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Red - Print making
Yellow - Mixed media
Green - 3D Design
Blue - Journal entry
Purple - Primary Research/ UCAS/ observational studies

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Okay I stayed gold spray paint to my concrete and fabric sculptures. I have taken inspiration from Yinka Shonibare’s work with sculpture specifically ‘Wind sculpture’. My intention is to project my desired image onto my gold sculpture

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3D outcome close up

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Shannon Bono’s pieces encourage the viewer to look back in order to learn more about ourselves. As a African woman in the diaspora I am drawn to look back at my roots in order to understand and appreciate the woman I am becoming.

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Grey scale markers

Fun fact I grew this plant from a seed and it’s doing so well!

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Sometime I have too high expectations for my self, it can also be present it’s in my artwork. Having to manage time for study and also work during the week, I haven’t put so much pressure on myself as I have in the past.

Through doing observational studies of my plants I have stopped thinking that I have to produce this master piece. Instead I have prioritised my pleasure in creating artwork.

I struggle a lot with my anxiety, caring for my plants has been a very good form of stress relief. The moment I live the most is when I come home for a long night shift at 5(ish) AM  and just look at my plants, 80% of whom I rescued from abandon and allowed to flourish.

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When I was younger I thought of what my life would be like in my 20’s. I often thought what nigerian cultural values I would keep. I was naive to the fact that my culture wouldn’t present itself the same way it dose through my mother. I was so close to my heritage when I was living at home but now the fact that I am a first generation immigrant has squeezed some of my Yoruba culture through the cracks.

I live my life as an independent black British woman in London. I started to realise my identity was changing when instead of having eba and efo riro for dinner I’ll have a roast dinner on Sundays.

I thought my culture was ingrained in my identity but seeing it fade over the last few years has put things into perspective for me.

Saying this, I want my identity project to be based on my former cultural merged  with my new identity as a black British woman.

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During this photos I also took photos with Adobe capture. Using the “pattern” tool I was able to create many patterns.

This particular one inspires me to create a lino print using this pattern.

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Chalk on black paper

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Lately I’ve been finding it hard not to feel like I’m a failure. Everyone around me is being very encouraging but I find it hard to take their word for it. Enrolling at college was a solution to my most recent cry for help. Sometime I feel as though I am not worth good things and am deserving of all my short comings. On the other hand I remind myself that there is much more that awaits me. Heavy is my head and heavy is my heart when I see post of my age mates graduating university, I wish it were me. I often consider what my life would look like if I chose to stay at uni, then quickly realise that that was not where I was supposed to be nor what I was supposed to be doing. I Oyinloluwa will not be discouraged by the melancholy that ails me as I strive to be successful.

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I used wood glue to attach the the fingers back on

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Today I completed my mixed media final piece.

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Watercolour, pencil and white gel pen

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Using Shannon Bono’s work as inspection I decided to make a stencil from my Ankara fabric samples.

To make the stencil sturdy and durable to withstand multiple uses I layer sellotape along the surface of the paper before I started cutting out the pattern.

Because I only haven white spray paint at home I will wait until after half term to see the outcome.

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Today we practiced using intaglio an Italian printmaking method.

Intaglio paper is a piece of card with a payer of plastic on it. Scratch the areas you wish to print and leave areas you wish to keep white.

We were given the option to either use an  idea from our sketchbook and trace transfer it with carbon paper or draw freely onto intaglio paper.
I drew an Aloe Vera plant because during the pandemic my plant collection grew grown from 2 to 13. As I lived alone in London and didn’t get to see my friends and family that often I took comfort in taking care of my plants so they too have become a part of my new identity.

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Today I completed my Lino print, I am very very happy with the outcome.
I tried to make it as symmetrical as possible but I like the imperfections.

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First day back after half term, I spent most of my time catching up on the work that was missing from my sketchbook.

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Using Adobe capture created a pattern that I wanted to use to make a Lino print.

So far Lino has been my favourite form of print making as I find the process to be easy and stress relieving.

I was trying this method of transferring the image onto the Lino with wood glue, unfortunately it didn’t turn out the way the YouTube video showed.

This hiccup allowed me to realise that as the image I was trying to turn into print was a patten it would more efficient if I enlarge the image and only cut  1/4 of the pattern.
My next attempt I will try this.

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Plaster hand mould

Stage 1

Mix 1 part alginate to 2 parts water to create alginate mixture for mould

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After spray painting the head white, I took inspiration from the exercise we had done with the projector and cut out prints from the fabric and attach them to the head.

Although it didn’t give the same stretched and warped affect I wish to improve and develop the idea for my 3D outcome

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I really like the way this turned out. I want to spray paint it white and paint it.

I want to explore other ways of 3D sculpting.
Christine suggested I try modroc which is a bandage covered with plaster, when the plaster is activated with water the bandage can be moulded to the desired shape. I’ve asked to take some home to use for my project.

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Today I feel really depressed I didn’t go to college I stayed home caught up on some work in my sketchbook and set up the printer my brother got me for my birthday.

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One week after the plaster and concrete sculptures had dried we were tasked with choosing images to project onto the sculptures.

I wanted to project the photographs of the Ankara fabric onto the sculptures to see how they would look on an uneven background.

I think of it as a metaphor for the person my family sees my as project on to the imperfect person I am.

