It’s been a very strange start to my degree. We have spent the first six months re-looking at the basics and in March we were about to start to focus on our own projects when the government lockdown hit. As students we have all had to study from home some more successfully than others but none of us have had the luxury of the facilities at UCLAN. We have therefore spent our time researching, working online and looking at other ceramicists to build up our knowledge. As this has been a hands on practical course, online working isn’t conducive.
Now that we are at the start of the new academic year we are all trying to muster some energy to restart our focus on our projects. You would think that after such a long gap we would be raring to go, but sadly this is not the case. Due to social distancing and a few students extending their study interruptions it doesn’t feel the same anyone. The energy we once had has disappeared, the loss of two of the three members of staff has had a drastic effect on the department, the school fighting for additional resources to help run the course and the fact that the university looks like a ghost town as students study online has effected the vibe of the place. This has had a bigger effect on me than I was expecting. I’m finding it hard to get motivated, I’m crying due to my frustration, I’m restless.
This term I need to focus on my form. My making processes are not right for what I want to achieve so I have made a maquette to see how modular working may create a solution for my large outdoor sculptures. I have switched to paperclay as it is lighter, stronger and is still workable when dry. These properties will enable me to scale up in size far easier than using traditional stoneware clay. I’m currently researching Barrow’s history, drawing sketches and capturing lots of images to inform my work. My biggest challenge of this degree will be capturing the form of my work. We are finally back in the UCLAN workshop, although struggling with motivation I’m sure we will get accustomed to the new way of working and in time, restart where we left off.
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