Evaluation 2

Reflecting on the past few months, not much has changed regarding the online degree show. It has been organised as best as we could liaising between students working from home and in the studio. I would say that has been the biggest struggle – working as a team when you cannot physically have discussions. Communication becomes slightly disjointed, and things get lost in translation over zoom meetings. However, in saying that I think we have managed as best as we could under the circumstances. Once we received news of a physical show, we collectively decided against using a virtual exhibition platform (Art steps). I was happy with this decision as I find virtual galleries hard to navigate and are lacking as an emotive art viewing experience. Plus, with the degree website still going ahead, it seemed a bit nonsensical to have multiple online viewing options.

For self-promotion, I have continued to focus on using Instagram as my main platform. I undertook a social media for freelance artists training session which provided me with lots of advice and handy tips in how to create engagement with my audience. I must admit, I still need to put all of this into action as it can sometimes feel like a full-time job but moving forward this is something that I am committed to pursuing. I suppose the reason I have hesitated is that the algorithm likes if you have a balance of personal and professional, and I am a bit fearful of sharing too much of the personal part.

Regrettably, I was unable to produce a finished website in time for promotion module hand in. I did not want to rush making my website in fear it looked unprofessional, I wanted to take my time with it. Instead, I have created a landing page which has my email for enquiries and advises the viewer that its under construction. This will allow me to spend time pulling it all together, or potentially hiring someone to build it for me. As well as this, I am in the process of creating my business cards in time for degree show. I am enquiring into the digital version that Tim is using as I think the contactless nature of this is appealing, especially under the current pandemic circumstances.

I have been a member of different artist enterprises for some time now and find these useful for networking and making connections. I have been contacted by a curator to make work for an exhibition about myths and old wives’ tales in motherhood via the Spilt Milk Gallery, launching September this year. Alongside this, I had begun a position as volunteer artist within Six Foot Gallery, but due to personal circumstances the timing is not right, and I’ve been placed on the waiting list for the next run of artists. I am also volunteering at the GI festival in June which will be another opportunity to gain relevant experience. All the above are great ways for me to meet creative individuals and form positive working relationships that will hopefully lead to potential future opportunities.

This is a great wee book I picked up a wee while ago by delphian gallery. It's got lots of relevant info and good advice. I thought I'd share the last bit of the book.

Booked in for 2 slots are the photography studio to get profesh photos for the online show! Very pleased with the outcome considering there is potential for my all white objects to fall flat on the white backdrop. 😅 Now I have the struggle of choosing which 12 to submit!

final poster design - formatted by Matthews sister.

Weekly Instagram Schedule for posts.

Zine bust

Trying to get folk to upload work to the drive to start creating the zine was like pulling teeth. I could tell that folk weren't too fussed and as soon as it was announced that the physical show was a go ahead then that plan soon became null and void. The whole purpose of the zine was to generate funds for us to put on a future show so it wasn't too relevant anymore. I think it would still have been a nice wee keepsake for us but hey ho.

It just made me feel a little concerned that I hadn't done enough for group promotion as I was in the zine group but I tried to make up for that by helping with physical install last week wherever I was needed.

I thought I'd post a link to the other padlet we were using throughout organisation within the promo module.

Surely it's not all downhill from here??

I've been feeling so uneasy, slightly overwhelmed and just a bit feart to finish up. What does come next? Is it going to be a difficult life of funding applications after funding applications (one thing that I think should definitely be it's own module for art students, just saying) or will the perfect 9-5 in the creative industries fall on my lap? Who knows...

There are a few opportunities that I am going to apply for. One being an internship at Glasgow ceramics studio and the 2nd being an assisstant post at Edinburgh sculpture workshops. I could do these two together which would be brilliant. So finger crossed!!

So I decided rather than not starting a website that I should at least get the ball rolling and set it as 'under construction'. This allows me to get business cards made with the site name on for degree show and will at least be something that is a means on contact for anyone that may be interested. I have bought the domain names www.lynseywatsonstudio.co.uk from go daddy and its in the process have linking it to the Wix platform (could take a few days)

I also decided to make a new email address, separate from my main one that is used for everything! It keeps the inbox clean and links better with my personal "brand" so to say.

- [email protected]

Editing image for Jackarts submission. I couldn't not choose the balloon photo, it's pretty epic. All the photos from Alex were landscape so I edited this to portrait to see how it would look.. I've sent both files for submission and leaving it up to the curator to decide what looks best. I think this blown up will look amazing!!

Boards up and ready to get painted!!

Show prep reflection

As we all know, it's been a weird year to graduate. The constant state of flux has made it hard to organise our degree show without hiccups, and there was a point for a while there where no one had a clue what was going on. I think we should all be proud of how we have navigated the promotion module, and I can only commend the marketing team on how hard they have worked to keep the instagram rolling - it can't have been easy having to keep on top of other people in the class.

We had to vote more times on a poster than I'd care to remember, and yet there were still unhappy individuals. And if I'm being entirely honest, its not my favourite. I much prefer the one that was made for all the degrees with the box and the eyes looking up - it just looks so much more professional.

I still feel like there are promo materials we have to do, for example, a pamphlet.. but now that everyone has submitted their artist statement that should be easy enough to draft up and get printed quickly before the physical show.

Mythical Mother

I was contacted by a curator via the spilt milk enterprise to create work for her exhibition called Mythical Mother. We had a quick zoom chat and she will send me out the project brief but its along the lines of folklore in motherhood, old wives tales etc etc.

I'm quite excited, its something to work towards after graduation and will hopefully take place a physical show as it'll be August time.

Website

Ive been on the fence about making a website. I don't want to just rush it so I tick a box for the promo submission. I'd rather hold off until I can spend a good bit of time on, and curate it properly with high quality images.

Although, I've been looking for domain names and can get a really good deal for www.lynseywatson.co.uk or www.lynseywatsonstudio.co.uk for around £10 for two year.

I've made a website for dissertation on Wix so will likely use that platform again as I found it easy to use and you can use your domain name purchased from elsewhere as their prices are quite steep.

My insta takeover on @artcogc!!!

I WANNA GET PHYSICAL, PHYSICAL.

Ya wee dancer. I am so buzzing that we are getting a physical degree show! I couldn't be more excited about this news.

But now this poses the question about whether people want to bother with the Zine or not? The Zine was really a means to gather funds for us to put on a future physical exhibition so I'm not sure peoples thoughts on that now that we are getting that box ticked! I know people are going off to do lots of different things once we graduate so it wasn't really a thing for everyone anyway.

It's something that needs to be discussed

But if the answer is no, then I'd be keen to jump over to the install team. I do feel like I've not done too much for the group organisation of the show and that's worrying me slightly, so I'd really like to be involved where my strengths lie and I would say installation is one of my strengths. And just really so I can have an active input as well.

Next steps...

I've been battling with the impending doom feeling about graduating for the past few weeks now. It's hard to not feel overwhelmed about change and things coming to an end. Also starting to question about what comes next?

I never got in to do the tqfe course. To be honest, I wasn't surprised. I had to kinda bs on my personal statement about what experience I had but that was only because I couldn't get said experience due to lockdown! So I think the next best thing for me is to get out in to the world and build up that cv in any way I can.

I've just been offered voluntary gallery assistant position as Six Foot Gallery so I will work there every Thursday which will be a great experience for me. And I've got a zoom interview on Monday regarding GI so two good opportunities for experience.

I'm not panicking or worrying too much now. I want to enjoy finishing this course and really put my all in to it during this next month. As well as move and finish renovating our new house. I'm hopeful that a good opportunity will come my way once my life has calmed down a smidge.

fingers crossed!!