Art & Design

Here are some images of work I have done on the Foundation course. 

This is one of my first pictures from the mark making section. You cover the entire sheet in charcoal then use a rubber to draw the picture. Before starting I had no idea how this could possibly work but then really enjoyed the effect as I did it. I'm planning on using this technique again in the future as I think it is really effective and was pretty quick to do (I like working quickly!)




The next thing to try was the same still life but using ink. I was really disappointed with this when I finished it and the notes at the bottom express this - I decided I was rubbish with ink and would never go near it again....however, on looking at it again a few weeks later I decided I really quite liked it after all! Feels very fluid from using the ink and it forced me not to think too hard about what I was putting on the paper and just get on with it, very useful at the start of a course.





This was my very first painting - done after a lot of colour work e.g colour wheel, saturation and practice mixing. I really struggled with the window frame - straight lines are definitely not my strong point. I got half way through before realising it was ridiculous of me to have tried to paint a glass decanter on my first attempt - but at least people can tell what it is (though a friend said "I've got an old decanter just like that all wonky" mine isn't wonky in real life!) I'm pretty chuffed with the lemon, the purple cloth and the table cloth. Wouldn't be able to repeat this composition as I managed to drop the cream and blue jug from a great height this morning and it is currently residing in the wheelie bin!

This copy of a Van Gogh self portrait.  His head has come out too thin.  Otherwise I am pleased with it.  My tutor commented that I had used colour well and copied the fluidity and mirroring of colour e.g. the green from the jacket goes on to the cheekbones.  The eyes also have an air of the torture from the original.

This is my 3rd or 4th self portrait.  I was determined to smile for this one as I looked so very miserable in my previous attempts.  I used pen for this and think although it doesn't look exactly like me I have at least captured some of my cheerfulness.  As my tutor said perhaps I'd drunk a bit more of the wine in the background before starting on this one! 


My teenager has just come in to tell me it looks like I'd painted a monkey - cheers son!

Purple Portrait - I decided to try something in monochrome but didn't want to be held to black and white (especially as the pencil and pen portraits were b&w.) 

I think the purple makes this really striking.  I'm pretty happy with the result and plan to do a monochrome series in ROYGBIV (rainbow obsession).  Might do the other members of the family if I can get them to sit still for long enough.

I created this for the graphic design unit - it is my poster to promote joy!  I planned it all out and put in pencil marks for the lines of text in the background and for the main phrase.  The background is basically a massive list of all sorts of things I like.  I'll need to make more as I keep thinking of more to include.  I've a few friends who have asked me to make them something similar but I will leave it a while as all that writing made my wrists sore (too used to typing these days)

Below is a detail of some of the background text.

OCA course

NOTE - I set this blog up years ago, forgot about it, remembered it, couldn't log in but strangely today it is linked to my other blogs - hurray.  Basically this first post has been written on 02/06/2010 not in 2006!

I'm working towards an art degree with the Open College of the Arts.  This is distance learning so some think an unusual way to do an art course but works for me.  I did my degree (Social Sciences) with Open University and I prefer the flexibility allowed by working in my own time and at my own pace e.g very quickly some weeks and very slowly others. 

I have nearly finished the Foundation Art and Design course, just a few bits of sculpture and then the textiles option to go.  This course is non accredited so won't count towards my degree but has been really useful for me as prior to July 2009 I hadn't done any art (apart from my own crafty bits) since school so it has got me back into the swing of things.

Through my tutor I have met two other OCA students who are fairly local and we have met up for a couple of sketching and painting days, been to a masterclass with a Chinese artist and are taking part in a life drawing day next weekend. 

I have statrted my degree with an Introduction to Western Art - so much more theoretical than practical.  I decided to do this as wanted to have more background knowledge, practice annotating images and feel more able to describe and talk about art with some base of knowledge.

I am loving the course and finding out so much about architecture, art history and techniques.  I have made my learning log as a blog http://rachalulabelleoca.blogspot.com/

At the moment I am thinking I will choose printing and textiles to continue my degree but some exiting new courses have been developed in illustration and graphic design, both of which I am interested in.  However these are only offered at level 1 currently so will have to wait and see before making any decisions.  I could always come back and have a go at these courses in the distant future when my degree is finished....