I took videos of the process as I really liked the way the colours were stretched over the textured surface.

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30 identity questions

1. I was born Thursday 7th October 1999 in Ibadan Nigeria

2. I was born in a church hospital, my mum went into labour while attending a night vigil at the church.

3. My mum described my labour as easy and within an hour I was welcomed into this world

4. I have a birthmark on my right shoulder, I used to tell my primary school friends that it was a tattoo.

5. My earliest memory was of my uncle eating eba and efo (a dish commonly eaten with your hands) with a fork just before my family and I moved to the UK

6. My first day at school in the UK I remember feeling so scared and begging my parents to take me home. When I got to the classes the teacher introduced me to the class and asked who would be my friend and one little girls hand shot straight up and she became my best friend for 10 years 7.

7. a/ A good memory from school is when I won an award at the annual eisteddfod for singing rolling in the deep by Adele. b/ A unpleasant memory from school is periodically receiving hateful comments about my race and microaggressions from peers and staff.

8. My favourite teacher was Miss Morgan my art teacher.

9. As a child my likes were watching David Attenborough documentaries with my brothers. My dislikes were bananas and tomatoes

10. My childhood best friends were Kayleigh David who loved to read and Emily Ramton-Carter who loves to play violin.

11. Thankfully I never had any childhood illnesses

12. One of my childhood fears was that I thought my house was haunted by alien ghosts like an episode of Doctor Who.

13. My childhood dream was that I one day I would become a zookeeper because I loved playing animal crossing on Nintendo

14. Knock knock. Who’s there? Orange. Orange who? Orange you glad I didn’t say banana.

15. As a teenager I loved the tv show Scandal. My dislikes were burgundy coloured clothing.

16. My favourite song is Day Dreaming by Aretha Franklin

17. My favourite places is St Fagans a Welsh museum and park we used to go for outings there as children.

18. My favourite colour is blue my favourite smell is mango.

19. What I’m most afraid of it being over open water either on a boat or bridge.

20. My idea of bliss is waking up in the morning and not have to worry about money.

21. I remember the first photo I took with my baby sister, I have her on my back with a shawl securing her her to me.

22. My favourite animals are cows i love there calm manner.

23. I used to have quite a few pets as a child but my most loved was my puppy named Bailey a goldendoodle.

24. The person I love is my best friend she always see the beauty and positivity in whatever life throws at her.

25. The person who I most admire is my mother who raised 5 children as a single working mother, she deserves her roses.

26. I am a Christian

27. Not really
28. My favourite artist is Caravaggio I enjoy the dark sinister scenes.

29. There are no artists in my family
30. My aspirations for the future is to complete this course with a distinction.

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Today I intended on visiting the summer exhibition at the RA coordinated by Yinka Shonibare. Unfortunately as we went on a Monday the exhibition was closed.

My friend and I decided to visits Christie’s instead.

Found quite a few artists that explore the concept of identity through their work such as Shannon Bono

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I became ill overnight so I told my teachers that I wouldn’t be able to make today’s class.
We have a trip planned today to go to the Excel centre for the UCAS fair, although I was ill I made my way to the Canary Wharf to attend.

I spoke to a few universities about my situation and status as a student.
I received very positive responses form the people I spoke to such as Joanne Anderson who was head of fine art department at Kingston university.
I explained to her how this past year has been for me in regards to my education.

I also asked her questions in regards to my application to university such as;

•What is Kingston university looking for in regards to portfolios?
Joanne directed me to the portfolio guidelines on the Kingston fine art page, I will be sure to use this when curating my portfolio.

•I asked, whether I would be able to apply to 2nd year (because of my status with student finance)
She said when I was making my ucas application I would be able to apply for direct entry into level 5, whether or not I am accepted is depending on the level of skill developed during my years in uni and my access course.

Joanne gave me her contact details, she was very encouraging and positive.

Going on this trip was very beneficial, I started the day filled with anxiety and stress but ended it feeling calmer about my decision to leave uni and start college again.

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Plaster Hand Sculpture

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Unfortunately I wasn’t able to successfully get all the fingers out of the mould intact. Once every thing is all dry I will reattach the fingers with glue

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Plaster hand mould

Stage 2

Make plaster mixture
Fill mould

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I chose to trace my photograph with biro as the strokes are smoother on tracing  paper

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Our lesson with Christine today involved us creating  sculptures out of plaster and old clothes/ fabric.

I chose to use two of my ankara sample.

Plaster Method
1) One part plaster to one part water.
2) Pour plater into water until it mound of plaster powder forms above the water.
3) Mix well
4) Work quickly

Concrete Method
1) One part concrete to one part water.
2) Mix well

To add structure to my sculptures I used cardboard, a plastic cup and chicken sore to hold the fabric in position after the mixture has been applied.

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Today we were given our brief for our first project titled ‘Identity’.
During this project we will explore 3D design, mixed media and print making.

I was asked to bring objects that represent different aspects of my identity.
As I don’t live in my family home I found it a little difficult to find personal things to being.
I brought Ankara fabric samples because it not only represent my culture but my relationship with my mother. The fabric reminds me of when she and I would go fabric shopping for custom made outfits to wear to Nigerian parties.
I brought a few more things that I use everyday suck as my house keys which is attached to my university lanyard.
Enrolling at college represents a new point in my life although it is daunting I strive to be successful.