Apply or not to apply?

So, after finishing any intense course no matter what subject the next bit is just as huge and time consuming as qualifying...applying for stuff!

Of course I'm now going to state that applying for stuff in the Fine Art world is tougher than any other because it's my blog so I'll cry if I want too! But seriously, you spend so much time looking for opportunities then trying to write proposals (for those of us who don't have 'portable' work to enter) and then sorting out images, CV's and cover letters. A big problem is that a lot of the opportunities charge to apply, I don't know anyone else who has to pay to apply for a job, do you?  Then so much is expected in the initial stages and I for one would much rather go and chat to someone about my ideas than put it down in a formal 'proper' way. I know some people hate interviews but I'd much rather go and talk than sit for hours trying to put into words what I'm trying to say when I have a an expressive face that could be helping get the idea across! Ha!

So, there's a few things I'm mulling over applying to at the moment, maybe I should be filling out forms rather than talking here....oh but we all love a good procrastination now don't we????

Anyway, I've decided to show some older work tonight, some drawings I haven't seen myself in a while. Someone has asked me to send some images of my drawings so I'm looking through some older folders from my time at The Cyprus College of Art. So here's a few...

Done and dusted

Well then, it's all over...


I can't say I'm sad my MFA course has finished, I'm knackered! AND my wrist still isn't right. But we did all pass! I think I'll need a few more weeks settling in back home before I can reflect properly...


There was an interesting comment from one tutor about The Bed's Above My Head and I'm Tired, 2011, that it made him think about Sisyphus.


"In Greek Mythology Sisyphus ( /ˈsɪsəfəs/; Greek: Σίσυφος Sísyphos) was a king punished by being compelled to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down, and to repeat this throughout eternity. He is also found in Roman mythology.

The word "sisyphean" means "endless and unavailing, as labor or a task".

This interests me a lot as my work always ends up involving a intense period of 'proper graft'. Maybe it's to combat the artist guilt I sometimes feel...on those days when you think you should just grow up and do a 'proper job'. The thing is, you end up doing both anyway and that's the reality. Maybe I don't value my work if I don't feel like it's been a physical battle as well as mental one???

It's been busy since getting back to home to Liverpool and my attention has been taken by 'everything else'. It did strike me the other day this piece doesn't exist anymore...I think I've blocked out the smashing it up part. Crazy. All that work, ah well it's not worth dwelling on, it's not like this hasn't happened before, I really need to start making portable work!!!

still in progress at this point...

in progress...

The Bed's Above My Head And I'm Tired, 2011

The Bed's Above My Head And I'm Tired, 2011

                                 

                                     The Bed's Above My Head And I'm Tired, 2011

The Bed's Above My Head And I'm Tired, 2011

The Bed's Above My Head And I'm Tired, 2011

The Bed's Above My Head And I'm Tired, 2011

The Bed's Above My Head And I'm Tired, 2011

The Bed's Above My Head And I'm Tired, 2011

The Bed's Above My Head And I'm Tired, 2011

The Bed's Above My Head And I'm Tired, 2011

P.S 

Thanks Simon.

Thanks Tim. 

More wood needed and a bionic arm...

So...drilling, screwing, smashing, chopping, axing, drilling, and more screwing finally took its toll! My wrist/arm is knackered and I seem to have picked up some kind of nasty bug that doesn't care about deadlines and the FINAL SHOW dun dun duuuuuuurnn!

The work itself is going OK and I have another wood collection lined up for tomorrow at Bristol Wood Recycling arranged with the ever friendly and enthusiastic Maff. I'm hoping this collection will be bountiful and provide enough wood to complete the work.

The issues that have caused me most anxiety, apart from my wrist being stupid and flaking out under the weight of my dewalt drill, which I must say, just to digress a moment, has started up some interesting visits to the pharmacists at Boots in Bath who in the absence of having a doc here have been sound, especially Mike who is now coming along to the show seeing as he's heard so much about it!

