I recently participated in the Field projects, ‘Cut and Paste’ and ‘Teaching in Art and Design’.
Cut and Paste
Daily collages
Cut and Paste involved making collages and learning new techniques such as frotage, introducing mixed media into collage and creating fanzines. Creating the daily collages made me accumulate a lot of work in a short amount of time. Even if the collage was not associated with my subject work it would help me start creating work for the day. I also made a fanzine that was based on my subject work. I collaged images found in magazines, old family photographs and my mothers favourite things. I used the fanzine to try to inspire my subject work. I did find it quite difficult to link the collage into subject work. Even though I found it difficult to continue with the daily collages after this module was over, its inspiring to look back through them, and my fanzine, for ideas for subject work.
Teaching in Art and Design
This field module was very interesting and useful for me. I went to university with the
mind-set of becoming a teacher once I graduate. To go back to a school environment as a teacher was quite an experience. I found the module had to have all of my attention as I was having to complete so many lesson plans, work sheets, observation notes etc. I felt disconnected from my subject work. However, looking back, I realise that the experience has made me explain things more clearer to people, and on my learning journal, as the pupils had to clearly understand what I was trying to explain. I realised that I attend university and make artwork to get a degree to teach art. I found sharing ideas with the pupils and adding to their key concepts from my knowledge the most rewarding part. I am now looking into teaching college students.
Emilia Baulch 