Category: Practice Based Research

Reflective writing about the pieces I create or experiment with in studio during this MA, along with samples of sketchbooks and notebooks etc.

Iridescent Alloys

When I was applying for this MA, I remember compiling my portfolio. It had a smattering of this and that. I loved many forms of art and I was not ashamed to stuff them all into my portfolio. But even as I compiled it I knew what I lacked: a voice. An individual, unique form of art that represented me as an artist. I guess that is one of the primary things I was searching for when I began this program. I have to admit something. Growing up, I had the WORST art teachers. This is partly the reason that …

2.5D animation: First attempt

Right after that fateful MPR day we had a pop-up art show happening in the Camberwell College common room. At first I was mopey and didn’t want to submit anything, but Janet’s email got me going and I decided to leave the current WIPs and move onto something I had been waiting to try for a long time: 2.5D animation. It took some research to figure out that I could use a combo of old photoshop and blender to create these animations for free. Blender LOOKED extremely difficult; way too many buttons and things and it took a few tutorials …

Diving or Sinking

My latest artists case study was Karina Llergo. I saw her work online some time ago and spent many days simply staring at it, mesmerized. It took a while for the paintings to sink in and connect themselves to the jigsaw puzzle that is my MA project. I wrote a blog about her work just now and now I want to talk about the painting I completed today that sprang from my analysis of her work. You could say that the following painting is an amalgamation of all the experiments and secondary research I have done thus far. It does …

Artist Case Study 3: Jackie Peach

In my quest to find form within the abstract art of acrylic pouring, I stumbled onto artist Jackie Peach. I loved how her paintings were created through pouring paint and yet held a distinct image. Just like me, Jackie Peach began art after being propelled into business school because people need “sensible” careers. And then, just like me, life caught up really fast and she had to put her dreams on hold. Anyway, she got back on track and I can relate to that and find that really inspirational. Another thing that is really interesting is where she gets her …

The Other Story Project — Illustrated

The Other Story Project, mentioned in one of the previous blog posts, is a public art project I’ve been following for quite some time. I guess it is exactly my idea of using various forms of art and community involvement to build a cultural narrative. The Other Story Project often orchestrates a collaboration with artists to create a version called “The Other Story Project–Illustrated”. In January they reached out to me to join the team of artists illustrating one story each for the month of February. This is the story I was given (originally in Arabic, below is a close …