Daunted in unit 2 by the size of the chapter to read, I decided to make sure I did the reading first this time so that it was done.
It took me approximately 5 hours to read this chapter which is an approvament on my first attempt but still quite a while.
This time I changed the way I made notes. Instead of reading a paragraph and then making a note, I read a sub-chapter or large chunk of text first and then skimmed back over it to summarise and make notes. This meant that I could read and absorb the information and I understood the content and context far better. As I kept stopping and starting on unit 2, I was losing the flow of the text and struggling to make sense of it. Also, making notes as I went meant that they were very lengthy and often repetitive. This time my notes are much more logical and easy to read for quick information.
I feel that this time, I have remembered and understood the text and I enjoyed the reading more. I am definitely on the right track and with more practice I will hopefully be able to do this even quicker.
The following evening I watched the film. Having read the chapter first and having a good knowledge on the subject, the film was easier to watch and gave a very good summary of the key points.
I found that I also enjoyed watching the film as I could sit back a bit more and take greater notice of the images shown, rather than looking away to make notes on it all and missing bits.
The variety of images shown was helpful to better illustrate the message and helped me to understand more and identify characteristics of the works.
I am very pleased with my progress after only 2 units and really fell that my study skills are back in action.
Tuesday 19 January 2010
First Visit - Classical Building - Unit 2
After reading the first visit and project requirements I didn't think that I would be able to do this straight away due to the lack of Classical style buildings in my area.
A look on the internet however, proved I was wrong and there were in fact an abundance of buildings locally that were either completely in the classical style or had classical elements to their design.
I chose to visit the Royal Pump Rooms Gallery & Museum in Leamington as I would also have access to inside, as it is a public building. I had been here several times but had never taken any notice of the architecture or design.
I started on the day by taking many photos of the exterior and notes about the design. I didn't do any sketches as it started to rain. Having read the chapter already, I was able to recognise and identify aspects of the design that are in the classical style. I also noticed the elements that had been added or amended, and the parts that although built at the same time, were not in the classical style, but the regency style of the time.
I then went inside to make comparisons as it had been completely renovated about 20 years ago and most of the original features and layout had been changed. In the public areas there is no evidence of classical influences. Some of the rooms have suspended ceilings and partition walls that could be hiding such details.
The museum area provided a lot of information about the history and origins of the Pump Rooms, why they were built, and the original purpose for them. There was much detail on the discovery of the springs, the era and society of the time, and of the medical side to the Pump Rooms. There was not any information though on the architects or builders, or even who funded the build.
The Assembly Rooms form part of the building and are used for large functions. They were closed for decorating at the time of my visit and could only be accessed by appointment. Images I have found on the internet show that they have been decorated in the classical style with marble columns and statues.
Overall, this visit was a real eye-opener for me. It made me realise the variety of buildings there are in Leamington as I had previously assumed they were all of the Regency style without taking any further notice. I now take more care to look at the local buildings and am always finding buildings with classical style elements.
Although I can't always remember the particular names of the elements, the style is very memorable and identifiable.
A look on the internet however, proved I was wrong and there were in fact an abundance of buildings locally that were either completely in the classical style or had classical elements to their design.
I chose to visit the Royal Pump Rooms Gallery & Museum in Leamington as I would also have access to inside, as it is a public building. I had been here several times but had never taken any notice of the architecture or design.
I started on the day by taking many photos of the exterior and notes about the design. I didn't do any sketches as it started to rain. Having read the chapter already, I was able to recognise and identify aspects of the design that are in the classical style. I also noticed the elements that had been added or amended, and the parts that although built at the same time, were not in the classical style, but the regency style of the time.
I then went inside to make comparisons as it had been completely renovated about 20 years ago and most of the original features and layout had been changed. In the public areas there is no evidence of classical influences. Some of the rooms have suspended ceilings and partition walls that could be hiding such details.
The museum area provided a lot of information about the history and origins of the Pump Rooms, why they were built, and the original purpose for them. There was much detail on the discovery of the springs, the era and society of the time, and of the medical side to the Pump Rooms. There was not any information though on the architects or builders, or even who funded the build.
