Hello my lovelies,
Since I'm going to be mega busy with my job this week (just this week though I promise!), I wanted to share some of my past work with you. I'm not trying to take the easy option I just think it will be nice to show you some of my old sketchbooks and how they have got me to where i am.

Unfortunately my cringe worthy GCSE sketchbooks have disappeared so I will have to start with my slightly less cringy A level one. This book is from my second year of A level and it my exam book (had a set start and deadline during the year). We were given a really awkward set of themes (seen on the first page below) to follow but thank goodness I was actually able to pull this one out the bag.

Obviously this isn't my whole sketchbook because it's tiny and I did have to take some of my better work to put in my portfolio but this is the bulk of the best work I did during this project. My idea for this body of work was to 'Elevate the Ordinary' and make regular things like people and faces that bit more interesting and unique.

I did decide to do some artist research during the beginning of the project to gain a little inspiration and knowledge on how other artists had elevated the ordinary.




As you can see I began to take an interest in linework and developing my own illustrative line style.





Here I was totally new to Photoshop so to me this layered image below meant a lot to me effort wise.


And my final piece (sorry about the blurriness) was a large, A2 board with a mixed media piece with tissue paper and fabric with a layered black outline on top.


I was so proud of this book when I handed it in because I felt I had really tried and worked hard to vary the style and technique throughout this project. In hindsight I could probably annotate more and explore more artists work but overall I was and am still pretty proud of my A level efforts. Oh, and if anyone was wondering what level my work was on, I got an A for both AS and A level which i was soo happy with!

I will see what other sketchbook I can dig up and will be back soon with more sneak peeks into my past and maybe even current sketchbooks in the not too distant future! Thanks for reading and see you soon.

And hello once again,

Like I said in my last post, planning's what I need so planning is what I will bloody well do! No, I'm not leaving for another 2 ish months but that will soon come round so I thought I had better begin my preparations (and planning makes it seem less scary!). So here it is:

I'd first like to point out obviously I haven't been to university yet so I am using this list as a personal checklist, which many people across the internet have recommended I take. If you have any suggestions then please feel free to comment them and I think in about 6 or so months I will revisit this list and tell you what has come in useful out of the items I chose!

I think I'll split my list up into sections, for example: Bed, Room, Bathroom and Miscellaneous. Again I am new to this so if some items are a little bit of an overkill, just let me know and save the cluttered room for me and anyone who might use my list in the future. Anyway that's enough babbling! 

My Bed:

☐ Duvet and pillows
☐ Bedding sets- x2 minimum, one to use while the others in the wash)
☐ Extra pillow cases- Swap them out more often than changing your bed to save your face from spots!
☐ Mattress protector
☐ Throw blanket- Or a couple, blankets are useful and snuggly when it gets chillier.
☐ Under bed storage

My Room:

My Bathroom:

Miscellaneous:

I know this isn't an extensive list but I feel it is a good starting point and hope someone else finds this slightly helpful in their adventures. Wow, writing this is making me a little nervous about the whole moving out thing, think I need a hot chocolate! I'll be keeping every Uni advancement up to date and I cant wait to write some more about it because I'm so excited!

Bye bye for now x

Photos sourced on Pixabay.com, edited by myself.

Pixabay.com

Evening folks,

I just feel like some late night ramblings are in order. I've decided this is something I want to feature every now and then to keep thinks on a friendlier level. So let's throw the formal thing out the window for a while shall we?

I've recently (like all day) been reading other blogs, following and commenting on posts. Why you ask? Well because that's really what we blog for isn't it? We blog to share our stories and gain interaction with other bloggers across the web, right? Yes, a large social following is nice but really all a blogger like me or anyone for that matter really wants is interaction through their posts and stories.

I do want to keep this blog an artistic, academic and fun one but I still want to express me and my ideas through it (however random they may be) and keep things at a casual level. I think I am getting a little bogged down in what I want my niche to be, but that really shouldn't be the case as this is my blog after all. I set it up with the intention of following my academic study onto university but at the moment I am sat waiting for it to actually begin (as it's the summer break) so I think this is where my problem has come from.

I just think I need a clearer path, and once Uni begins that will be the case, and a little more interaction as my blog grows to feel more confident in what I am doing. I need to look to the future in a positive light I think, must be the sleepiness that's making me think a little negatively. But with a new direction I won't be sitting around waiting for something to happen like I am now so can just plan and write, write and plan, explore, learn and just be.

Yes, it is definitely my state of mind, waiting for this massive change in my life that must be the source of my scatterbrain. I think a positive step will be to plan instead of fret. I will be keeping totally up to date with my progress and changes but I feel just writing all this down has cleared the haze in how I feel. Watch this space as I will not just be blogging in real time about moving out and going to University, but also talking about preparing for it and advice I have found useful.

Little bit of a babble for tonight but we have to be able to chat don't we? Let me know what kind of posts are your favourite and if I should do more personal ones like this. I'd better get off to bed now!

Goodnight x

As someone with poor eyesight (contact lenses every day kinda poor) I've decided to explore my options and include a wishlist of all the glasses I could only dream of owning. Though most of these aren't prescription lenses there are so many services out there to help fit them, or you could just wear them as the gorgeous accessory they are!

Just click the image to find where to purchase them, and I hope you like my taste in spectacles!

Ray-Ban RX7046 Glasses (£67)

These to me have a touch of sleek elegance whilst being the rounded frame I love! With a square face like mine these are perfect for complimenting the squareness of jaw with the bold round shape. These matte black beauties are top of my list for fresh new specs and the colour allows them to be incorporated into any outfit seamlessly.

Tom Ford D-frame acetate optical glasses (£116)

Pixabay.com

The time is upon us! (Or me at least)

After finishing my art foundation and after a successful interview I can say I am ready to move onto degree level. Well academically I'm ready anyway, personally I've got some planning and adjusting to do (Yikes!).

I m so excited to be starting somewhere new because I can reinvent myself (cliché I know!) and meet new people. That's not to say I'm not losing some of my friends I have gained this year, as some of them are coming to the same Uni. So I will have a nice mixture of new faces as well as sharing my course with a close friend I made this year. I feel having to leave sixth form and go to college has taught me in advance about adjusting and getting used to new environments, making the transition to university that little less daunting.

It's going to be such a new experience for me as I have never lived alone and am finally taking that step. As someone who stayed behind when most of my friends went to Uni I feel a little left behind but I am only a year later, which I feel has helped me develop and learn so much, so now I feel more confident and ready to face ADULTHOOD!

Of course I'm worried about the usual student stuff like moving, making friends, getting comfortable, having enough money and that my work will be up to scratch, but I think the excitement is kind of masking most of that at the moment.

I am definitely going to keep you up to date in what comes my way in regards to University like moving, settling in and bits and pieces I learn along the way. Maybe it might even be useful for someone who is about to take that step and wants to hear from a goofy art student like me!

That's it for now!