PREPARATION FOR SCREEN PRINTING.

Tomorrow I have a screen printing workshop with Jo, but instead of producing something I won't need, I have made a few small designs on something that can relate in some way to my project.

This also meant I was able to get a full screen to myself as it will help with my work.

Some quotes I came up with before the session and design were:

• Be happy where you are.
• Practice ignoring your negative thoughts.
• Relax, reflect, smile.
• No matter how s*** your day is, I bet something good happened.
• Will this matter a year from now?
• Lighten up.
• Turn this upside down. (Things are looking up already)

My templates:

 

The black areas on this template is what will eventually become colour. I also have a selection of papers to print on.

Things to consider:

• Put textures in the text?
• Bring in templates?
• Decide how to use space on the screen?
• Stitch paper together?

EMAIL TO ANTHONY BURRILL.

Browsing through the internet and having a tutorial with Sally, I came across Anthony Burrill's work. I think the way he works is interesting, simple and effective.

I particularly like this piece of work. The statement is strong and really makes you think. This is the sort of approach I want to take. However, in terms of use of colour I would probably approach it a different way depending on results of my surveys.

However I am happy I have a solid starting point now :)

I also emailed him:

Dear Anthony,

I have just been looking at your website and find your work really interesting.

I am a second year student at the Arts Institute of Bournemouth studying Visual Communication, currently working on my professional project.

My aim for this project is to encourage people to think in a more positive way, and from this encourage people to become more confident with how they perceive and live everyday life. This will be presented through not only the words, but the design and use of colour too.

Where do you begin to think about the words you are choosing to make people re-think?

Are there any tips you can give me to influence my way of working?

I would be extremely grateful of any help you could give me.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Many thanks

Megan Corkhill

Just need to wait on a reply!

SOME THOUGHTS.

Ok, so after a stressful day yesterday, a relaxing coach journey back got me thinking...

I really feel as though I need to sort myself out. I feel like I'm slacking. If not slacking, then I feel as though something is going wrong because I am struggling with all this work. I shouldn't be because it'll be 10times worse in the real world!

I need to become more organised. So from now on I will be planning each day ahead. Maybe a week, depending on what's on. I need to manage my Uni work around my job. Trying to juggle all these projects and work is getting me down. I need to do something that I can keep up as well as I am rubbish at continuing with new ways!

LONDON TRIP.

Ok, so over the weekend, James and I planned a route around London to visit various exhibitions which would link to our professional projects. He planned the trains that we would be getting (as I have no idea where to start with London) and he agreed to be my tour guide.

At first we thought that leaving at 7 in the evening would be too much time, but turned out to be not enough as it took so long to get around anywhere! With delays on the tube, this slowed our journey down more.

However, we made it to every destination we wanted to target, but unfortunately we left London in great disappointment as the gallery's were either shut or taken down (despite saying the open dates on the websites) by the time we reached them. 

As I am really not familiar with London at all, it was an experience. A stressful one at that! I found people very rude and certainly made me never want to live there.

The highlight of my day was Leake Street. James, Laura, Chris and myself walked through this tunnel which was completely covered top to bottom, in graffiti. It was incredible! :) We also visited the London Graphic Store, a very nice art shop which I could have spent all day in.

I have agreed to go back there to try visit various exhibitions again. At least I know what I am expecting now! 

Unfortunately I have come back with nothing that will contribute greatly to my professional project, or my essay. I feel as though I have lost a day and am now starting to panic a bit! :(

TUTORIAL WITH KIT (&SALLY).

So after the presentations and a talk with Kit and Sally, I can finally describe what it is I want to achieve without going off on a tangent! :) This will more than likely change, however for now I am happy with how this stands:

'I am encouraging people to think in a more positive way. From more positive thinking  I want to encourage people to become more confident with how they perceive everyday life.'

These tutorials lasted for a long long time, however I enjoyed being able to talk about other people's work with them and bounce ideas around. Unfortunately, by the time it got to my turn, it was approaching the end of the day and half my group had to disappear off. I was still able to get some solid suggestions though, as there were less people so we were all agreeing on things as opposed to switching and changing minds.

I have had positive feedback from both Sally and Kit for the idea, and I want to push it as far as it can go in the given time space I have.

By the end of the tutorial I have agreed some targets to meet by the next time we meet.

• I need to research Anthony Burrill > consider use of colour, connect with colour theory/analyse and compare to how I work.
• Positive thinking.
• Quotes and design > decide where it will appear > advert in magazine?
• Recording process? > gather info from 10-20 people and map > 10 good things about each day > record how they feel after taking this exercise?
• Look at 'Poems in the waiting room'.

Think about researching:

• How can groups of people motivate each other?
• Look at 'True' (graphic designer).
• Primary research.
• Colour theory.
• State of mind.
• Psychology.
• Stereotyping.

BEGINNING THE RESEARCH.

I have started to look at colour theory and colour therapy. This will contribute to the psychological aspects of my work. I am hoping that once I have some answers and proven facts, I can form another survey to see how different people of all ages, but also artistic and non artistic people react to certain colours. 

I am currently awaiting a tutorial with Kit to help with where I should be going as I don't want to go off on a tangent!

PRESENTATION DAY.

Ok, so I was really dreading today as first of all I hate presentations, but as I was towards the end of the very long day it was, the more I saw how people were getting 'shot down' I was really scared at the reactions I would receive!

However, despite my worries and feeling a little negative, I enjoyed watching other peoples presentations as it was good to see what people had come up with. I feel my presentation went well, I produced a powerpoint presentation accompanied by an explanation of my ideas. This was another thing that made me nervous as every time up until that point I had tried to explain my ideas to people, and each time they came out different! Luckily I pulled myself together at the presentation and apparently what I wanted made sense, so that's a relief!

I finished my presentation with a short survey from my classmates to form the first part of my research. This was successful in some aspects however I feel a few people didn't take it seriously enough, and as this is for my professional project I was quite annoyed at this.

I chose a series of images and asked my peers to write one word on how the image makes them feel. This did include colours as well, however my presentation broke down a little here so will do a separate survey for colour using non-artistic people. My reasoning behind this was to see how peoples mood was affected/what feelings people associate with certain surroundings.

However, it does form research and will continue to include the results and findings, however I think I would rather do my survey more on a one on one or small groups in order to get accurate and serious answers.

To summarise:

• I want to produce something to help make people think more positively, particularly when they are stressed. 
  
• I want people to reflect on the good things in their day, not the bad.
  
• I want my design and use of colour to enhance the way people think psychologically.
• I will use surveys and experiments to form primary research.
• I will be researching the psychology behind colour and how they effect people.
• Make people remember, they can't forget their problems, but can think more positively about them.
• Aim is for more positive thinking, and self confidence.
• It's all about your way of thinking. This CAN be controlled.

Feedback:

"Don't sweat the small stuff" (refer to this).

'Is the glass half full or half empty?' Does this reflect how people think? Look at their reasoning.

Good presentation, and fastest survey!

Good use of time, and good idea to use presentation for research purposes too.