24/09/18 – It started with the kick started project which I found a bit confusing to begin with due to the groups being messed up but this week gave me an insight into the way that other people can see and interpret ideas and areas. i found that when asking people about their ideas and by them listening to my ideas it became evident that we all interpreted them in different ways that we had not thought about or considered ourselves. I plan on carrying on working using my own ideas and themes using different mediums and I also plan on asking people periodically throughout what they think about my work and how they interpreted the piece.
01/10/18 – I began to work on some drawings using my own personal childhood photos, I discovered that the grid method worked particularly well when it came to scaling up my images, this has led me into looking into keeping the grid lines in my work and thinking about the effect it has on the piece and how the viewer interprets the work. I also have produced a few lino cut’s because I am interested in looking at the way my work will translate into a bold and blocky print. I plan on working more using the measuring lines in my work and how that can be interpreted and affect the piece more, I also plan to look at how the face being removed will effect the piece overall and what questions it may raise from the viewer.
08/10/18 – The print workshops started this week I started with the etching first, I decided to use a bit of a different image than what I had been previously using and chose an object from my childhood instead. I found the process of producing a photo etch quite interesting in how clear the image will come out on the plate. I also produced a couple of drawings in which I left the measuring lines in which gives the work a completely different feel and it also gives it more freedom in a way because it looks less refined and finished. My intentions is to carry on with the etching and print it and see if it gives the effect that I want it to have, I am also going to carry on producing drawings that have the measuring lines left in and maybe translate them into prints to see how that will impact the overall feeling of the work.
15/10/18 – I had the second etching workshop this week I attempted to print my copper plate but I found it quite challenging to actually produce a print that I was happy with. I decided after two prints to give up and maybe try again later, this probably was not the best idea but I found myself getting so frustrated that I just had to leave it, I went back and printed the plate later on in the week and gave it another shot, I discovered that the plate needed cleaning off more and then I managed to produce two more prints that i was happy with but I also found out that copper plate etching is a process i dislike and would probably not try again as I had multiple problems when trying to print. I also printed some lino cuts that I had produced and I found that some came out perfectly but others either I had problems with the size or them not being inked up enough or not putting enough pressure on them when printing, When looking at the final lino prints I actually discovered the tracing paper drawings which I used to transfer the image onto the lino were more effective than the actual prints and I just preferred the look of them. I intend to find an image to work with in the screen printing workshop next week and to work on my research file and also to possibly produce a few more small drawings/sketches in different materials in different sizes.
22/10/18 – I found an image for the screen printing workshop that I liked for a two colour print, I chose to only have a small second layer/colour using it just to cover the face up as I thought it would be simple yet still convey what I wanted it to. I also started to look a lot more into my research file and different artist that I could link to the work I am producing or that I was pulling inspiration from. This week I also tested out pastels on black paper to see what effect that it would have I discovered that it gave a slightly ghostly feel and I plan to experiment a lot more with it as a medium. I have also been playing around more with materials producing drawings where I have deliberately left the face out which makes them more interesting and raises more questions from the viewer.Next: I plan on printing the screen print on coloured paper and different colours to see the effect, produce more small doodles mainly in pen to see what it does to the work, bulk out my research file a bit more.
29/10/18 – I primarily worked on my research file and my reflective journal this week as I began to notice that I had been neglecting them slightly, I have defiantly learned that I need to keep up with my reflective journal writing it in the week while everything is fresh in my mind rather than leaving it as it can become difficult to remember what I have done. I also produced a few small drawings one included using a multi-coloured pencil which includes measuring lines which I found portrayed the feeling that I wanted my drawing to have and was quite an interesting material to use due to the way that the colours mixed. Next: I plan to print my screen on coloured paper to see what effect that will have on the piece, experiment with different materials an backgrounds and adding layers to my work to see the effect that will have using materials such as tracing paper and acetate.
