Catching up...Year One...Part Two...Look what I made!!

So in this post I will attempt to sum up and remember most of my first year at Uni...easy right?

Perhaps I should start with a few pics of my work...(look out for the oompah loopah!)

In my first year I learnt tonnes of things
I made tonnes of stuff
using tonnes of techniques
in tonnes of different ways
and discovered tonnes of different ways to hurt myself as I went along!

Here's my desk set up for module assessment at the end of year one!
All items are made from glass, ceramics or metal.

 

STUFFS!

MORE STUFFS!!

                 EVEN MORE STUFFS!!!

ANOTHER BUNCH OF STUFFS (and an Oompah Loompah) !!!

Year One (level four) of my Uni Applied Arts course was all about being introduced to and learning about the materials, getting familiar with them, experiencing new techniques and discovering the possibilities of working in Glass, Metal and Ceramics.                                                                                                                 The idea was for me to learn as much as possible as quicly as possible so that I could get some sort of an idea as to which direction I would like my art practice to head in....however my problem was that I loved EVERYTHING!

Another of our modules was in Computer Aided Design,  learning all about Solidworks software and 3D Printing. This topic totally fascinated me, the growth of 3D printing and it's impact on the world is extraordinary.                                                                                                                                                                      We visited the 3D printing facilities in the university and at the end of the semester had the opportunity to design and print our own 3D Polymer objects...

                                                                                                   I designed a set of stacking rings which are shown in the pic on the left after they had been printed!







During my first year I had a blast and amazingly, despite my hectic life I also somehow managed to get very decent marks...overall I got 2 B's and FOUR A's!!  (Pats on the back are greatly appreciated) (Please excuse my ego!) Seriously though, the marks made my year and hugely increased my confidence in my abilities... I was so proud to have been able to keep my marks at the level of my peers despite my busy life at home with my children and running my business.

I was so keen to show off the work that I had made that I held a mini exhibition evening at my house for my family and friends and I told them all to choose pieces to take home with them - I love that now when I visit their homes they have items that I have made proudly on display......

.....Plus to be honest if I had kept it all...god knows where the hell I would have put it!!

Catching up...Year One....Part one...

(I'll begin the catch up posts with a blog post that I actually wrote during my first year but for some reason didn't actually post at the time!)

and it's been a while.....

13/2/13

Sooooo....it would seem that the reality of becoming a mature ball-juggling student is literally falling off the earth and not even finding the time to update the blog that you deludedly started when you assumed that some of your time would still be your own.

Here I am in Semester 2 and it's bizarre that there are less than 3months left of my first year. The shortness of the university year is suddenly so apparent. Perhaps these three years are going to fly by?

The Uni really feels like home now however I'm still lacking in organisation and still not too good at using my study days for study but I'm still hoping that one day I'll get the hang of it. Perhaps at the end of my third year.

Today I got the last of my marks for my work last semester so here they are in full ...cue fanfare...

(Da dadadaDA da da DAHH)

...3 B's!!!

AND ONE A!!!!

So perhaps it's been well worth neglecting my blogging for :) 

I suspect that this is the first A grade that I have achieved for around 20years....grades such as these were last seen during my first year at Secondary school!

*cheesy grin!!!!*

...since I could hold my head up high.

Sweet Dreams Poet

...So long and goodnight....

23/6/14

In Memoriam

Our department was dealt a cruel blow shortly after assessments this year when one of our much loved colleagues tragically lost his life. He was an extremely talented artist and craftsman and I feel privileged to have studied alongside him both at university and also previously on the access course at college. He used the tag 'Poet' when signing his work, an extremely apt monicker for this deep thinking, caring and intelligent gentleman.

When we return in October his absence will be felt so very strongly and the 2016 graduation year will be incomplete without him alongside them when they collect their awards.

Sweet dreams Poet
X

Back from Outer Space....

..And so you're back,  from Outer Space....

23/6/14

Well Hello Earthlings....

I have returneth'd.

It would appear that my earlier intentions to improve my time management have pretty much just consisted of me no longer managing any time whatsoever in which to write my blog.

 It has been a massive 20 months since  my last confession and this self appointed life juggler has apparently dropped the balls quite a few times along the way!! 

However when I read back on this blog I really am so very glad for the few posts that I did write when I began University. It's cool to have the record of how I was thinking and feeling as I embarked upon this adventure. It gives me a tool that helps me to reflect upon the changes that I have undergone since starting university and I can appreciate just how much I have gained from this experience so far. This is why I'm back and I want to keep adding new posts... I have so much to write about, I've had so many awesome experiences and I have learnt so much!

Three updates that I will begin with:

Firstly- Life as I approach 35 has changed a little...Following cut backs, set backs and a dead budgie it now stands as such:

 I currently run my business, the lives of two now teenage daughters, a house, a frog and I still run myself ragged. 

Secondly- Despite trashing various items of clothing at uni I still haven't actually bought myself any overalls. I don't understand why and, after rereading this blog and rediscovering my initial enthusiasm for them, I now feel the need to get myself a set ASAP! 

Thirdly- As predicted, I still despise my student ID photograph and people actually laugh out loud when they see it. 

 SO...hopefully over the next few weeks I'm going to add quite a few

 'catch up posts' to bring the reader up to speed and to attempt to get into writing down many of the experiences and thoughts that I really want to hold onto. 

Be prepared for a remarkable voyage through time and space dear readers!

..and you see me, Somebody new.....