The Importance of Peers for Personal Growth During the Unit.

I feel very fortunate to have built a strong network of student friends and colleagues over the years. These relationships have been invaluable to my development, both personally and as an artist. This has encouraged me to run groups to join as many people together as possible, as personally I find these interactions so valuable and extend so much further than a silent crit group, stretching ideas, encouraging curiosity and nurturing creative risk taking. (Particularly project 9 and 10).

For two of the projects in this unit, we were asked to seek peer feedback. This process highlighted just how others see in my work. Some peers have known me for years and understand the artistic journey of my practice, while others are newer voices who bring fresh perspectives. The feedback I’ve received has been generous, thoughtful, and constructive, full of suggestions and alternative approaches that have challenged me to expand and refine my work.

These meetings also reminded me that even the most talented artists experience moments of doubt. Sharing these thoughts is generous, and has only deepened my respect for the insight and skills my peers bring to the group. Their willingness to share knowledge and offer support has been a significant source of motivation for me.

I run two level 3 social groups, both of mixed discipline, a level 3 silent crit group and I attend a different level 3 group with alumni artists mixed with current students.

The two sketchbook swap groups I run, are quiet at the moment due to assessment, however they will start again soon.

I met with a fellow student Vicky to see the Kiefer/Van Gogh exhibition at the RA. In February of this year I saw the Electric Dreams Exhibition at the Tate Modern with fellow students Jan, Anna and Steve. I hope we all will remain friends long after we’ve finished the course.

My project plan – have I adhered to this?

In a loose sense, yes, I have. My practice remains centered on my love/hate relationship with water and has extended to collaborating with the river water and working with found materials, both natural and discarded, as active partners in making the work. This ongoing dialogue with the river continues to shape my process and ideas.

I have written extensively about my complex love/hate relationship with water. After a summer enjoying open water swimming, I now find myself dreading the long, wet months ahead, a shift in feeling that has inevitably seeped into the work itself.

While my original project plan included an interest in traditional mapping, I have steered away from that approach and explored alternative ways of recording my interactions with the river, continuing my investigation into personal flooding as both a physical and emotional condition. This shift has allowed the projects to evolve organically, staying true to its central concerns while opening up new avenues of exploration.

How has my knowledge gained influenced and developed my approach to making? 

Later on in the course, I visited the Anselm Kiefer exhibition at the RA. Experiencing Kiefer’s work in person, the immense scale, the physicality of the materials, and the rawness of his work definitely had a impact on me. It encouraged me to push myself beyond familiar techniques and to experiment more boldly in search of ways to express my own ideas.

Equally important has been my tutor’s guidance in helping me ‘loosen up’ my approach. Her encouragement to let go of precision, alongside her recommendations of artists to research, has expanded my understanding of process driven and material led practices. This combination of first hand encounters and guided study has deepened my appreciation of texture, scale, and experimentation, which now play a central role in how I approach the making.

Have I made any interesting discoveries that enhanced my working methods? Have I been inspired to try any new approaches?

Over the course of the year, my practice has developed steadily as I’ve embraced new processes. Experimenting with collagraphs and cyanotypes was a significant step for me, as I had not worked with either method before. Both techniques opened up new possibilities for texture, colour, and surface, and I found them rewarding enough to extend this across several projects.

These discoveries have encouraged me to continue exploring alternative processes alongside my sculptural and material based work. They have also reinforced the value of experimentation in driving my practice forward, reminding me that trying unfamiliar methods often leads to unexpected and exciting outcomes.

Have I tried any new techniques, ideas or processes as a result of my learning, feedback and reflections?

Yes. As previously mentioned, I have been strongly encouraged by my tutor to break through my own boundaries and step outside familiar habits. This guidance has been invaluable in helping me focus on nurturing each project in turn, rather than feeling overwhelmed by trying too many new approaches all at once.

By dedicating time and attention to one project at a time, I was able to explore new ideas and processes more deeply, including working with collagraphs, cyanotypes, and unconventional uses of paper and found materials. This approach has ensured that the time I spent experimenting was purposeful and genuinely invested in the development of each individual piece.

In what ways has my practical work brought about new areas for exploration? Have I engaged with any new forms of source material?

Researching the work of Emma Stibbon, as recommended by my tutor, has inspired me to maintain an ongoing sketchbook. I now work both physically with pen and pencil, and digitally, having gradually taught myself to use Procreate over the last couple of years. This sketchbook practice has become an important habit, even when I’m not directly working on coursework, I’m still drawing, observing, and thinking, which continues to expand and inform my practice.

The work of Mark Dion, also suggested by my tutor, prompted me to begin collaborating with the river water itself. This shift was significant, as it transformed the river from a subject into an active participant in my process. It encouraged further experimentation later in the course, deepening my exploration of material and environmental collaboration.

Which aspects of my learning have inspired me to go into new research directions or to make discoveries?

To some extent, everything I’ve experienced over the past year has been part of a continuous progression, each project has built on the last, and every new artist I’ve researched has opened another avenue to explore. I have particularly valued the encouragement of my tutor and peers, which has given me the confidence to experiment and take creative risks.

This mindset has shifted my focus from working toward a fixed final destination to appreciating the journey itself. Each stage of research and making has felt like a step forward in discovery, allowing my practice to evolve in ways I hadn’t anticipated.