Oh yeah, back to the issues of anxiety. It's all to do with what goes on show where and when. What goes/stays for assessment etc. I never have quite worked out how best to show hundreds of photographs for example. Apart from the way I've currently got them which is on the wall. The thing is there is not much time between assessment and final show so whatever I do it need to be something quick and simple. It's too confusing to understand without standing with me in the space. I suppose the question I'm asking myself is, do I have the photos up for assessment or not and when I say out loud like that the answer is yes, it's just the time it takes to do it...considering all the other things to do...I'm boring myself now.

Lets have some pictures...

Metal collection from timber

Photograph of photographs

work in progress

the big hoist

detail - work in progress

hoisted up with chains and rope extra support underneath from chairs

collecting - this time at Wiltshire Wood Recycling

help yourselves they said!

axe in action

I may keep this axe for assessment time, may come in handy...KIDDING!

Right then...

I think it's been long enough between blogs and I finally have my replacement MacBook. Hurrah!


It's been crackers this last week, starting with a busy weekend camping at the foot of L5-6QW in the wettest windiest weather.  I understand now why they're planning on putting a wind turbine in that spot! Luckily Dawn and Ed, the owners of the land took pity on us and invited us inside for awhile and some sloe gin...loved it! The purpose of being there however was to get some good shots of the work, the rain made this difficult but got some really interesting evening shots...We then travelled to Wales to have a look at a prospective new site...the plot thickens!

L5-6QW around 1am, 17/07/2011

L5-6QW around 10pm, 16/07/2011

L5-6QW around 10pm, 16/07/2011

I'm hoping to set up a site dedicated to solely to L5-6QW and have tried tumblr tonight and just can't work it out at all...it's supposed to be the easiest so what does that make me!? I'll keep trying, the idea being that the progress of the project can be documented and followed as it goes on. 

I also moved house this week...almost forgot about that! I think this may explain being so tired at 23.05 on a Saturday night! Went to an open studios even last night too in Bristol at Jamaica Street Studios. I really liked work by Sophie Woodrow, a ceramic artist, http://www.sophiewoodrow.co.uk/ and Jan Blake, a sculptor/installation artist, http://www.jamaicastreetartists.co.uk/jan.html

I really really like my new MacBook...

12 followers! Ooeh!

Hello twelve...

Well, as those on fb in the last hour will know the glorious news...I'm getting a replacement MacBook! I'm so made up as I've missed that little machine like a good bra or a great pal! Those who know, know!

So anyways, the studio was quiet today but good, got loads more photies on the wall, this time not so wonky and this time showing the installation day of L5 6QW. I hope the techies, Simon and Tim don't mind being plastered all over my walls!? It's kind of fitting as they are the best techies in the world (creep creep) apart from my previous techie, Ben at UCS, I have to stay loyal to him too! Seeing as Simon taught me to weld though (there's nout that man doesn't know about metal) he has to be a nose ahead!

Simon and Tim in matching shirts, installation of L5 6QW, June 2011



I faffed around with my other work too, the bed idea I told you all about last time? I think the title will be, The bed's above my head and I'm tired, long yes but that's how the idea first came to me...those words were running over in my head one night when I couldn't sleep. I felt like it was the start of a poem or song but seeing a I can't write, decided to work with it for awhile to see were it would lead. At the time I'd also been reading this great little book called The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy by Tim Burton, lent to me by my friend Nicky, it's a crackin little book filled with great illustrations and poems and had a big influence on this idea.

I suppose this work is quite surreal, I like the element of using recycled wood too, it's got a history and a story to tell in it's own right. I wanted the feeling of an inaccessible bed...we'll see, it's all still in my head at the moment, I wont know if it's right until I do some more work on it.

Thanks for listening now go to bed!

Much better

Dear all six loyal followers!

I thank you!

Today's studio time was so much better. I spent some time in the library looking at work by Doris Salcedo and got excited again. Some great images and exciting work.

Doris Salcedo, 8th Istanbul Biennail, 2003

Good discussions too with Iphy and Oliver, fair trade for allowing them to share my studio at dinner time and listen to my 'stereo'!

