Final Interview

I'm posting this on the day I came back, so - as I'm sure you'll understand - I'm completely mentally frazzled. So, writing-wise, I'll leave you with the message of the work I did (based from the brief I was given) while at my interview:

There are many layers, pages and windows to the human identity.


Photos are in no particular order, but the first image is the 'front cover' (and you can see the second page through the letters I carved out) of the small handmade book I produced:

















I am Polyrhythm, Polyrhythm I am!

Catching your Flight

Do you like this? It's a small day-long project I did to present at a university interview next week.

(EDIT: And it's also uploaded backwards, so you'll have to read it from the last one up.)

Okay, as I've now had two places I feel I can mention the universities that have offered them to me (I'm perfectly aware I could have mentioned every one of them before, but I'm weird and thought I might jinx myself or something). I have an unconditional offer for Norwich (NUCA), and a conditional offer for Birmingham (BCU). The university stress has gone down temporarily, but it'll probably shoot right back up in April when I have my last interview (which, in all honesty, sounds a lot of fun as I get to do a day-long project with them - but it's nerve-racking).

Secondly - as I know some CMers read this - if you don't have a character portrait for CMTV yet and you have either your own segment or a significant speaking role, it will be coming up shortly. Older members or those in the upcoming episode get priority over the newer members, I'm afraid, as they've been waiting longer and/or they need theirs sooner. Now you know that, and now it's on the CMTV thread, please be patient and please - even if you're just wondering out loud - don't do the whole 'Where's mine?' or 'Why doesn't [so and so] have one?'. I'm trying my best to get everything done (and offline life/college/university stuff comes first) so your portrait isn't going to reach you quicker if you do this. In fact, all it will do is annoy me. And then I'll talk about you behind your back and say you smell like peanut butter and steal ladies' underpants.


Alright, I'm not quite that malicious, but the point still stands. Be patient with me, guys. Thanks. ♥

Posty McPostersons strikes again

Alright, last photo of the Book o' Mess for a while, I promise. Perhaps, when it comes home with me today, I should do a speed-video of working in it. I tend to improvise the pages instead of plan out what I'm doing beforehand, though.

Next Monday, I'm off to my second university interview. It's approximately four and a half hours each way on the train (I'll have my journal with me for entertainment) so it's going to be a long day but hopefully a very interesting one.

Day Project, Number One - "Case no. 47"

A very good piece of news is that all of my university choices have asked me for interviews - my first-choice university letting me know last weekend after I'd sent them some work of mine on a CD. One of my friends on the same course has also been invited for interview.

One of the tasks we will have to do when we're there is to complete a day-long project. Themes, briefs and details will be told to us interviewees in the morning, and it's due in late afternoon.

So, after my tutor received this news on Tuesday, he's decided to assign us day-long projects for practise. I found Tuesday's work tiring, but I felt very accomplished by the end of it.

I was handed a small clipping of text that read the following: "If people have adjusted to a society that is hell-bent on destroying itself, what does that prove about them?"


Reference.

I did a little reading-up on this quote, and found it was paraphrased from a person known only as 'Case no. 47' in a psychological study - giving this day-long project a name. The quote itself brought to mind Darwin's theory of evolution (and the whole biological side of things, in some ways contrast to psychology yet the two are so tightly entwined) so I decided to research some more upon that train of thought. The piece above, I feel, is one of the more successful pieces - all three were done with monoprint and I feel this one turned out nicely.




And finally, I tinkered in Photoshop with stock images to make one image - a man with the head of a monkey, printed out and used in monoprint. I glued the original image behind the monoprint to give it some more depth (especially as I'd used too much ink in this one ... this ended up working in my favour).

My next one will be assigned on Friday. I've found something in this project that could be taken further, so Thursday will be spent working on that.

Help, Uni, and Field Trips

First off - a friend of mine, KBStudio at DeviantART, needs well-wishes and help. A lovely dog she took in recently, nicknamed Horse, has been diagnosed heartworm positive. $500 needs to be raised to pay for the healthcare needed - she and other artists are offering cheap commissions to fund Horse's treatment.

