote I used from Warren Harding needs to be credited, and if I show or sell it I need permission from his family (if I can get that). Because of the difficulty of doing that from now on I am going to stick to using my own writing with all my paintings as it means I own the entire work. I am glad that I have been working from my own photos as it makes that aspect a lot easier as well. This is an important thing to continuously keep in mind, especially now that I am close to graduating.Â
The development of my IPS has been steady as I was preparing for a possible collaboration with Bouldering Bobat by doing drawings of one of their videos to get a sense of what style these drawings would take and how I wanted to approach the visuals. I havenât heard from them but I will hopefully be able to talk to them this weekend as the London Climbing Festival as they are running a workshop that I have signed up for. I have begun experimenting with tracing paper and route mapping in response to my tutorials, but I am still trying to figure out how I might be able to make that work. I still really want to use the visual elements that i have broken down with my work over the past few months in my final work.Â
In terms of extra-curricular and professional development stuff, I firstly attended a lecture at the âAlpine Clubâ, an exclusive and extremely long running private society for those which significant achievements in the world of mountaineering. I am not nearly qualified to be a member as you need to have completed 20 alpine style winter ascents of mountains, and even for the apprentice membership I donât qualify as I havenât done a climbing trip to the Alps or lead on trad, but I went to this lecture as it was open to the public for a fee. The lecture was about the geology of the Alps, and I enjoyed it as it helped me understand exactly how mountains are formed. This contributes to my work as I know that these giant structures that seem so infallible and indestructible will one day fall, and new mountains will be formed. It seems unbelievable that these rock forms have lifespans that are cyclical, but to see them as this slowly but ever-changing form alters my attitude to them somewhat.Â
After the lecture was finished I stayed behind to see if I could get to know anyone and make some connections. I was speaking to a member of the globe trotters society, a group of nomadic travellers not specialising in climbing but instead overland travel, who was very interesting and who invited me to come to a meeting sometime. I also met Nigel, who is in charge of running the library, who I then subsequently went climbing with a few days later so we could talk about everything more. He has given me his email so hopefully I can gain access to this amazing resource, as they have over 30,000 climbing books that I could look at! Because Iâm not a member it would usually be quite difficult to access this but I am hoping because I know Nigel I can have a look around and get some research done. He has also invited me on their annual Wales trad-climbing trip in June, which I am interested in going to. I have never trad climbed before and this would be a massively good opportunity to climb outdoors seriously for the first time with some experts. I feel this is the start of me meeting the right people who can really help me learn the skills I need to achieve the goals I have set for myself.Â
On the Wednesday I also managed to get tickets last minute for the theatre production of âTouching the Voidâ, the account of his near death experience written by Joe Simpson, who had a horrific experience whilst doing a new route on Suila Grande. The story posed some great challenges for a theatre production, as representing a multi-day climb of a remote mountain is a difficult task. I think the production team did a great job, as they used a metal frame that moved continuously throughout the play, that the actors actually climbed on. They had paper to represent the snow, so that the actors could dig a bivvy, clip in and climb in all directions. The movement of the set piece was what made it truly work, as they climbed sideways, over the back, up the top and it would later become flat etc. This helped stop the piece from becoming static and prop-like as instead it felt more real in terms of the climbing and mountain feel. At the end they projected a large photo of the range over the back of the stage, but I found it really interesting that they only showed a real photo once you knew the story of what happened; I think that this allowed the viewer to get more involved in the stage play and then contextualise it once that aspect is over to grasp the magnitude of the area that the play took place in.Â
In terms of representing climbing and climbers, as well as the story which I know well, they did a great job. Everything was explained in a way that laymen could understand as they had a character that didnât know anything about climbing so they had a reason to explain everything without being too obvious. However, this didnât alienate the climbers in the audience as everything was still accurate and interesting. They simulated climbing with walls, chairs, ordinary day objects as well as the air itself as they âice-climbedâ using real ice axes to show how it works to the audience.Â
Whilst I wonât have actors or huge set pieces in my final piece, it is great to see other ways of representing climbing creatively and in non-obvious ways. The projection and mountain set piece were particularly interesting, and whilst I doubt I will make a sculpture, the movement and context given is something to consider. Also, the understanding given to non-climbers is key as there will be plenty of non-climbers viewing my work who may not understand.
Overall last week was mostly filled with research, so this week can now focus on making the most of the resources before easter and developing that research.Â
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As the first reference (bergfilm) ended up being a much longer discussion than originally planned I have moved the rest of the references to here.Â
The Living Mountain
This book, written by Nan Sheppard, is heralded as one of the greatest nature texts ever written. I have requested it within the library so that I can read the full copy, as it currently isnât in the library collection. She discusses the Cairngorm mountains of Scotland, and it is a landmark in writing about mountains and nature.
