CCAD Applied Arts Exhibition

As part of our minor project - 'Don't Judge a Book by it's Cover', myself and the other BA (hons) Applied Arts for Enterprise students at CCAD were given the opportunity to showcase our work in a live exhibition space called 'Empty Shop' in Durham.

The exhibition is taking place this weekend (7th, 8th and 9th December) so for anybody who is out and about around the Durham area have a pop in a see some of the fantastic work!

Event Flier
 

Here is a sneak peak of my exhibition piece -

'Falling to Pieces' - Handbound book

'Don't Judge A Book' - Final Piece

Just a few little pictures of my final piece for the project 'Don't Judge A Book By its Cover'

Handbound Book

'Dont Judge A Book By It's Cover'

I cant quite believe that it is December already! (where does the time go?), since I last posted on here there seems to have been so much going on that I don't know where to start to update you all.

I guess the most important thing is that I finally finished my foundation degree and now have a FdA in Applied Arts!!
I have decided to go on to top this up to a full BA (Hons) Degree which I am almost 3 months into.

Its been that long since I posted that I have already completed my minor project - this was an 8 week project whereby I was given the task of creating an Artists Book based upon the theme of my dissertation - for which I am writing about the use of Art Therapy.

Here are a few images of some of the work involved;

End of Summer Sort Out

Well its is coming towards the end of the summer break and I am getting ready to start my third and final year at university!!
In preparation I have been sorting through some previous art work and came across a few images that I thought I would share; hope you like them.

"Its only words..." Handmade Ceramic Bowl

Distorted Paper and Handstitch

Patinated Metal

Handmade Copper Bracelet 

"A little piece of me..." Fragile Paper and Copper Hanging

Sterling Silver and Patination Necklace

Hand Embroidery

Paper and Felt Brooch

Final Pieces - Design Event Brief

Products and final pieces from Design Event Brief - A Happy Place
 

Ceramic Daffodil with decal words

Ceramic Daffodil

Fragile Paper Piece

Ceramic Paper with Decal Words

Ceramic Paper with Decal Words

Manipulated Book Pages

Fragile Ceramic Bowl

Etched Spherical Necklace

Etched Ring

Final Hand In

Well I have finally finished my Design Event project - A Happy Place, It has not been an easy ride to get here but I have handed in all my work and prepared it all for the 'Summer Creative' degree show 2012. 

Here are some pictures from my final hand in:

 

A little sneak peek so far....

Just a little preview of some of the sample I have been working on lately.

Time to take a break.....

Well it has been a while since I last posted on here...... I don't seem to have had a minute to myself!
I have frantically been working to meet university deadlines all month.....but finally I think I am almost there. The end is in sight (well almost!)

Anyway a few updates for you on my current project 'A Happy place'.....................this project has turned out to be much harder than I ever imagined it could be! I got myself so stressed out over it that my 'happy place' began to make me feel very unhappy........so........I gave myself a good talking to!

I sat myself down, took a deep breath and allowed myself to put my life in to perspective. I have realised that happiness is not about perfection or the desire to achieve, it is about inner feelings and what we learn on our journey through life, it is about enjoyment and experience, the people we meet and the opportunities which arise - something that I have completely been denying myself of lately - as they say "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" (this is literally how I have been feeling)...well not no more! I have had a weekend off from my work and I am now ready to approach it with a new and energised motivation!

I shall keep you updated!

A New Brief.....

Well......I have now been given my second brief of my second year at university......feeling very excited yet very nervous about this one!

It is called 'A Happy Place.....' which basically means we have to explore Happiness and what makes our 'happy place'

I have so many ideas for this brief that I just don't know where to start! And the fact that i am such an indecisive person doesn't help......I hate having to make choices because I always end up wishing I had  chosen something different.

So far I have thought about looking in to childhood memories, but I decided this was too common. Then I thought about looking at memory boxes, but when I went to get started I just had a complete mind blank so I reverted back to the old 'thought shower' technique. Through this I was able to categorise all of the ideas I had, which made me realise that all of the things which make me happy are things which I can remember doing or having....a hug, my first kiss, making friends, my family, affection, comfort - all of these things are simple everyday things that we take for granted.

Here are a few of my starting points - the things which make me feel happy.........

We all need comfort

Its the silly things that make us laugh

Everyone whats to feel loved

After looking at these I came up with an idea of trying to capture these moments and the 'happiness' they create.......Therefore I am going to look into tyring to capture the feelings and the memoary which is created when you do/experience something which makes you feel happy.

I shall keep you updated on my progress!

Sarah Morpeth Workshop

Today I have been to a book binding/making workshop led by paper and textile artist Sarah Morpeth.

I adore Sarah's work and have been admiring it via her website for years - so you can imagine my excitement at getting to see the real thing!!

Please visit her site here to view some of the fantastic pieces which I got to see today.

Final outcome from my 1st project of year 2

Just thought I would share some pictures of the final pieces which I have made.

The starting point for all of these came from the word 'erosion' which is quite hard to believe as they are all very pure and simplistic.

I guess it just goes to show how art is all about imagination and identification -
Identification of yourself as a person and the ways in which you think.

I personally am a very controlled, routined and structured person and therefore I have taken a completely out of control aspect and refined it to make unique and fragile items of jewellery.

A sigh of relief....

Well I have done it......I have fiinally handed in my first project of year 2!

My work waiting to be marked

Only two days until hand in!!

Well this week has been absolutely manic and its only Wednesday!

Its my project hand in date on Friday and I am totally stressed over the amount of work which I seem to have found to do. It doesn't help that I had set myself virtually impossible goals when it comes to making my final products - I decided that I wanted to encase my ceramic disk into a bezel setting, which has just turned out to be a complete nightmare!

7 tests later and lots of melted bezel wire but I think I may have finally cracked it (or at least for this attempt anyway) I don't think I ever want to set foot in another jewellery studio for the rest of the year. Stress is not the word for how I am feeling at the moment.

Roll on hand in on Friday

My Bezel