Legal Highs Info- Great Website

Hannah attended some very (scary and) informative training on Thursday about the dangers of legal highs.
If you had any questions which will be strictly confidential give her a shout anytime for an informal chat

MMU - Special Collection

 

Some time ago, Graphic, Photography & Art Foundation students went on a visit to Manchester Uni to have a peek into their 'book cupboard' (*) As I didn't go on this visit, I can't really comment on all the wonderful, amazing, gorgeous Artist books I can see from these photos!! Apart from to say.....Why? Why did I not go on this visit! Doh! Next time, I will be first on the coach.....

 

Check out these photos, (I stole them from Debs Ipad.)

 

 

 

These 3 are my favourite....I have no idea who has made this beautiful book, but I would just like to say wow!

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apparently, Sophie & Debs had to drag the students out to get the coach home!

 

The official spiel from MMU website

 

 * Artists' books in the collection demonstrate the artist's experimentation with the book form.
   Book Design celebrates the finely printed and illustrated book.

 



 

 



Schools In!

A little while ago we had Thomas Ferens Academy from Hull come to visit and it was great fun! This is their first class from their new GCSE photography course. They dont have a darkroom so we kindly offered ours up for the afternoon so they could have a go and I think they enjoyed it..!

The students were a breath of fresh air and certainly not shy! It was lovely to see such enthusiasm..

They aren't ignoring Nathan, they just make notes on their phones these days- very 2014!

After creating a photogram each, some working to their current theme of 'self'  we went out with some pinhole cameras. Look how smart they look in their uniforms

Everyone got an image, with some very interesting results

Thank you Thomas Ferens Academy! We had a very fun afternoon and we hope you can have a darkroom of your own now

Don't judge a box by its cover.....

After spending a bit of time in the Library, I thought it would be a good idea for the department to browse through the books and pick a favourite.

 

I have kicked it off with Joseph Cornell.....an amazing artist who's work never fails to inspire.....

 



 

If you want to see what I am talking about, go visit the library and take a look at the book.....now go be inspired!!

 



My big day out!

Today the sun is shining and there's a bit of Spring in the air. I'm feeling like I need to leave B Block and go and explore the college. (Apparently there is more to college than B Block - who knew!!) So, I decided to go visit the ladies in the Library.....here is the story of my adventure.......

 

 

 

 

The old fashioned girl in me still calls a library a library. Apparently the above sign is now what it is called - sigh!

 

 

Oooohhhh......looks comfy - wonder if we should swap these for our sofa in the Art office?

 

 

No, no, no....this is not a post box, but indeed a contraption that allows you to take books out without having any human contact at all! However if you're an old fashioned girl like me, and you do want to interact with the odd human, then there is an alternative option......see below!

 

Here she is.....Sally! One of two ladies (Karen being the other) who run the LRC very smoothly and are both very, very helpful. Next time you're in the LRC pop over and say hello.

 

This book is essential for all AS Art students for Unit 1......

 

 

Beautiful book for pattern....

 

 

Some nice graphics books......

 

 

  An amazing selection of photography books.......

 



  The LRC has an electric mix of books, CD's DVD's & magazines which are worth checking out. We are very lucky in the Creative Arts Department to have such a massive resource on site. So rather than stick with google and the dreaded wikipedia, go and see the books on offer!

 

I noticed that this book had been taken out loads! This is a bit of a news flash to all.....we are planning on going to see the Martin Parr Exhibition over in Bradford very soon.

 

So, this is the end of my little adventure. I enjoyed my time in the Library and am planning on a return visit soon. I have a plan you see, one which involves the whole department, but more on that another day.

 

(I would like to thank Mel from PE who came over to help with this blog post, so Cheers Melanie!) 



 

 

BTEC Yr 1 intro for abstract.

I was given something very exciting from the Library Ladies yesterday!! This sign was going to be binned - shock AND horror!

 

 

 

I know it does not look like much, but this sign is something I have had my eye on for alot (and I mean alot!) of years, so when the Library had its refurbishment I was waiting with hands out ready! Thank you ladies!