Dan Fern
UK based artist teaching at the RCA, Fern is a graphic designer and painter, as well as being a climber, and I am particularly drawn to his imagined mountain landscapes made with bamboo paper. He is representing no particular mountain or landscape, but it bears some resemblance to the south of France. He also developed many paintings in reaction to the beauty he witnessed on his walks and climbs, seen in his book âWalks with Colourâ where he is âtaking inspiration from the quality of light and the colour of the rocks and earth and sky seen on his outingsâ. He also uses the lines of maps within his work, tracing his walks or picking out particularly beautiful walking lines and incorporates these into the fabrics of his work. This gentle and subtle way of using maps and lines really inspires me, as I donât want to be too harsh with my use of grids and lines.Â
Leah Fusco
Leah is a Uk based illustrator and artist who focuses on geography, time, place and time. I am particularly drawn to her work using maps, archeological research and journals on an area called âNortheyeâ, where she developed a series of prints, drawings and photographs in reaction to her research on the area. Within my own work her use of maps and journals relates to my interest in routes and climbing lines, as well as earlier usage of topographical maps.Â
James TurrellÂ
Turrell is an American artist whoâs work is primarily focused on light and space. He is a key member of the Light and Space Movement, which began in California in the 1960s. His work focuses on the idea of âseeing yourself seeingâ, by creating incredible spacial areas at immersive sizes and grand light and allowing you to become aware of your own senses.Â
His work is magnificently designed, peaking with his discovery and usage of the Roden Crater, where he devised a series of chambers and caves carefully designed around the celestial charts and nature. I really enjoy the wildly ambitious nature of his work, as he truly aims to absorb his audience. In terms of my own work, I can certainly take his attitude to magnitude and immersion in terms of the curation of the space of my work. With the introduction of projections I can analyse how he uses light to make his work sublime and immersive.Â
Fandom as Methodology
This is a scrapbook of resources for artists that are interested in the concept of fandom, particularly from a queer or feminist perspective, which I have ordered for borrowing from the library. Much of my work comes from my obsessive personality; I cannot simply like something a lot, I must devote myself to it entirely and my love for this thing consumes me. With mountains and climbing, I do not know whether my love constitutes a âfandomâ as such, but I certainly do obsess and consider myself a great fan of the climbing world, so perhaps this book can enlighten me on how to maximise my love as a method of research and productivity.Â
The Project Twins
I found these artists, I cannot quite remember how, but this duo make paintings, graphic designs and prints based on minimalist expressions of topics, with shape, colour and pictograms, creating a universal language. I am particularly drawn to their work as I am using pictograms and visual language in my breakdown of rock climbing in terms of the signs and routes put up by climbers. I really like they way they compose their larger scale paintings as they are so crisp and clear, never feeling crowded or too busy while still having a lot of elements involved. This artist could be particularly key in my development of my visual language within my paintings as I consider and rethink the layout of my larger scale work.Â
The Equilibrium Line
This is a collection of poems inspired by climbing that Mary recommended me in a tutorial; I really need to buy this and check it out over Easter as my poetry is something I have only done a small amount of research into. This collection would elaborate and open up a lot of discussion for me in terms of my own writing and the words I use in my paintings. I would also be really interested in looking at how they have represented all of these poems in the book, both visually and in terms of font choice etc.Â
Corin Sworn
Sworn is a Glasgow based artist who creates installation based work, most recently of which is Silent Sticks, a collection of objects related to a medieval style of theatre, arranged in a way to mimic the idea of a theatre in production. Her arrangement of the space is the thing I need to be drawing from if I am aiming to be working within a space around my painting in order to create atmosphere. Consider perhaps the way it is lit, the spacing of the objects, the atmosphere she is attempting to create and the experience the audience gains from being in the space.
I have also been recommended to look at Touching the Void the play, which I am seeing tomorrow night, and to do some proper research into theatre sets, which I will get into over Easter.Â
I have also gotten from the library a small collection of books I wonât write about yet as they require reading:
Over all of these projects I have accumulated a collection of references given to me by tutors, etc. In this post I am going to discuss and analyse any references I havenât already mentioned on here.