05/11/18 – When printing my screen I decided to print on coloured paper and just plain white paper, I found when printing it I disliked the look of the two layers as it didn’t give the feeling that I wanted the piece to have and just looked weird. I also discovered I preferred the prints that were on the coloured paper as they contrasted with the ink more giving it a more striking appearance. I also started to experiment heavily with tracing paper and acetate to see how that affected the work, I used a range of materials but the one that I found stood out the most was the Posca paint markers as they worked the best when adding layers on top. Next: I intend to experiment more with the Posca pens and using different background papers to see how that changes the work, I also plan on working more on my research file.
12/11/18 – I experimented with using just the light and shadow in a work and created two small drawings i feel that they produce a lot of questions and are quite intriguing and I plan to look into this more but its is not a direction I plan to take my work into right now. I produced a small A5 drawing on acetate using Posca paint markers using 4 different images and colours on one single layer, I found that I loved the way that they overlapped each other and even though they are different colours they blended with each other as each one showed a different stage in my life. From the acetate drawing I scaled it up into a A2 etching print I found that scaling up was quite difficult and it could have been done a bit better but after printing it I found I actually preferred the plate rather than the print, When it came to the prints I only produced four and found with the black ink print I preferred the ghost print and then with the pink I chose not to clean the plate as much leaving a deliberate outline and this gave an effect that I kind of like and creates questions. Next: I plan on working on some small drawings as I want to experiment more with Biro and fine liners to see what effect they have and mostly on my research file (blog).
19/11/18 – I didn’t produce as many drawings as I really should have this week due to it being independent study week, I did produce two small Biro drawings which have included measuring lines and do not include a face as I have discovered my work has gone in a direction that I am deliberately leaving it out makes them more interesting to me and I find it interesting to see peoples reactions when they see my work and there isn’t a face there for them to recognise. I also worked a small amount on my blog searching for websites and artists that I could link to my work and that I have found interesting. Next: I plan on working on a lot more drawings and maybe bring paint into my work to see the effect that will have, I plan to catch up on my reflective journal and plan on what I am going to say in the 5 minute presentation for the curators for the interim show.
26/11/18 – This week I watched the presentations for the interim show that my curation group has to plan, it was quite interesting as I had been so engrossed with my own work I hadn’t really seen what other people were up to and then I had to do a short 5 minute presentation to the group who are curating for my exhibition group, I found it interesting to find out what others thought about my work and what pieces they thought were the most interesting. I worked more on my blog by copying all my lecture notes so that they are all in one place that I can read and not have to worry about what my handwriting looks like. Next: I plan on printing some lino cuts that I have, I also plan on looking at different types of printing, I also want to produce some more drawings using different aged photos of myself.
03/12/18 – This week I took a drawing that I had produced and decided to turn it into a hard ground small square etching, I found this process a lot more enjoyable than the photo – etching and the large A2 etching, I found it also better for giving the print the sketched look that I wanted it to have as I could draw into the wax like I was drawing onto a piece of paper. I found it easier to print as well and produce multiple prints that I was happy with, I produced a lot of ghosts of prints as well as I felt like they looked better than the original print. I also produced a drawing in red Biro on brown paper with the intent of turning it into a print. Next: I plan on turning the red Biro drawing into a hard ground etching print, Start planning the interim show, Print my lino cuts.
10/12/18 – I created the plate for the red Biro drawing but didn’t get round to printing it, I some slight problems with this plate as I believe I didn’t roll the hard ground on the plate that well at the beginning and I also dropped some stop out where it wasn’t supposed to be, but I will have to see what it will look like once I have printed it. Next: After Christmas I plan on printing the etching plate, Choose a piece of my work to exhibit, start writing my essay.
