Skills and Future Skills Development

To include my plans to maintain, and expand your business, and developments to sustain your skills, grow proficiency and finance support mental wellbeing.

For me, going to university to practice art, wasn’t a reinvention but a return to something essential. Now, with both the skills and the confidence to create, I am building a practice rooted in curiosity, material honesty, and the belief that it’s never too late to begin again.

1. After decades of working in a school,  a tissue typing laboratory and a merchant bank, I started a BA at UCW to formally pursue my lifelong passion for the arts. My age brings perspective and depth to my practice that I couldn’t have accessed earlier in life.  I am passionate to become a professional artist, selling my ‘Stone and Light’ Bowls, my fused glass and silver jewellery.  I aim to share my skills in the  Cyanotype process to schools and art groups, both of which will I find fulfilling and which will have a positive social impact on both types of art students.  

2. Current thinking about being sustainable is an important factor when making art, in fact, it is an important factor globally so starting out with this in mind is vital, not just to me but to everyone on the planet.

3. Skills & Knowledge which I have during my working career and as a university student.

Black and White photography. 

Glass Fusing.

Ceramics.

Cyanoptype printing.

Working with Cement.

Intaglio Printing. 

Digital Skills particularly with Apple.

Curating Exhibitions.

Working with Power tools.

Exhibited at Exhibitions at: Sidcot School, Pop up Art Shops and UCW.

Because of my age I have learned many trades and skills along the way, as well as being used to talking to people. I like the idea of continuous learning and will try to  Communication is an important part of being self employed this will assist me when making contact with galleries and other artistic establishments.  In order to maintain my skills in these specific fields I will endeavour to attend workshops where I can, to learn new skills and update my existing ones.  It will also be important to maintain contact with my university peer group, to share ideas and to support each other.

Networking is a prime element to my practice and therefore my on-line presence is important. This is essential so that I can remain visible on social media and perhaps more importantly, to inform prospective customers of my recent work,  and to illustrate who I am and what I believe in.

My portfolio is comprehensive and because of my continued learning it will be ever changing.  This means that my work will not get ‘stale’ and boring, it will evolve with new ideas and techniques, both found and learnt.  My branding is relevant at present, illustrating my work with Stone and Light bowls, but may change over the course of time to reflect my work at that particular time.

Although I am now sixty-three I aim to continue with my art practice until I become too infirm and mad to continue!