Reflections

Following a tutorial on Tuesday a lot of questions have been raised for me. I have been doing a lot of thinking, discussing, walking and writing to sort out some of my thoughts. I think this blog is a good way for me to summarise those thoughts:

• The sun prints (cyanotypes) have a beautiful quality and seem to capture a moment, something very ethereal. This is definately something to pursue further

• I should not look at my project as pursuing two different, opposing subjects (over-stimulated versus quietude) instead I should explore my emotional responses to a sense of place and time
• There is a danger in making work purely on aesthetic grounds (pretty pictures), which is instantly gratifying but has no lasting creative satisfaction
• Serendipity is an important aspect of my work
• The information I have collected on various artists and designers may well be relevant but I need to take the time to understand what I can learn from it; how does it relate to the work I am doing?
• My journal needs to be useful for me. I should not be concerned about how it might be viewed by other people.
• My journal should be a visual tool, at the centre of my practice and is probably closer to a sketchbook than anything else
• I need to be myself and stop trying to be everything I think is expected of me
• I will try to make emotional responses to a sense of time and place through observation using whatever media is most appropriate; paint, drawing, stitch, working with found objects, etc.

I haven't worked out how to start on this yet but I feel quite relieved to be finally understanding what I want to do. I think the trick is not to think too much about what it might look like, just have a go.