This course has been a steep but interesting learning curve!
My tutor’s observations have been astute from beginning, encouraging me to use different brushes, make a variety of marks, and not be stuck with portraits as a subject.
I have used enamel on metal and made monoprints for the first time on this course, both of which I enjoy and will develop further as I progress. The tondo is a compositional idea I will use again.
I have attended as many OCA study visits and gallery exhibitions as possible to supplement my reading around contemporary art. The study visits in particular have been invaluable to discuss issues with the artists and studying in general! I feel this course has given me a much greater depth to my knowledge of contemporary artists, which has helped to influence my future direction.
I feel I am finally finding my potential in using sketchbooks, which I was quite hesitant about when I first started and now I feel they really are beginning to be a record of my development and something I can refer back to for an idea. I think the multitude of postcard sized paintings at the beginning was helpful here.
Finally, experimenting and coming up with new creative ideas for composition and playing with media has been a challenge with failures along the way. I realise the failures are the ones that are going to make the successes and I now see them as part of the development in their own right.
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