Even if you can't donate or buy a commission, they both would really appreciate thoughts and kind words. Thank you.


In other news, yesterday I went for my first university interview (for my second-choice university). I was a little surprised when they asked us to leave our portfolios in a room, for the work would be looked at while we were having the mini-tour and the presentation, but other than that things went rather smoothly. I've never really done the interviewing thing well; I can stumble over my words and do a lot of gesticulating - but I feel I got my thoughts across fairly well. Two others from my college also applied here and I got to see them yesterday too. I already knew about one guy applying, but didn't expect the other person to walk through the door as I didn't know she'd applied! We didn't get a huge chance to talk, my interview was done before either of theirs was, but I expect some time on Monday will be devoted to discussion. :3 I shall find out whether I have an invitation or not next week, over UCAS Track. I'm a little nervous.

I also ended up in Oxford last Tuesday, for a field trip. I'd asked my tutor if I could miss out on this one as my portfolio needed doing, but he recommended I still go anyway. We visited the Natural History Museum (which was pretty awesome, 'specially their collection of bugs and butterflies and a room of UV light!), the Pitt-Rivers (some things were interesting, but the floor we specifically went to see isn't going to open until May ... booooo) and the Ashmolean (my favourite of the three, this was wonderful).

I do have photos! Later, they shall be uploaded.

Glowin'

I got the idea for the drawing when walking home one night.

I originally wanted to put an English translation of 'Life is like a Melody' (by Lia, which was originally recorded in Japanese) beside her, but my Japanese is too gosh-durned awful for me to make a decent translation. x_x

I wanted to do something completely digital - I usually do my line-art traditionally and scan it in to colour it, but I figured I should get some practise on the line-art front.


On another note, I have now heard from three of my university choices (well, technically I've heard from all four of them, but three have asked for work/invited me to interview). I'm looking forward to 'em, but nervous as heck.

Studio Diary picspam

I haven't done one of these in a while. Last time I did, it was when I had a new diary - I'm about halfway through this one now, and it's building up to something quite nice indeed. I have a trip to Manchester on Monday, hopefully I can take some nice photos and get some good inspiration :D

So far, I have been contacted by two universities, one of them being my first choice. I'm nervous - happy, I couldn't stop grinning this morning, but nervous.

Time is Ticking

That up there is my Christmas present to myself. It wasn't expensive (in fact, if it'd been over £25 I would have torn myself away from it as I really have to watch my spending this season if I want a significant sum left to help for uni costs) but it was beautiful and - being a steampunk fan - I couldn't resist.

I want to get my half of the UCAS application done and sent off before Christmas, so I don't have to worry about it over the holidays (preferably next week, but we'll see) yet I want to make sure everything's accurate. I'll do some editing of my personal statement tomorrow, and then get it checked on Monday.

I also am nursing a crescent-shaped cut on my middle-finger after it had a nasty collision with a lino-cutter. It's not too deep, but it bled a lot for just a cut. x_x It hasn't put me off printing, though. It's funny because I was never crazy about it at GCSE when we did some prints (then again, the piece of lino we had was much larger, so we were gouging out more of it and it was a longer process) but I've really taken to printmaking in Foundation.


(Coincidentally, I'm also listening to 'Almost There' from the new Disney movie, Princess and the Frog which sort of fits. I can't wait to see this film!)


More from Polyrhythm later. This month also looks set to be hecka busy.

Yo-Ho, Yo-Ho, A New Studio-Diary for Me

It feels sad to leave my old studio-diary at home (as it's now completely chock-a-block after only two months) but I look forward to starting this new one, 'specially with the pirate-flag of Smaz's pirate crew on the front. KURO-OUKAMI KAIZOKU-DAN! *strikes a pose*

Secondly, this weekend I registered on the UCAS website. I still need to do quite a bit for my application (namely a decent personal statement), but I'm just glad it's all started now. *phew* I'll keep updates on how that's going; it's very significant to my future as an artist, after all.