The Assembly Rooms form part of the building and are used for large functions. They were closed for decorating at the time of my visit and could only be accessed by appointment. Images I have found on the internet show that they have been decorated in the classical style with marble columns and statues.
Overall, this visit was a real eye-opener for me. It made me realise the variety of buildings there are in Leamington as I had previously assumed they were all of the Regency style without taking any further notice. I now take more care to look at the local buildings and am always finding buildings with classical style elements.
Although I can't always remember the particular names of the elements, the style is very memorable and identifiable.
Monday 11 January 2010
Chapter reading & film viewing
The first film to view is 'The Legacy of Greece'.
I thought the information in the film was clear and easy to understand and follow. It gave points in a precise manner and didn't dwell on one point too much or too long.
The images shown however, did not always correspond with the narrative, and the choice of images seemed fairly limited. Pictures of classical buildings in England were shown before explaining why they were relevant and how they had been influenced by the Greeks. I felt that I was seeing repetitions of very similar pictures throughout the film.
As the images and talking weren't always the same, I had to watch it through once to see and hear everything, and I then watched it again to make notes, this of course took up more time than expected. I was also pausing the film to catch up on writing down my notes.
I found the part about restoration and reproducing the sculptures very interesting. I would like to find out more about how this is done, and how the restorers come to their conclusions and decisions about colours and patterns.
The first textbook section to read is Chapter 4, The Greeks and their neighbours.
Having realised that this first chapter was about 100 pages long, I had been quite daunted and put off reading it.
Once I did start, I had gotten about 12 pages in without making any notes at all. Due to the size of the chapter, I did not want to make too many notes in case I just ended up re-writing it, but I had taken this too far by not making any.
I struggled to identify the key points and subjects to note about during these first few pages especially as they were about the culture and history of the Greeks and not so much about the art. I was not sure how much cultural information would be useful and relevant to me. I re-read these pages to make general notes rather than any specific points.
I soon realised that a chapter this size is too much to read all in one go. After a couple of hours my eyes were hurting and I started to feel I wasn't actually taking in the information. However, I was concerned that leaving it for another evening might mean I lose my train of thought. I need in future to allow two evenings for reading, ideally not too far apart.
Having already watched the film and seeing the subject in a quick summary, reading the chapter seemed laborious and the wording to be long-winded.
Hopefully for the next unit, I aim to read the chapter first to gain the in-depth knowledge and then watch the film for more of a summary of the key points. This should also prevent me from having to watch the film twice as I will have already made notes on the majority of the subject. The film may just offer some alternative viewpoints for me to consider.
I thought the information in the film was clear and easy to understand and follow. It gave points in a precise manner and didn't dwell on one point too much or too long.
The images shown however, did not always correspond with the narrative, and the choice of images seemed fairly limited. Pictures of classical buildings in England were shown before explaining why they were relevant and how they had been influenced by the Greeks. I felt that I was seeing repetitions of very similar pictures throughout the film.
As the images and talking weren't always the same, I had to watch it through once to see and hear everything, and I then watched it again to make notes, this of course took up more time than expected. I was also pausing the film to catch up on writing down my notes.
I found the part about restoration and reproducing the sculptures very interesting. I would like to find out more about how this is done, and how the restorers come to their conclusions and decisions about colours and patterns.
The first textbook section to read is Chapter 4, The Greeks and their neighbours.
Having realised that this first chapter was about 100 pages long, I had been quite daunted and put off reading it.
Once I did start, I had gotten about 12 pages in without making any notes at all. Due to the size of the chapter, I did not want to make too many notes in case I just ended up re-writing it, but I had taken this too far by not making any.
I struggled to identify the key points and subjects to note about during these first few pages especially as they were about the culture and history of the Greeks and not so much about the art. I was not sure how much cultural information would be useful and relevant to me. I re-read these pages to make general notes rather than any specific points.
I soon realised that a chapter this size is too much to read all in one go. After a couple of hours my eyes were hurting and I started to feel I wasn't actually taking in the information. However, I was concerned that leaving it for another evening might mean I lose my train of thought. I need in future to allow two evenings for reading, ideally not too far apart.
