We are very excited to begin the 21^st Century Challenges module with you.

 In advance of the start date, we have 2 Important bits of information for you:

1. You are required to write 500 words that explore the question: ‘Who am I’ reflecting on the following criteria to be uploaded as pdf to this Padlet link beneath your name ready for us to begin in week one:

·       Your interest in drawing / mark making

·       Ways in which your art practice, and the practice of artists/designers you find

inspiring, use creativity to achieve a more heightened connection with nature and communities.

·       Ways in which you connect to nature

·       Ways in which you connect with people

2. There is a Field-study trip to the National Botanical Gardens, Wales in the second week as an integral part of the module delivery. You need to sign up for this trip in advance, the portal will close on Friday 22^nd November. You can find the MetHub signup link for the trip here: https://methub.cardiffmet.ac.uk/students/events/detail/755038

You will also need to complete the Health & Safety Travel Form here: https://methub.cardiffmet.ac.uk/form.aspx?id=740636 

You only need to fill in this form once – so if you have already been on a trip and completed the form this academic year, you do not need to do it again.  

See you at 10am Tuesday 19^th November in the Life drawing room please bring with you basic drawing equipment.

Lauren Degg

Kristen Akhurst

Izzy Allen

Lily Angel

Clara Ashley

Olivia Atkinson

Fathima Nadha Azmy

Kornelia Borgosz

Caitlin Brill

Jasmine Calzado

Jack Dobbs

Aisha Farag

Fflur Faulkner

Ellis Gee

Beau Gilasbey

Rahjive Grant

Joshua Harlow-Warnock

Issy Jenkins

Jemima Jones

Megan Price

Leah Richards

Hayley Stillman

Bella Vinson

Due to my beliefs in sustainability, I often use reusable, recycled and bio-based materials when creating my artwork. I enjoy thinking outside the box and questioning the use of pre-existing materials in creating such as plastic waste. Additionally, I also like the idea of collecting natural materials to be used within my work, this could be things such as wild clay which could be processed and utilised in making functional objects. I'm also interested in making natural dyes I have some experience in this previously, however, I would like to investigate this further by looking at how flowers, rocks and other foraged materials can be made into natural dyes.

An artist that I find inspirational is Anna Chan as she uses materials that she collects to make interesting wildlife pieces. She collects materials such as sand and seashells to create mosaic-like portraits of animals. I especially like how tactile and interactive the pieces are this is something I would like to achieve in this project. I believe that my practice can achieve a more heightened connection with nature by using natural objects directly within the making for example this could be making my paintbrushes, my paint or my paper. I thoroughly enjoy mark-making and looking at textures I often ensure that my pieces are tactile as I enjoy learning through feel. When drawing I am particularly interested in plants, flowers and natural scenes. When making these I don't necessarily have a material in mind, and I like to take inspiration from the objects I am looking at which means I often experiment.

·        Viewing the same space through different perspectives

·        Take photos

·        Layering tracing paper of patterns around

·        Create rubbings

·        Use natural materials to create a natural resist or collagraph approach

·        Indexical drawings [unintentional drawings]

·        Leaving a drawing and going back to it to watch it degrade

·        Strategies linking to senses

Tactile, Soundscapes, Rhythm and patterns, Visual [pattern and colour], Smell [find equivalents/convey through other means, colours coded]

·        Investigate the interaction of these senses

·        Psychogeography travelling with art

Letting nature do the work- go back to retrieve after

·        Transition of spaces

·        Emotional experience- would you capture an emotional experience

·        Map the shape of the walk- paper is a recording of the whole walk- the passing of time

·        Track pulse, and heart rate and take photos

How do you track your experiences without it becoming  synthetic

·        Conversation- useful as a marker of a journey

·        Leaving things behind creating pockets of time

·        Collect a broader range as possible to collect for workshops

·        Materials you draw with have as much say as what to draw

·        Clash between synthetic and natural

·        What do you draw on may also attribute to your work too

Accumulative approach, concertina book that is passed along, tracing paper, concentrate on gathering different time zones

·        Try to capture a sensorial landscape not just a recording of what is in front of you

·        Think about the job and coding of the materials- do they represent a smell etc

·        Capture the experience of a walkthrough of a character and put ourselves in the imagery

·        Several iterations of an image to create a sequence

·        Cultivated spaces- not nature and nature at the same time

·        Viewing the same space through different perspectives

·        Take photos

·        Layering tracing paper of patterns around

·        Create rubbings

·        Use natural materials to create a natural resist or collagraph approach

·        Indexical drawings [unintentional drawings]

·        Leaving a drawing and going back to it to watch it degrade

·        Strategies linking to senses

Tactile, Soundscapes, Rhythm and patterns, Visual [pattern and colour], Smell [find equivalents/convey through other means, colours coded]

·        Investigate the interaction of these senses

·        Psychogeography travelling with art

Letting nature do the work- go back to retrieve after

·        Transition of spaces

·        Emotional experience- would you capture an emotional experience

·        Map the shape of the walk- paper is a recording of the whole walk- the passing of time

·        Track pulse, and heart rate and take photos

How do you track your experiences without it becoming  synthetic

·        Conversation- useful as a marker of a journey

·        Leaving things behind creating pockets of time

·        Collect a broader range as possible to collect for workshops

·        Materials you draw with have as much say as what to draw

·        Clash between synthetic and natural

·        What do you draw on may also attribute to your work too

Accumulative approach, concertina book that is passed along, tracing paper, concentrate on gathering different time zones

·        Try to capture a sensorial landscape not just a recording of what is in front of you

·        Think about the job and coding of the materials- do they represent a smell etc

·        Capture the experience of a walkthrough of a character and put ourselves in the imagery

·        Several iterations of an image to create a sequence

·        Cultivated spaces- not nature and nature at the same time

I think artists and designers can be very effective at bridging a connection with nature and displaying it in a way that is digestible and can be apricated by many others. Artists can easily create art to highlight certain parts of nature that can be eye catching and make people feel something. Some artists even use nature as a medium such as natural ink making, printing/ painting onto leaves, trees, rocks ect. These things may be a more obvious way for people to give a second thought and connection to nature.

Designers, such as interior designers and architects have the ability to take a different approach to embracing nature, making it accessible in living spaces, public spaces, work spaces and so on. Designers can create buildings and environments around a focus of nature, by using biophilic design methods. This includes but is not limited to the usage of water ( water fountains/ features) which naturally relax the mind and make us feel safe. Designers can create an environment to accommodate plants and animals, allow for plenty of natural light and airflow, which indirectly connects its inhabitants to nature.

I am interested in drawing as I find it very relaxing in a way, it can also be stressful at times but for the most part it allows me to be present in the moment and also makes me feel proud and accomplished for creating something I can be proud of. Practising art is especially rewarding when you can see improvements in progress. I am also interested in mark making especially printing as its something I don’t have much experience in so it will be a fun challenge and opportunity to learn a new skill which could even benefit me in my course and in my future profession.