Bergefilm
Also known as âmountain filmâ, this is a genre of film focusing on mountains and the battle of human will against nature. Typically those exploring the mountains return with greater wisdom and enlightenment. Native to Germany, these films were first made in the early 1900â˛s, particularly peaking with director Dr. Arnold Fanck. Nowadays mountain films are typically documentaries, but there are cases of fictional films being shot on location in the mountains (like Cliffhanger). There is also now a large collection of mountain film festivals, including Banff Film Festival and Reel Rock.Â
âThe mountain film manifests a desire to take flight from the troubled streets of modernity ... to escape into a pristine world of snow-covered peaks and overpowering elementsâ - Eric Rentschler in Mountains and Modernity: Relocating the Bergfilm
âthe silent world of high altitudeâ - Kracauer
âThat was my yearning: for all the divine solitude and calm of the mountains, for white, virginal snow.
I was weary of the big city.
I am home again in the mountains. I spend many hours in their white unspoiledness and find myself againâ - Joseph GoebbelsÂ
Disturbingly, many early Bergfilms embody proto-Nazi beliefs, highlighted by the above quote from the notorious and horrific Nazi politician Joseph Goebbels. What disturbs me about the universality of the love of the mountains is that this extends to groups I am wildly against, and the origins of this genre are concerning as someone who is very much anti-fascist. It forces me to reconsider our relationship with the mountains, and what the climbing of them really embodies. The nationalism of early mountaineering and climbing, embodied by the flags placed upon the summit by the successful climbers, is something colonial and conquering rather than respectful and peaceful. The Bergfilmâs celebrated the beauty and nationalistic magnificence of âthe homelandâ, mirroring the 18th century nature aesthetics celebrations of the focus of Romantics landscape painters. This connection is something I hadnât known about prior, but does show the darker side of the sublime and the beautiful.Â
Whilst much has changed since this beginning, and the connections to the Third Reich are more stylistic and dramatic than climbing based, I still feel that it is important to acknowledge this dark past and remain aware of the slightly more sinister tones behind some aspects of mountain art and film. In my work I want to actively move away from the nationalistic, hero based drama of early mountain work, and instead focus on the sheer, non-nationalist beauty of all mountains and change the âheroâ narrative of mountaineering, which I would argue is already happening within the climbing community. Nowadays climbers tend to be aware of their powerlessness in the mountains, and instead are surrendering themselves to the will of the mountains, with only their skills and knowledge to defend them (instead of being viewed as some hero âconqueringâ or âdefeatingâ a peak).Â
The above quote discusses the transcendental power of film, removing the mountains from being a static âkitschâ object, instead elevating it to a fully realised depiction, including all of its danger and power. I am intrigued by the interpretation of paintings as some sort of miniature representation of mountains, as I have never had that perspective myself, but I do see what the writer is trying to say. By flattening the mountains and keeping them static and contained, they lose some of their towering character and it is difficult to see them as they really are. Film, however, allows you to open up the mountains and see them in their whole, as they are in all their terrifying might.Â
I believe that what I am taking from this is that paintings and drawings alone cannot represent the mountains, something I was aware of and wasnât really trying to achieve as I knew that was impossible, but I do feel drawn to the idea of elevating my work to the next level of experience by incorporating other elements of design to make the work more representational of the sublimity of the mountains, which can be done through film, sound and curation.Â
These are my final pieces for the course project âimage craftâ. They are a series of dye-transfer letterpresses, containing obscured found images from mountain postcards, as well as a mixture of my own poetry and phrases from famous climbers. They were printed on silk paper, and are a4 in size.
I am very proud of these prints. They are a clear development of all of the work I have done within this project, and I am very happy with them. The letterpress words were planned on Photoshop but they look so much better in physical print; the colours mix into the background far better, and have their own unique vibrancy rather than being flat and digital. The tones have matched each other well as everything fades equally but not too much so it is still very much readable. The gentle yet legible text was important to me as it was a key element of the original postcard developments, but has been developed in a way to improve the subtlety of the image and to soften it out.
The text has all been carefully placed on the image considering the background and the setting of type within letterpress restrictions. The prints themselves are also carefully placed but not perfect, the wonky edges and sometimes blurred images are somewhat deliberate (a happy accident, persay) as if they were all perfectly straight it would look too narrow and formal. I love the imperfections of the images, as they match the way that plans in the mountains never quite pan out, and instead you have to rely on your knowledge and skills to navigate each situation.
My goal for these images to finish off the project is to get them framed and placed on the wall within a climbing centre, ideally Craggy Island or Vauxwall and possibly sell them. This completes the original brief as the images have been developed with my specific setting and audience in mind, and hopefully by ending up in this scenario they completely fulfil the original criteria. To do this I need to find appropriate frames, frame them and then approach the climbing centres to see if they are interested in hanging and selling the work.