Having already watched the film and seeing the subject in a quick summary, reading the chapter seemed laborious and the wording to be long-winded.
Hopefully for the next unit, I aim to read the chapter first to gain the in-depth knowledge and then watch the film for more of a summary of the key points. This should also prevent me from having to watch the film twice as I will have already made notes on the majority of the subject. The film may just offer some alternative viewpoints for me to consider.
Trip to London & first annotation
Just a week after receiving my pack, I was going to London for a day trip so I quickly looked at the first couple of units to see if I could tie anything into the trip.
The annotation suggestions for units 2 & 3 were pieces at the British Museum and I thought these would be easy to slot into the day. Unit 2 asks to annotate suggests 'The Elgin Marbles' and Unit 3 suggests 'Antonia'.
I knew a little about the Elgin Marbles beforehand and found these quite easily at the museum. I had not realised however, just how much there was to see in the room. I did a steady walk around the room first to try and take in all the various pieces and the information before choosing a piece to annotate and this alone took almost an hour.
I set myself 10 minutes to sketch the piece and another 10 minutes to annotate and make notes, as well as taking a few photos.
Overall I am pleased with my first annotation, especially as figures and animals are normally subjects I would avoid sketching.
Looking back on the page later, my quick notes in pencil aren't very clear and having forgotten to take a pencil sharpener with me, the last bits with a blunt pencil and very poor to read. My annotation sketch took up more of the page than is recommended in the handbooks and limited the space left for making notes and comments. Next time I think I will draw a faint frame/box to draw inside.
My mark making at the time seemed to be confident but looking back it looks a bit faint, possibly because it was not my preferred subject.
The notes I have made in the bottom third of the page are quite vague and in future I could add to these with additional research if the museum/gallery does not have any further information.
Knowing that time was getting on and I had planned to meet up for lunch, I quickly left to find the second piece.
I thought that 'Antonia' was a Greek Sculpture (it's actually Roman!) and headed towards the Greek rooms of which there are about 5. As I didn't know what I was looking for, I asked for assistance and was directed to one of the rooms but I still had to look at everything in the room and read each label. After about 30 minutes of looking I still had not found it and had to admit defeat and leave.
I know that including this visit into my trip was last minute and hastily planned but I could not help feeling annoyed with myself for not even finding an image of the pieces before so I at least knew what to look for.
I have definitely learnt a lot from even this quick trip that I will use and put into practice for next time:
- Briefly research the pieces beforehand, find images, background/artist information.
- Find out where in the gallery the item is, which room number.
- Find out full gallery address, opening times, exhibition dates, any restrictions. Check maps for nearest train/tube station.
- Ensure I have taken enough materials, including a pencil sharpener
Although I was not pleased with my efforts at the time, I can see now how I have learnt from it and what I could do in the future to make trips and visits more beneficial.
The annotation suggestions for units 2 & 3 were pieces at the British Museum and I thought these would be easy to slot into the day. Unit 2 asks to annotate suggests 'The Elgin Marbles' and Unit 3 suggests 'Antonia'.
I knew a little about the Elgin Marbles beforehand and found these quite easily at the museum. I had not realised however, just how much there was to see in the room. I did a steady walk around the room first to try and take in all the various pieces and the information before choosing a piece to annotate and this alone took almost an hour.
I set myself 10 minutes to sketch the piece and another 10 minutes to annotate and make notes, as well as taking a few photos.
Overall I am pleased with my first annotation, especially as figures and animals are normally subjects I would avoid sketching.
Looking back on the page later, my quick notes in pencil aren't very clear and having forgotten to take a pencil sharpener with me, the last bits with a blunt pencil and very poor to read. My annotation sketch took up more of the page than is recommended in the handbooks and limited the space left for making notes and comments. Next time I think I will draw a faint frame/box to draw inside.
My mark making at the time seemed to be confident but looking back it looks a bit faint, possibly because it was not my preferred subject.
The notes I have made in the bottom third of the page are quite vague and in future I could add to these with additional research if the museum/gallery does not have any further information.
