Tutor formative feedback Part Five.

My tutors feedback is in black text my reflection is in orange.

Overall feedback .

There has been extensive exploration of ideas and work across this final section. Now spend time checking the work selected against the new assessment criteria. You have selected well but it will be important to remember to show discernment, so less is sometimes more when it comes to curating your work. Think more about your wider reading and how this has impacted on the work as you move forward and if you can point to this and artist research for the assessment event.

I would include clear links to my research and reading for my assessment.

Feedback based on Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate through practical exercises experimentation with a range of painting media, techniques and surfaces.

Your response to Mimei Thompsons working processes has meant that you have had to look hard at the marks she makes and translate this using paint and Liquitex. The faster, more dynamic marks and the tone of the painting is considered so perhaps think about alternating the brush/palette knife width to help. Thompsons marks are fluid and curved, so it might be an idea to add the image of hers to the learning log so it can be compared. Make sure this is referenced using the Harvard Style of Referencing. Thomas Hall’s work if you look at it again concentrated on the negative space as well as the positive. He picks out small areas of colours and often leaves colours /tones beneath by thinning down and scrubbing paint way to build up tone. Your version needs closer study and perhaps more layers and focus on negative space. You have managed to get part way there, so further exploration of colour and tonal build up could have allowed a better understanding of how he paints. Your exploration around Charles Avery’s approach looking at the micro and macro has meant a more explorative approach to looking at what to depict using ink, pen and charcoal. His drawings are meticulous often as he is a very good draftsman, so think about how you might explore this type of approach as you move forward (it might fit with your other interests easily). Your cyanotypes have worked very well, and I can see how much you have enjoyed this process. Again, think about how to use this (or extend the technique) in your work as you move forward. Well documented. Good documentation around the work of Richard Long and your work. How could you develop this work further if you had more time (thinking air/light/environment/travel)?

I had enjoyed emulating artists techniques and would definitely revisit their work to assist deeper exploration into their works. There are infinite possibilities for example instead of Richard Long's walks there could be a flight. Anna Atkins cyanotypes could be everyday objects, intricate cut outs over a painted surface or a project into the difference in light through the seasons.

Demonstrate the ability to use a broad range of techniques and to offer highly experimental and personal responses in your work.

The work made for exercise 5.1 shows some initial ideas and developments in your sketchbook as well as photographs of your garden as a way to inspire. Where you work initially in a very fluid way working with abstracted loose marks and tones allows the work to appear very ephemeral. The salt over watercolour feels and looks very organic and the close-up photographs of the fluid marks and tones feel very confident and assured. For me the more fluid almost ghost like studies that are not overworked are rather charming, so I encourage you to consider when a study may be complete. The weeds/plant exercise where you really look at shadows in a blue tone have capture the light very well. For me again, this is the strongest work in this exercise, much more that the weeds on a board. The work from your Canadian homes have given you the opportunity to really embrace place and site and where you hint at something and are not afraid to leave space in the work there is a shift here in approach. As you move forward to working on five black and white sketches the work is enquiring. Spending more time with more tonal variation could allow you the opportunity to consider depth and form much more. Spend more time looking before even making a mark. The coloured studies are exciting in terms of the more unexpected colour palette in The Thompson Cottage and The Road to Tobermory. Good to see that the work you have chosen to see in Canadian galleries has offered you the opportunity to look closely at paint application, colour, and texture as well as mark making. These have been documented and considered very thoughtfully, well done. I can see the personal/material enquiry coming through. You go on to understand and critique the work for exercise 5.2 very well. This could benefit I think from stripping right back, reducing the colour palette and considering the way the paint has been applied. Good critique overall. Perhaps considering the differing artist approach to the corner of a room could have helped more. Well done. Exercise 5.4 has been extensive, and you have documented the different approaches to printing well. The stencil cuts and working digital has proved to work well and lots has been lot in relation to printing. I really like the stencilled tag! And the monochrome approach works well in relation to tone, weight, and form. You move on to working with the interior of the bin and when you work on the shadows this work is convincing. I am unsure of the complementary palette, but the view is dramatic and again for me the first version works well as there is more depth and distance in the first image although there are some more abstract qualities in the second piece. You have learnt a lot from this process and have reflected clearly in your learning log about this.

With reflection I have decided to include The Daughters of the Wind in my shortlist for assessment. I revisited the blog entry after some time it and deduced I have a strong image which captures light, shadow and the variation of natural texture with abstract mark making.

Research visual ideas from a wide range of sources and develop these ideas through critical review and art practice into a concentrated personal project.

Your 500-word essay has been very clearly written and you show an interest in the painting material chosen in the words. Asking questions within this has allowed for your personal voice to come through, just remember to add the year each painting was made prior to assessment. Although your word count is a little over the 500 words, it might be an idea to quickly say who James Elkins and Niall MacMonagle are. It is normal to introduce them in their professional position to give weight to your enquiry overall, if possible, otherwise your reader may not know who these people are. Good relevant content, well done.

For my first essay, which I found extremely challenging, this was very well received feedback.

Research and understand the role of history and context in relation to a personal project.

It makes sense that your environment includes your history in the travel industry and your inspiration from the work of Anna Atkins cyanotypes, printing, composition and reasoning as to what to consider in this final assignment has been clearly identified in your learning log and you have used some great visual references to inspire and consider. Your sketchbook pages are much more integrated this time and using the trimmed paper from your cyanotypes have been collected with care. Your final book of cyanotypes is evocative and reminds me of travel books that I made as a child. You go on to link your selected approaches to making the work and continue to experiment openly with different processes and materials. As you complete the collection of works, there is a clear connection regarding your chosen theme however at times, there is so much to look at that it does get a bit confusing. You have clearly got very inspired by the range of outcomes that have a lot of potential but again I think that rather than more, more, more, it could be good to remember to strip things back. Displaying the work on suitcases does feel quite odd. That said you have clearly looked at a huge range of possibilities and have explored a wide range of processes as you have moved forward. Artist research is present, but a lot of the outcomes and ongoing research all seem to be going on at any one time. It will be important to go deeper contextually as you move forward in your next course and unpack what is potentially quite a broad topic as you move forward in your studies. This will take practice and an amount of self-control to not do everything all at the same time! Be wary of the new assessment criteria as you have checked your work against the old version now. This shouldn’t make too much difference and we will discuss this in our chat. Your long list of works is considered. We will talk through this but remember to include posts that highlight the journey/development of your ideas, sketchbook work and wider research/artist research. There is a good selection so far.

There is so much to absorb and I want to absorb it all! The feedback is understandable and I will take on board the self control comment.

Action points.

• Please note the new Assessment Criteria. I will share a copy with you if you don’t have one.

Noted and the criteria has been updated.

• Can you include any wider reading in your research to help your personal work concerning travel/environment? Remember to include this as this will give you the opportunity to go deeper in terms of knowledge and understanding as well as give you the potential of gaining a higher mark.

Noted and address in my shortlist and video presentations.

• Apply for assessment as soon as possible (The deadline is 7 Jan 2022 with a submission deadline of 31 Jan 2022). This will give you a deadline in the new year in readiness for the Feb/March (Spring) assessment.