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By Heather, on March 30th, 2010
Not as much drawing done today, but I have been trying to get stuff sorted out for going away, so I guess I can be forgiven!
First up, a bit of a doodle. I was playing about with the swirl pattern on the statue, and was doodling with quink, then decided to get out some oil and chalk pastels:
(Click all to enlarge)
Next, I was playing with the chalk pastels, and thought I’d try drawing with a putty eraser. This wasn’t very successful. Pastels don’t seem to erase as easy as charcoal does:
The final observational drawing I have just finished is done with newspaper painted over with emulsion. I took a load of photographs of my statue and added one onto the page. I then drew out from the image using oil pastels:
So that’s the all of the observational drawings, but here are two colour studies I did for my 3D design project:
And that’s it for today. I won’t be back until Saturday afternoon, but I’m going to a party on Saturday night, so it will be Sunday before I start working again. Hope everyone has a great week!
By Heather, on March 29th, 2010
I started working on my observational drawing last night. I’m trying to make it look like a sketchbook, with a rough, unfinished quality. Even though it looks rough and unfinished, I’ve spent a fair amount of time on them. The good news is that I’m well on course to reaching my target, and probably more. So far, I’ve managed to get 8 A4 pages done, and can hopefully keep this pace going.
This is the first sketch I did, in pencil. I left the right side deliberately vague, as I wanted emphasis on the left side of the figure:
 (Click to enlarge)
The rest of the work shown was done today.
This next piece was done by pasting newspaper on top of the sketchpad, then using charcoal pencil and chalk on top of that:
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The next thing I did was take a piece of cardboard and etch into it, then paint over it with oil paint – essentially a collograph – then printed on top of the paper. This is the actual collograph:
 (Click to enlarge)
And this is the first print:
 (Click to enlarge)
It didn’t turn out quite as well as I would have liked but that is probably due to the fact that I don’t possess a printing press, and had to use my own weight to press it.
Here is the second print, done on top of ink brushed on the paper:
 (Click to enlarge)
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The next image I created is taken from the back of my statue, and it was done by covering the paper in quink then painting the shapes with bleach. This turned out very poorly, but that’s ok, it’s only a sketchbook:
 (Click to enlarge)
The final piece was done using in collage then drawn on using oil pastels. This is also the back of the statue, and the eyes from the front:
 (Click to enlarge)
Overall, I’m pretty pleased with how things have gone today. There are a few hits and misses, but the university want to see everything: warts and all. I’ll try to work for most of the day tomorrow, then I’m away home for a few days. Yay!
By Heather, on March 28th, 2010
I finished most of my work as planned, with the exception of my 3D design project, which I knew I wouldn’t get finished for Friday. I finished my Contextual Studies, but I’m not happy with the final piece. You know when you get to the end of something, and you just don’t know what to do with it, and you put something in knowing it’s not right? Well that’s where I am. I added the blocks of colour to the left edge of the painting, and it just doesn’t look right. It looks unfinished, and spoils the rest of it, but I don’t know what to do with it.
Here are the rest of the textiles I created:
They aren’t great, but then again, textiles aren’t really my thing
By Heather, on March 23rd, 2010
The end is in sight. I can almost touch it. I’m ready for a break now. I feel completely exhausted. My back is killing me, I have torn muscles in my shoulders – all due to carrying around a huge portfolio case, tools and supplies – and I just want to rest for just a little bit. I have been working flat out. The weekend that just passed was spent working day and night, from 7am until about 8pm. I feel that my brains and my body are just about fried, but I must keep going, even during the two weeks holiday coming up next week.
Tonight, I will work some more, and I have the day off tomorrow so at least I won’t be humphing bags around, even though I’ll still be working. On a more positive note, my work will be completed a few weeks ahead of schedule. My course finishes two weeks after I return from holiday, and all of my work will have been done and handed in, so it’s not all bad. That gives me time to just draw in preparation for my interviews.
I wanted to update you on my Contextual Studies piece. I didn’t finish it today even though I expected to. I spent most of the day working on the face, and it was frustrating for quite some time, but I think I have it down now. I ran out of time and had to stop, but I only have a few bits to sort on it, such as haloing on the left side of the figure and I have to finish the left curtain area. Like last night, the photo doesn’t do it any justice, but this is where I am:
(Click to enlarge)
I have been finding Creative Textiles a bit of a challenge and very difficult to find inspiration for, but today I created a piece which is one of six, and is part of my final project. I dripped hot wax over a piece of anaglypta wallpaper and painted it. I have used the motifs of the all-seeing eye and a weaving pattern. I ripped up some Georgette fabric and dripped over acrylic inks and then stitched the shredded pieces in a weave pattern on top of the wallpaper.
I took another piece of Georgette fabric and burned holes into it with a soldering iron, revealing some of the work underneath. I took some more of the shredded pieces and tied it through some of the holes in the main piece so that there are strips hanging down. I stitched this onto the left edge of the wallpaper piece and created a type of book. This has resulted in a layering of work, which is precisely what I have been trying to achieve with this project – the idea of secrets, the covert and the uncovering of layers of conspiracy.
(Click to enlarge)
By Heather, on March 22nd, 2010
I have finalised what piece I’m doing for my 3D Project and I have almost completed my Contextual Studies piece. I have to keep the 3D project quite simple because of the timescale involved, so I’ve picked out one that is fairly simple but has an interesting design.
Here is a colour study I did in class today:
I have a few other colour studies to carry out, then I’ll get to work on it in the next few days.
I have a bit of painting to do on my final Contextual Studies piece, but I had to give up because of the appalling light in my bedroom. It is so frustrating, especially when so close to the end, but I really couldn’t see properly to finish it. I’ll finish it tomorrow morning in class. The image I have here isn’t great, but you get the idea.
Oh, today I got a letter in from the college about the interview for the HND (Higher National Diploma). It’s a 2-year course, which continues on from the course I’m doing, and I would stay where I am. It’s the equivalent of doing 1st and 2nd year at university. I can stay at college and do the 1st year of the HND, then go on to 2nd year at Art School, or I can do the 2 years and go on to 3rd year at Art School. It’s an alternative to going straight to 1st year at Art School this year. I honestly don’t think I’m good enough to get into Art School, so I’m keeping my options open. I have been told that the interview for the HND is only a formality, and that I’m guaranteed a place. The interview is on 14th April – the same day as my Art School interview! Luckily one interview is at 9am, and the other at 3pm, so there’s no clash.
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About Heather 
I'm a student artist, and have just started my second year at college. I work in many areas of art, specialising in abstract fine art, and I'm also studying traditional realism at an Atelier School in Aberdeen. Follow me on my journey, and share my experiences, as I progress through my studies.
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