Knowing that time was getting on and I had planned to meet up for lunch, I quickly left to find the second piece.
I thought that 'Antonia' was a Greek Sculpture (it's actually Roman!) and headed towards the Greek rooms of which there are about 5. As I didn't know what I was looking for, I asked for assistance and was directed to one of the rooms but I still had to look at everything in the room and read each label. After about 30 minutes of looking I still had not found it and had to admit defeat and leave.
I know that including this visit into my trip was last minute and hastily planned but I could not help feeling annoyed with myself for not even finding an image of the pieces before so I at least knew what to look for.
I have definitely learnt a lot from even this quick trip that I will use and put into practice for next time:
- Briefly research the pieces beforehand, find images, background/artist information.
- Find out where in the gallery the item is, which room number.
- Find out full gallery address, opening times, exhibition dates, any restrictions. Check maps for nearest train/tube station.
- Ensure I have taken enough materials, including a pencil sharpener
Although I was not pleased with my efforts at the time, I can see now how I have learnt from it and what I could do in the future to make trips and visits more beneficial.
Unit 1 - What is my aim?
Unit 1 asks me to answer:
What is my aim?
Why am I taking this course?
What do I want to get out of it?
My long term aim is to have a degree in an art subject, with most of the content being Art History.
I studied Art History as part of another course about 7 years ago which is where I first became interested in it.
I have chosen this particular course as a starting point as it appears to give an overall view of Art History. I want to use it to remind myself of the various aspects and topics of the subject. I also want to use this course to get me back into studying, planning, projects and essays etc as I am quite out of practice.
I hope to develop and broaden my knowledge and understanding of art, its movements and artists. I would like to be able to understand and appreciate a piece of art in more depth and with more of an analytical approach. Currently I could describe an image or sculpture only in basic terms on a beginners level. I would like to be able to read more into a piece and to be confident in my explanation and understanding of it.
I hope that I can gain a greater understanding of the process an artist goes through and the methods used to create the final piece. To be able to understand why a piece has turned out in that particular way; what the influences and background to it is.
Another key reason for me taking this course is for career development and progression. I currently work in a non-art related job and it doesn’t give me the satisfaction or enjoyment that I hope an art-related career would do.
I have looked into, and applied for jobs in the art world but have found that they nearly all require a degree qualification and/or experience in an art subject. So this is my first step in achieving at least one of these requirements. Whilst I am not in a position to leave my current career, I hope that this course will give me the drive to change my situation and improve my long-term job prospects.
I have been thinking about making this step for some time but have always found reasons to put it off. Now I feel that if I do not start it now, I may always put it off and never achieve my goal.
This course hopefully will provide me with a general starting point to progress from. I would like to look into some of the other courses on offer after completing this one, but only in terms of being supplementary courses to my degree path.
What is my aim?
Why am I taking this course?
What do I want to get out of it?
My long term aim is to have a degree in an art subject, with most of the content being Art History.
I studied Art History as part of another course about 7 years ago which is where I first became interested in it.
I have chosen this particular course as a starting point as it appears to give an overall view of Art History. I want to use it to remind myself of the various aspects and topics of the subject. I also want to use this course to get me back into studying, planning, projects and essays etc as I am quite out of practice.
I hope to develop and broaden my knowledge and understanding of art, its movements and artists. I would like to be able to understand and appreciate a piece of art in more depth and with more of an analytical approach. Currently I could describe an image or sculpture only in basic terms on a beginners level. I would like to be able to read more into a piece and to be confident in my explanation and understanding of it.
I hope that I can gain a greater understanding of the process an artist goes through and the methods used to create the final piece. To be able to understand why a piece has turned out in that particular way; what the influences and background to it is.
Another key reason for me taking this course is for career development and progression. I currently work in a non-art related job and it doesn’t give me the satisfaction or enjoyment that I hope an art-related career would do.
I have looked into, and applied for jobs in the art world but have found that they nearly all require a degree qualification and/or experience in an art subject. So this is my first step in achieving at least one of these requirements. Whilst I am not in a position to leave my current career, I hope that this course will give me the drive to change my situation and improve my long-term job prospects.