07/01/19 – This week we set up the interim show I found this process of setting up frustrating due to the people who took charge not wanting everyone’s opinion on how things were going to be hung up even though it was supposed to be a joint effort and was not really listening to everyone and then it was difficult to make decisions on how to hang the work that would please the artists as I know one of the artists were not happy with how their work has been hung. I also found some books so that I can start working on my essay. Next: Start writing my essay, Choose an art work to be exhibited, print my etching plate.
14/01/19 – This week it was time to swap roles and so we were exhibiting the process of giving someone else my work to hang up where they wanted was slightly daunting but I found that it gave me the freedom to see how other people think about how my work would look best hung. I definitely preferred this to the curating, there was definitely a lot more communication between the groups about what was expected and what the artists and the curation team wanted. I also started my essay I found once I had found an interesting critical text that I could link to the artists I was writing about it became a lot easier to write, I also found this essay way easier to write than any other essay because I was fully interested in what I was writing about. I also started to print a four colour lino that I have been planning for a while, I struggled to print it I believe due to the texture of the paper and plan on possibly re-printing it completely on smoother paper which could help the image more. Next: print my copper etching plate, Plan more prints, finish my essay.
21/01/19 – This week I started by finishing my essay which I had made my priority over my practical work, I found by focusing on sections it was much easier to write and edit. Once I had finished the essay I then went on and printed my copper etching plate I had a problem with printing it at first due to the pressure being off on the press but once that had been sorted I produced quite a few prints that I feel fit the look and feel of my work in a variety of colours, I found that my favourite print of them all was a ghost of a ghost print as the faded look made the image quite eerie which I loved. I also created two acetate A5 prints I did two different images from my childhood to a photo only taken last year and I found when you put them next to each other they contrast each other quite well but they are also quite effective on their own as well even though they are just line art. Next: Edit and adjust work on the wall to see how that changes things, edit and place work into a photo album to see how this effects the feel and the value of the work.
28/01/19 – This week started with a small group crit it was helpful as it made me consider what other people thought of my work and how they saw the work in general such as what stood out the most, what pieces their eyes drifted to the most and how they thought I could carry on the work. I also started to edit together my work into a photo album it was interesting to see all my work in one place and how works I had not necessarily put near each other complemented each other, it also made me think about including the photos I had been working from into the work as they contrasted against the drawings and prints. I also produced 3 pen drawings which are similar to the pencil drawing I created at the beginning of this project that were all missing pieces such as a piece of the hair is missing or a line that would outline the face was missing, I felt like these were okay but didn’t give across the feeling that I wanted them to have, I originally planned to have them as separate drawings but found they were a lot stronger as a set as they compliment each other quite well. Next: Think about what I am going to say in the presentation, play around with using watercolour paints and how that translates in my work.
04/02/19 – The week started with a 10 minute presentation I felt like I should have been more prepared with what I wanted to say about my work and have been clearer what I was trying to communicate with my work. I regret the fact that I had to be prompted to be able to speak for the entire 10 minutes, but I found it interesting what works stood out to this different group of people and how they also commented on the way that I had chosen to hang the work on the wall and how they thought it looked similar to the way people hang photos up in their homes. I also created a few watercolour paintings which fit in with my work due to the missing face but I also feel like they take my work in a different direction due to the way the watercolour looks and the soft look of them, they are less line art and more paintings which is the direction I want to take my work. Next: carry on working on the photo album, Carry on working on the research file and to write my self evaluation.
11/02/19 – This week I focused on editing my work into the photo album and getting all my work ready for hand in, I have found that the photo album is probably going to have to be handed in as a work in progress as I feel like I have not spent enough time on it and I do not have physically enough work to go into it due to not putting certain works inside it. I also worked on my research file and updating everything, adding some more artists and lecture notes so that I can look back at them. The last thing I did this week was write my self evaluation I struggled with this as I tend to be quite negative sometimes when it comes to my own work and found it difficult to look at my work and say how I have met the learning outcomes. Next : Research themes, processes and artists that I might choose to look at in the next project. Create some drawings or paintings.
Alysha Fisk Research 