In terms of things I would change, I think I could experiment more with the scanning of the images and the matching of the text; the text and image doesnât always match, and there is a repeat of one of the postcards so the set of 4 looks slightly overlapped colour wise. Also, because only one isnât obscured, it sticks out compared to the three that are. Perhaps I should consider this in my presentation and only present either the three obscured or the one solid. Once I get my frames I will consider this closer. If I did the project again I would try out 4 screen colour screen prints to experiment with CMYK style printing, as I could go larger scale or do more specific images.Â
This week has consisted of a lot of lectures and briefings, including the external briefings. I also had a tutorial one-to-one with Rachel and had an InDesign tutorial with a technician.
In the external briefings I decided from the advice of Jen and Rachel, that I should do two projects. I am on the Guardian editorial brief, which I chose because I find the subject matter interesting and the work is most relevant to my goals post-grad. I have also reached out to Bouldering Bobat, a YouTube channel of boulderers who live and climb in London. I have suggested to them that we have a creative collaboration where we can meet up and I can draw them as they climb and then I develop the work so they can post it on Instagram etc. I am not sure if they will be interested but if they are it would be a great learning opportunity and a good way to start making connections art-wise within the climbing world. I am excited to do (hopefully) both of these projects as this will help prepare me for graduation as I have never done an external/professional brief before and it is a big challenge for me. At the bottom of this post is an example video from the Bouldering Bobat team.
I learn more about photographing work, website building and online presence guides. This has been useful as it has helped me to realise what I need to be doing to prepare for this after Easter - I am aiming to set up my website before the final term starts so that I donât have too much on my plate. With the technicians help I have broken down what I think my categories could be on my website, and though I missed a meeting with Adamina about this due to illness I hope to reschedule next week. I will continue to think more about this as soon as possible. I want to take high quality photos of my work next week to prepare for this website set-up!
My tutorial with Rachel went really well. First we covered my interim review, which she said went very well. She liked my presentation, and the critiques she noted were things that I had mostly already responded to in the time since. For example, the IPS and course project were a bit overlapped but now that I have developed a separate course project final piece (the prints and typography) the projects are clear and distinct. As well, type and lettering has been as always a weak point for me, but since the interim I have gone to that hand lettering workshop and developed the letterpress versions of the final piece. This has made my development a lot stronger, and I hope has sufficiently responded to their feedback.
We also spoke about the external brief, where she helped me plan my email to the Bouldering Bobat team, and suggested the idea of doing the two briefs instead of just the BB team one (which isnât even certain as they may not be interested) and the Guardian brief would give me a chance to show the tutors and myself that I am capable of doing a professional brief about a different subject matter. I think itâs important to keep my options open with this project as I want to show all of my skills considering that this is third year.
We also spoke about my IPS, and Rachel really enjoyed my interim piece and said that the installation/curation was very strong and that I have the right idea about displaying my work. If I had just hung it on the wall it wouldnât have half of the impact, and the build is a key aspect to the project. She suggested I give this even more thought, and start researching theatre builds, Corin Sworn and other set designers and installation artists. She said I could consider projections, sound and space as part of the work. Perhaps I could make a film edit of climbing footage (perhaps specific to one mountain/wall that I am making work about) and project it over, near or even above the work? She really liked the visual breakdown work I had been doing but she said (and I agreed with) that if I tried to put this all into one painting it wouldnât work. Instead, what I could be doing is layering using the space, maybe with plastic or tracing paper, the routes or climber. Essentially, I can break these elements down individually then combine them within a space. This will take considerable time and experimentation, so I need to start work on this ASAP.Â
This week I also attended a conference at UCL on natural disasters and conflict in the regions of the Himalayas. It was a very interesting selection of speakers, and specifically there was a lecture about womens history in Nepal that I found fascinating. The speaker and I spoke after the lecture and she encouraged me to keep in touch since I am visiting Nepal in November, and she is interested to see what I find out about women within tourism when I am there.
The InDesign one-to-one I had was very helpful for a personal briefing of mine, as I am designing my brothers wedding invitations. The technician really helped me break down the document and helped me find a great printing company (printed.com and mixam for books) which I can also use for selling my work in the future.
In terms of an action plan, I need to:
Go back to my paintings, start developing them (using rope patterns as the border and developing the type)
Start thinking about how projection can be used, what the footage would be, where I would place the projection and what the sound would be (wind? talking? music?)
Continue developing my drawings of climbers in prep for possible BB collaboration - do life drawing at climbing, draw their videos and continue making athlete profiles etc.