I have been thinking about making this step for some time but have always found reasons to put it off. Now I feel that if I do not start it now, I may always put it off and never achieve my goal.
This course hopefully will provide me with a general starting point to progress from. I would like to look into some of the other courses on offer after completing this one, but only in terms of being supplementary courses to my degree path.
Wednesday 6 January 2010
Receiving the pack and starting out
When my pack first arrived at work I was so excited and couldn't wait to get home and open it all up.
I tried to be logical and read through all the handbooks in order but I got side tracked by the textbook and coursework folder. When I did start looking through the units and projects, I suddenly felt daunted at the work that was needed.
I hadn't envisaged how much would be required for each unit. Just part of Unit 2 is to read Chapter 4 of the textbook which is over 100 pages long, and to make 'concise' notes on this and actually take it all in seemed a mission of it's own.
I had planned to set aside every Monday evening for studying but quickly realised that the OCA's guidelines of 1 unit per week wasn't going to be realistic for me. So far I'm working on approx 2-3 weeks for each unit, although Christmas didn't help!
The next thing to puzzle me was the notebooks, sketch books and learning logs. I couldn't get my head around the key role and purpose for each book, how to format them and what to put in them. The handbook seemed to overlap the purposes and didn't seem very clear. I think that the wealth of options and free-choice was actually too much for me. I know this course is very much self-led but I do like to be set off in the right direction to begin with.
To start with I just collected everything into a pile to see how much I accumulated and in what formats. I've finally decided to use them as follows:
Learning Log - online blog reporting on trips, reviews, general thoughts and reflections
A5 Notebook - for everyday notes, planning trips, research notes, film notes
A4 Sketchbook - annotations, general sketches, scrapbook for trip mementos, leaflets, photos, cuttings etc
I've then created a separate folder in my PC documents just for course work and typed up pieces.
The course folder had a summary of visits to do throughout the course. I've been super efficient and expanded this list into a summary of what's needed in terms of annotations, postcard collections, chapters to read and films to watch. Hopefully this will help me to plan ahead and be more time efficient.
Since doing the summary, and having worked out an idea of how long to allow for units, I have added dates that I would like to have the first few units and assignment done by (mid March) and even made a note of what parts of the unit to do each week. This nicely ties in to one of the requirements of Unit 1, planning ahead.
The final thing I wasn't sure about was the collecting of postcards. I'm happy to buy postcards but really struggled to find anywhere online to buy them from. A Google search and looking on museum/gallery websites only seemed to bring up packs of cards rather than individual ones, and I haven't yet found a website with an extensive collection. I did find a forum thread on the OCA website about this and someone suggested I don't take 'postcard' as a literal requirement. I could possibly use internet images and print them off in postcard size. I've started to collect these and save them as a word doc for each unit with a summary of which website I found them on and details of the image.
I do however, quite like the idea of actual postcards and as I'm hoping to make a trip to London in the next few weeks, I will take a list with me and see what I can find.
I tried to be logical and read through all the handbooks in order but I got side tracked by the textbook and coursework folder. When I did start looking through the units and projects, I suddenly felt daunted at the work that was needed.
I hadn't envisaged how much would be required for each unit. Just part of Unit 2 is to read Chapter 4 of the textbook which is over 100 pages long, and to make 'concise' notes on this and actually take it all in seemed a mission of it's own.
I had planned to set aside every Monday evening for studying but quickly realised that the OCA's guidelines of 1 unit per week wasn't going to be realistic for me. So far I'm working on approx 2-3 weeks for each unit, although Christmas didn't help!
The next thing to puzzle me was the notebooks, sketch books and learning logs. I couldn't get my head around the key role and purpose for each book, how to format them and what to put in them. The handbook seemed to overlap the purposes and didn't seem very clear. I think that the wealth of options and free-choice was actually too much for me. I know this course is very much self-led but I do like to be set off in the right direction to begin with.