I spent a ridiculous amount of time nailing photo's to the wall then taking them down again as they were all wonky! I blame Oliver for this for talking to me at the same time. I also did more on the structure I'm making that will eventually resemble a kind of surreal, Tim Burton-esque bed, hopefully around 10ft tall built from all the wood I've acquired from the good people at Bristol and Wiltshire Wood Recycling. Another notable portion of my time was spent on the phone to npower (our gas and electricity provider) as a 5 minute phone call resulted in around an hour back and forth. The joys of sharing a house and splitting costs in preparation for moving house next Tuesday...

Insurance result on Mac still pending although they have been in touch requesting more details regarding purchase so at least they got it!

Oh, fun was also had discussing (whilst working obviously) the recent youtube videos of Vic and Bob! It's important stuff. As important as discussing drill/screwdriver settings which is a re-occiring theme with male passers by to the studio this week!

I've only gone and got myself two followers!

Eek, this is showbiz! OK, so I know them both, doesn't matter does it?

So, it's a funny old world this Art world I'm in...when you're down you're really down and it's like anything you've ever made becomes irrelevant or crap and you think you're useless. That's pretty much how I've felt all week but today, as I chatted to Derek (the loveliest man at the Wiltshire Recycle Centre) I thought well...I may not be academic student of the year, far from it according to sources high up in the academic snow capped mountains but I do meet people through my projects, loads of them! And, it always makes me really happy. The best bit is that they always seem so happy to help, it makes me feel good, in a warm good proper good kind of way. Dead Good. The fella today said he's enjoyed helping us and I know he meant it. He even brought out a pot of tea. I didn't try the compost loo they had there though, was too scared...

All this meeting and chatting to people on the 'outside' especially through the L5 6QW project (which is ongoing) made me realise why I like Jeremy Deller's work so much, it always involves so many members of the community, he thrives on it and I'm beginning to realise that I enjoy the meeting and negotiating side of my work a lot and I need to make more of it in my documentation for the next and final assessment. This is a good turning point I think in my practice. I need others to see what I'm doing, they need hard physical evidence...

L5 6QW, ongoing project, current location Wiltshire.

Perma screen steel boxes

8 60cmsq boxes each 10ft high



So, I have loads more wood and I can't wait to play with it...also one of my fellow classmates said she really likes my stuff today, it was a timely and unexpected comment that gave me a boost.

On the MacBook front, insurance form's filled in and sent back...fingers crossed.

I'm trying...

I'm trying to be a blogger!

I suppose I should introduce myself, I'm Jayne and I'm an Artist.

I like to make stuff, I've used so many different materials and if I had to call myself anything I'd say I'm a sculptor. I don't think I sculpt though I think I construct. Anyway, right now I'm a studying at Bath Spa Uni doing my MFA and we've just started our last semester.

my truly amazing new studio space for the summer

collected these bits from Bristol Wood Recycle Project

This week's been intense, it began with my macbook being stolen which was just crap beyond belief then got crapper after receiving the dreaded academic feedback from our last assessment which always leaves me wondering who's work they've looked at. It reminds me of when you go to a match, Oh yeah, I'm also a gigantic Liverpool FC fan, and you get into the pub after and start talking about it and you're saying to yourself, 'what game were they at!? As their interpretation of incidents were nothing like yours!

So, I've decided that maybe doing this will give me somewhere to go to get things off my chest and could be a good way to think about ideas and what not. I'm looking for loads of wood right now, the older the better to build with...this is working towards our final show. I also have another project on-going called L5-6QW which was a response to my family home in Liverpool being 'tinned' up. This was made using the same steel as security firms use to tin up empty houses all over the country.

I'll post some pics...damn just remembered my L5-6QW pics are on the mac!

Ooer Missus

I'm blogging...

Sitting in a class in Bath Spa Uni being told how to blog. I'm supposed to be listening but I'm typing this and can't do both. It's good to finally have a blog even though I don't really know what I'm doing, do I ever though? Really? Erm, no.