November 24, 2020

In making the painting you make yourself.
Look at things that have no relevance to your work, because they have no relevance to your work.

6.30 am: Rise. 8.00 am: A communion. 8.30 am: I headed to School to set up the Vocational Practice equipment and prepare for another wrangle with its limitations. For the purposes of a joint face-to-face and online delivery, we are pushing it beyond its limits. Problems will come; the important things is being able to solve them quickly and on the trot. Pete Monaghan was our guest case-study in a discussion about art-life post-MA, and how to approach galleries. He’s a delight to have, always:

He shared his experiences as an MA student, and described his early and current career as a painter. There’s nothing better than to hear the practical wisdom of a seasoned professional.

11.00 am: The first of the day’s MA fine art tutorials, in situ. 11.30 am: I made a pelt to the Spar to buy lunch, which I ate while working. Today, I was cramming in as many tutorials as I could. All of a sudden, the end of term (which is coming earlier than timetabled) loomed large. 12.30 pm: My final tutorial at the School before moving up to P4 Penbryn. The climb to the top of the building:

3.30 pm: I hurried back, made tea, and conducted my final tutorial at 4.00 pm. After that, I had no more words to say. The themes of focus and knowledge were common to many of the discussions. Those students who were working towards the conclusion of their Portfolio module, and those working towards their first exhibition, must now narrow the field of vision by casting off the excess, pruning away even good branches for the sake of the better ones, and drawing the circle of their interests more tightly. Reading, for example, about the landscape under scrutiny — its geology, botany, archaeology, and sociology — transforms the innocent eye into the informed eye. We see more when we know more.

One of the highlights of the day: the gift of a drawing from one of Aberystwyth’s young aspiring artists:

7.30 pm: Teaching admin and prep., closing the day with a review of the developing pedalboard.

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