To start with I just collected everything into a pile to see how much I accumulated and in what formats. I've finally decided to use them as follows:
Learning Log - online blog reporting on trips, reviews, general thoughts and reflections
A5 Notebook - for everyday notes, planning trips, research notes, film notes
A4 Sketchbook - annotations, general sketches, scrapbook for trip mementos, leaflets, photos, cuttings etc
I've then created a separate folder in my PC documents just for course work and typed up pieces.
The course folder had a summary of visits to do throughout the course. I've been super efficient and expanded this list into a summary of what's needed in terms of annotations, postcard collections, chapters to read and films to watch. Hopefully this will help me to plan ahead and be more time efficient.
Since doing the summary, and having worked out an idea of how long to allow for units, I have added dates that I would like to have the first few units and assignment done by (mid March) and even made a note of what parts of the unit to do each week. This nicely ties in to one of the requirements of Unit 1, planning ahead.
The final thing I wasn't sure about was the collecting of postcards. I'm happy to buy postcards but really struggled to find anywhere online to buy them from. A Google search and looking on museum/gallery websites only seemed to bring up packs of cards rather than individual ones, and I haven't yet found a website with an extensive collection. I did find a forum thread on the OCA website about this and someone suggested I don't take 'postcard' as a literal requirement. I could possibly use internet images and print them off in postcard size. I've started to collect these and save them as a word doc for each unit with a summary of which website I found them on and details of the image.
I do however, quite like the idea of actual postcards and as I'm hoping to make a trip to London in the next few weeks, I will take a list with me and see what I can find.
Starting my learning log
I have been doing this course for just over two months and have decided to start using a blog for my learning log.
So far I have been jotting notes into a normal notebook but most of it is barely legible, doesn't always make sense and isn't in any order. I struggle to read and understand it sometimes so I imagine the assessors would find it nigh on impossible!
So I think that typing up my scribbles into a nice, neat format with proper sentences will be far better and beneficial to me.
My first few posts will be typing up the notes I have made so far and then I will start writing new posts in keeping with the coursework I'm currently working on.
When I first read that the learning log could be done in the format of a blog I thought it would be the perfect way to log everything and keep a link with my tutor and fellow students. However, when I realised that the blog wasn't on the OCA website with the forums and portfolios, but on the open web, I was put off.
I had the idea that the blogs would only be visible for fellow students and OCA tutors and only they would be able to write comments on my posts. I was slightly perturbed at the thought of non-students commenting on my posts and possibly giving me advice without them having an OCA knowledge or background.
I've come to the conclusion however that my notes are far too messy to hand in without re-writing it all; this does seem to be the only logical way to keep a record of my progress. I'll continue to use my notebook for jotting down day-to-day thoughts and ideas and then type them into my posts if they are relevant.
Is there anywhere on the OCA website that lists the blogs of other students? I would like to see how other students are presenting their blogs and also to read about other students' experiences with completing their course.
So far I have been jotting notes into a normal notebook but most of it is barely legible, doesn't always make sense and isn't in any order. I struggle to read and understand it sometimes so I imagine the assessors would find it nigh on impossible!
So I think that typing up my scribbles into a nice, neat format with proper sentences will be far better and beneficial to me.
My first few posts will be typing up the notes I have made so far and then I will start writing new posts in keeping with the coursework I'm currently working on.
When I first read that the learning log could be done in the format of a blog I thought it would be the perfect way to log everything and keep a link with my tutor and fellow students. However, when I realised that the blog wasn't on the OCA website with the forums and portfolios, but on the open web, I was put off.
I had the idea that the blogs would only be visible for fellow students and OCA tutors and only they would be able to write comments on my posts. I was slightly perturbed at the thought of non-students commenting on my posts and possibly giving me advice without them having an OCA knowledge or background.
I've come to the conclusion however that my notes are far too messy to hand in without re-writing it all; this does seem to be the only logical way to keep a record of my progress. I'll continue to use my notebook for jotting down day-to-day thoughts and ideas and then type them into my posts if they are relevant.
Is there anywhere on the OCA website that lists the blogs of other students? I would like to see how other students are presenting their blogs and also to read about other students' experiences with completing their course.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)