This is what it's all been for!

No images tonight.  I started back at college yesterday.  Holiday over.  Hah! Some holiday! I have handed in almost all of my projects.  Just one to complete, but that has been put on hold. The tutors kindly offered to allow me to hand in my work next week, since I’m up to my ears in interview stuff.

That means I’ve been able to just concentrate on the interview.  For the past couple of days, I’ve been cutting up images, sorting out which images are going with what on each sheet. There is a LOT of work there.  I had no idea just how much.  When I went to my portfolio advisory image at the end of February I had about 13 A1 sheets – all gathered since the start of my course in September.  Yesterday, my tutor and I counted up 30 sheets…THIRTY…3 0…and that’s only the work that I included.  I left out a lot of work that I didn’t feel made the mark.  That means I have managed to create an additional 17 A1 sheets in little over a month.  That’s just incredible!

Even my tutors were astonished at the sheer volume.  It was expected that I would have about 20, and I thought that would be at a push.  I also have 4 sketchbooks that I’ve created since September, and several canvasses.  Last week I was actually considering calling the university and withdrawing from the interview process, as I didn’t think I would have the volume or quality of work. I’m so glad that I didn’t.  I’m also extremely happy that I decided to take on the extra course (Observational Drawing) over the Easter holidays.  I have 30 drawings from that 2 week period, which have all been mounted onto A1 sheets. They make up 3 sheets on their own, and it’s all very sketchy, which is exactly what they want to see.

Anyway, today was spent entirely on mounting all my work.  I even had to enlist the help of friends in class, who were very kind in offering their services. This morning I saw no way of getting it completed on my own, especially given that I had a meeting to attend at the end of class today, and then go out to my dad’s.  Thankfully, I managed to complete it in the nick of time.  My tutor then went through the order in which the work should be displayed, and I have to say, it looks fabulous now.  It looks really professional, and I’m delighted with my work.

This has been the culmination of 8 months of work, and throughout I have been riddled with self-doubt.  However, seeing it all today – the variety, how colourful it really looks, and to a good degree, the quality – I feel really confident about the interview. I have worked my arse off! I’m so proud of what I’ve achieved in such a short period of time.  Just under a year ago, I couldn’t draw or paint (at all), and when I look at the standard of my work today, irrespective of whether I get accepted into university or not, I know I’ve come on massively in that period, and that really is something to be proud of.

So this is it.  Tomorrow is D-Day.  I’m not nervous at all – strange, I know…given my history.  If I don’t get in this year, I’ll try again next year.  I’m feeling rather philosophical about the whole thing.  No big deal really. I also have my college interview tomorrow afternoon, but the head of department has already told me I’m getting an unconditional offer to the course.  The interview is only a formality – paperwork and all that.  Once that’s all out of the way, I just have the last bit of work to complete, and that’s my course over! What a year! It truly has been amazing.

Another plus, my blog just reached the 10,000 hit mark!  Fantastic for 10 months work!

And now, I’m off to my bed.  I’m absolutely dead on my feet. I shall sleep well tonight!