Polyrhythm the Graduate

First off, a great big actual-blog-site-not-Facebook thank you to everybody who attended the degree show and took a business card - and in some cases a cheeky postcard and a free sticker. I'm glad you've liked my work enough to check out my blog, and thanks so much to those of you who spoke with me on the preview night. If it wasn't so creepy, I'd have given you all a hug.

Secondly, it's finally sank in that university has finished - funnily enough, after I listened to a few songs that I'd had on repeat throughout first year, and caught a smell in the cleaning cupboard under the sink that reminded me vividly of my new, freshly cleaned first-year flat.

Bloody hell.

I left with a 2:2, as well, which (given that it's been a rough ride personally this year) is respectable, and a fair bit of student debt which is arguably less so. But if I'd had those three years again, or if I could go and speak to my A-level student self, I'd still say "go for it". I might have done a few things differently, but regardless, I loved university. Are you starting university this year? You lucky bugger. Go and enjoy yourself. Here's a quick recap of what I did in my time there.

First Year

I arrived at BCU, nervous and fresh from my BTEC Foundation Diploma, which placed a very heavy emphasis on mark-making. You can see a lot of my "Foundation voice" in my first year work ... a lot of which I like a lot now. A lot of the techniques I still use in my Embodiment journal or on canvases when I feel like wearing my "craft hat" as opposed to my "illustrator" one. It's great to experiment with and build up confidence or even just get rid of artist block, but I think I knew even then I didn't want it to be my "signature style". My heart still lay with funny cartoons - I just didn't think I was good enough.

(I still really love what I did with that Industrial Triangle, but sadly it did not survive the move back home.)

Second Year

A couple of these are from the summer before second year started, but I took a leap and started experimenting with cartooning again - and because I'd done so much with mark-making, I could see the improvement almost immediately.

Of course, I still use part of this one as an avatar. I don't think I've been as happy with a self-portrait since.

And, of course, the A-Z. This is where I was really tested, and where I feel I improved my cartooning the most. It was a very work-heavy project, but one I really enjoyed.

I really do think that my second year was my most successful in terms of art I was happy with - I'm still happy with a lot of the work I did to this day. The Raincloud piece I still love, and I've still kept.

Third Year

I went to Florence! Despite my anxiety over money and aeroplanes (I still cannot fathom how a huge metal can full of people can safely stay in the air by itself) I really enjoyed this trip. The sketchbook below was entirely filled with drawings when I came back.

After Florence, I concentrated on my Negotiated Project, even dabbling in politics. While I still love 'em, and try to keep up with daily cartoons, both this project and the dissertation I wrote made me realise just how complex it was, and all the different ways in which you can approach not only the issue but the tone of the cartoon itself.

Besides politics, I'd also done a series on body image. This was something that would continue on into my Final Major Project - a series of illustrations with stylistic inspiration from old-style cheeky postcards, but often with a serious or current issue underneath.

And that's ... that.

I'll be back with some degree show photos soon - there was some really beautiful work up and it was great to see so much enthusiasm at the preview night.