Read the Guardian article closely, start planning the visuals and inspect the briefs and specs properly to start preparing the roughs
Meet with Adamina and discuss website work and take high quality photos of all of my work for the website
Over this last weekend I completed and passed my 16hr outdoor first aid training course with React First, which was a massively informative, challenging and educational opportunity and I am really glad I did it.
We learnt the basics of first aid, such as ABCD, CPR, how to use defibrillators, how to deal with basic cuts, scrapes and bruises, consciousness and breathing checks etc. This was done slowly and carefully and was repeated many times over the course to ensure we fully understood it. Because this is specific to outdoor first aid, we also learnt about scenario specific first aid (e.g. how to respond to a casualty in the mountains when help is far away), as well as more outdoor specific injuries such as broken legs, head trauma, big fall damage, concussion, hypothermia, frost bite etc.Â
We essentially covered the basics of how to respond to things that would happen on treks, climbs and other outdoor activities. This was a surprisingly rewarding course, as I now feel a lot more prepared and informed about injuries and illness in the outdoors, and I can aid others if they require help. This has also opened my eyes to the risk, dangers and consequences of outdoor activities, as it is quite rare that you really do see what happens when you take a fall, or some other injury. With this new insight I feel more equipped to face the dangers of the mountains and have the qualifications to start getting career specific work, as I now offer quite a unique skill.
Overall I really enjoyed the experience and feel I have gained more than just medical skill from it, as I gained confidence, respect and understanding for the things I want to do in my future.
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Last week was skills week but I used it to finish up the loose ends of image craft and also focus on lettering so that I can respond to the feedback I have had from tutors over the past few months.
In terms of my general work I have been breaking down and analysing the visual components of rock climbing and mountaineering, such as hand holds, routes, difficulty ratings, lines, maps, and colours/shapes of equipment. Through this I am hoping to create a visual language that I can take into my paintings, so I can experiment with representing the various aspects of climbing. In my tutorial this week I want to run this through with Rachel and see what she suggests that I can do with this. As well, I have been creating athlete profiles to start improving my drawing of climbers and the high-profile athletes that I would ideally work with possibly one day.Â
I have also been reading and analysing âTraining for the New Alpinismâ, a comprehensive guide to uphill and mountaineering training that I am gradually getting through. This is in addition to the various other aspects of professional development that I have been going through, such as my outdoor first aid training which I will write about in a full post. Also the experience that I am gaining from regular climbing, as well as entering amateur competitions and watching more advanced competitions. I also have booked some more relevant lectures and events that help with my networking and development.
In terms of the course project I finally went to letterpress and printed the final four pieces and I was pleasantly surprised because they came out exactly as I had imagined - better, even! I really enjoyed the day and now feel really confident in that workshop so now I can go back without needing as much help, so any future work is quicker and more accessible. The pieces feel like a good final conclusion to the ideas I had in that project and lead on perfectly into the IPS, so it felt very good to close that book and move on. I will scan and post the pieces later and make a fuller evaluation of the work after my tutorial on Thursday.
I also attended a hand lettering workshop as part of skills week, which was really informative and helpful in terms of considering the lettering and font changes I have been making in the course project and now with my paintings in the IPS. Throughout the workshop I was asked to consider size, method, accuracy, timing and font consistently in a way I havenât thought about before, so now when I go to do my next painting I can think more carefully about my hand lettering and respond closer and in a more informed way to the feedback I have received about this.
For the next few weeks I just really need to focus on making the most of the facilities and staff as we are going to be on break for about a month without staff support, so I need to go to all of the events and talks and tutorials (as I usually would) but really carefully think about the questions I am asking and just keep working really hard before half term on all my projects.Â
UAL help for making a website: www.onlineidentity.myblog.arts.ac.uk
You need to consider your audience - who are you targeting, what work do you want, etc. (My audience will be spilt between mountain clients and the general public?)
Domain name: find an available domain number (123reg - buy domain space and see if it is available etc.) Template provider may give you a domain name for free so donât buy it first.
 Create a business email with a name like [email protected] or something
Cargo Collective not the most useful - Square Space is the best option as you can use a shop with their services without an additional company like Shopify
If you want moving image put them on YouTube then link them to your site
Think about your work - what is it like, how has your work been photographed, etc. It is crucial that your work is photographed well. When bringing your images onto a website, keep them at 72dpi, instead of 300 as those can be stolen and printed at high quality.Â
JPEGs, PNGs, GIFs are the only formats accepted by websites.Â
Be careful when you save and nam your images so that they are clear and easy to navigate.Â
In what categories do you place your work. Imagine someone says âhereâs a gallery space and it has four roomsâ - there has to be a reason to divide them
Get google analytics - this helps you understandÂ
Email Adamina to book an appointment before Easter!
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