 

Now onto a lesson I just happened to walk into yesterday and thought it was worth a blog post. The 1st year BTEC had their first session on Abstraction and the whole group were cracking on with 'stuff'. I was strolling around them and thinking 'wow' this is good 'stuff' and got the camera......here are the pics!

 

 

 

 

 



Ink, dip pens, pipettes, bits of mountboard were all in use. The group had to put up with some very strange music that Letitia had put on (!) which Mr Alex called PANTS!.....I kind of agreed with him.....but lots of work was produced, so maybe the music wasn't so pants after all!

 

 

 



 

These are all from photographs of the Humber Bridge which the students had taken a while back on one of our many trips.

 

 

Letitia having a 'moment'.......bless her!

 

 

 

 

What was truly amazing was not one drop of ink was on the floor. Usually a little jar ends up being spilt and its a very big hassle to clean up! So well done all you 1st year BTECs - not only on not spilling the ink, but also on the wonderful work you produced! 

 

 

 

 



St Lawrence Academy - Year 9 visit

 

We had a visit this morning from a local school - St Lawrence Academy. At 9.20am we were ready for groups of Year 9 students to come and have taster sessions in Art, Graphics & Photography......Art had decided to do something simple, something that would not be messy, something that would be fast paced and buzzing......(cough - cough)..........so, last night we set up a still life!!!

 

Buzzing!

 

 

 

We got the students to do continuous line, negative space and non dominant hand drawings with graphite sticks. They soon got into the swing of it and after some false starts, they were producing some very nice drawings indeed.

 



 

 

 

The first image above is a continuous line drawing - this is were you keep your graphite on the paper and not look at what you are drawing......can be a bit tricky! (also you can be hilarious!!!)

 

2nd image is the non dominant hand. I reckon they all had a good go and considering some of the students in the groups are not doing creative subjects in school, the results deserved a blog post!

 

And, just because I could add this photo, I did!!

 

 

Bruce was the tutor for the taster sessions.....I really think he deserved the rest of the day off.....!! Well done Bruce...!

 

 

 



The big trip to 'Ull- the photographers perspective!

First things first!
I live in Hull so I met everyone at the Deep. (After a cheeky lie in- today is going to be a good day)

this is the best blue ever.

You cant use flash and I didnt have a tripod so soz about the blur. Just liked this massive mouth, reminded me of a few peeps..

These are gratuitous pictures of pretty fishes

Martin having fun with the octopus memory game

OMG! WORLD EXCLUSIVE OF THE NEW PENGUIN ENCLOSURE!!
We noticed a little bit of wall sticker had been peeled away so I managed to grab this cheeky paparazzi style shot. I didnt sell it to the papers coz Im nice like that

Sad shark? Sleeping shark? Shark lying in wait to pounce? Either way I dont trust it

Random abstract hands on the REAL ICE wall

I believe you when you say its cold, but just HOW cold is it?

This was actually in a rainforest. Not really.

I feel like the little mermaid! Or to be technical- what beautiful back lighting!

Thank you to Kingston Art Gallery for our awesome print workshop and for opening especially for us. Now I know how Beyonce feels

Here the artist whose exhibition you can see in the background is showing us how to carve an image into some foamboard then roll ink onto it and print to make a relief print

Pretty Colours!

BTEC crew were straight in there..

Melissa and Lottie getting stuck in..

Interesting Sculpture..

The exhibition we went to see.. KAG doesn't receive any funding, only what the collective who run the gallery apply for. It is staffed by the artists who exhibit and volunteers. They also have studio space upstairs to rent. Everything to do with the day to day running is dealt with as a team. If you would like to volunteer/ find out more about running a gallery and the life of an artist get in touch with them

A typical artists studio!

Great talk about the day to day running of the gallery and how to survive as an artist- THANK YOU

Our amazing prints on the dryer, ready for me to collect over half term. Thats it, it was fun, and valentines day. Happy Half Term!