Day of the Dead Carnival Workshop

In preparation for Portsmouth's annual carnival in August, which this year has the theme of 'Day of the Dead', I volunteered at Portsmouth Youth Centre to host a mask making workshop for the carnival performers / walkers to wear. Despite getting acrylic paint on my favourite jeans (remember your aprons folks!), I had a lot of fun helping the children create their own designs, and even made my own once they had left! This would be a good project for anyone with children to do at home, all you need is a plain mask, paint, glitter, glue and any other cheap crafty bits you desire such as gems and feathers.

Postcards From My Neighbourhood

Throughout March 2018, Aspex Gallery in Portsmouth held a call for submissions for a postcard exhibition. Anyone of any age or ability who lives in Portsmouth (UK) could enter, and were asked to make A5 postcard with an image that visually responds to their neighbourhood. It could be a landmark, their favourite place, or something they either really love or hate about Portsmouth. Since my student residence is in Portsmouth, I decided to enter!

For my entry I had several ideas including Blue reef Aquarium and a door with the beach quite literally on its doorstep. In the end I decided I wanted to illustrate Clarence Pier as it's my favourite spot in Portsmouth. We learnt about its history as well as the general psychology of the beach in our 1st year visual culture lectures, and since then I became fascinated with the vintage seaside. The big blue and yellow arcade building is the most noticeable landmark of the pier with its striking colors, which is why I thought this would make a good design for a postcard.

I took some reference pictures, then made a watercolor wash background on an A5 piece of cardstock. The building was made on a separate sheet of card which I cut out and stuck onto my background to create depth after painting it with acrylic and adding Prismacolor / white gel pen details.I sent it off in an envelope before the deadline, and a few weeks later went to visit my postcard (which has now been gifted to the Portsmouth City Archive) at Aspex Gallery, only to find that it had been framed!

'Substance' Artist's Book Event

On the 18th of March 2018, Aspex gallery in Portsmouth held an artist's book event which featured books, poets and workshops held by established artists and students. From traditional books and zines to contemporary arts that question what a book really is, the event was a massive success.

One of my artist books, 'Underwater Carousel' featured at this exhibition. The underwater carousel is a metaphor of unrequited love; the dolphin, which can symbolise diligence, transformation, and love, constantly follows / chases after the sea horse which can connote stubborness and no hurry for advancement. An idea sparked by the lyrics "she said she won the world at a carnival, but she couldn't ever win me" from the song She Had the World by Panic! at the Disco, this artist's book captures a single frame of the carousel's endless spinning through the use of clay, wood, acrylic paint, and fabric.

Here's some pictures of other exhibitor's work, including that of  Lee Shearman's micro library, university of Portsmouth, Artists Books Online and Transrational Publications!