Assignment 1 - completed

I have finally completed and emailed off to my tutor all the work for Units 1-6 and Assignment 1.

This as taken me a lot longer than expected and hopefully I will be able to pick up some speed now that I have finished work for maternity leave.

I think the main problem I have had time wise, is not enough time! When I signed up for the course, the handbooks advised that a unit could be done in a week and I allowed approx 2 weeks instead. However, I have been finding that each unit has been taking me 3, sometimes even 4 weeks. Throw into the mix Christmas and family holidays and we are now just into April.

The OCA's guide of one unit per week is great if the student isn't working full time, or is able to spend at least 3-4 evenings per week studying. Unfortunately I couldn't commit to that many evenings and when you've been at work all day, get home and do dinner/housework, I was only really getting in a couple of hours work before feeling shattered...plus being pregnant!

As this is my first baby, I don't know how much time I will be able to spend studying once he arrives and for what length of time between feeds etc. I am hoping that I will be able to spend at least 1 or 2 mornings a week working and therefore a unit should be done in 1 or 2 weeks.

I have already drawn up a summary of what is needed for the next 5 units up to Assignment 2 and put it into a weekly planner. Generally, I feel it could be achievable for me to read the chapter and view the film in one week, and the following week to complete the annotation and project.

Based on this 2 week rule, and adding on a few weeks for luck, I hope to be able to send in Assignment 2 by the end of July (please don't hold me to this!).

So far, I have enjoyed the studying and can already see a difference in my work. I am much quicker at reading the chapters, knowing what to make notes on and what isn't relevant, I'm more confident in my annotations and generally more aware of what it is that I am interested in and looking for.

Daft as it may seem with it being a History of Art course, but I didn't realise there would be so much history involved. I was looking for a course that had more on the meaning of art and the development of art and techniques through the ages. I have more interest in analysing artworks and understanding there messages. There seems to be too much on the social/cultural changes of the periods. Maybe I'm looking at things the wrong way?

I think that I need to put more effort into my annotations and dedicate more time to these. I am also hoping that the following chapters on myth and symbol will be more my thing.

Units 4 and 6 have so far been the most enjoyable for me both in terms of the actual style and also the major developments that were made during the periods. The High Gothic style with it's intricate stonework and beautiful stained glass, plus the amazing cathedrals that were built are awe inspiring and fascinating to me. Then, the detail and quality of painters like Van Eyck and Durer also amaze me, with their precise skill of painting/printing and the pioneering techniques and methods that they used.

These are in contrast to the blander Classical style of the Greeks and Romans,and the return to the Classical style in early Renaissance Italy. I have not found units 2,3 and 5 as interesting, also as there is more sculptural work in these and I tend to favour paintings. Granted there were some remarkable developments in engineering and architecture, such as the arch and vault, but overall the style and period isn't something I would choose to study again.