Where are they now? Ryan Hammond, Graphic Communication and Fine Art, 2014

Guest blog post written by Ryan Hammond, Ryan studied both Fine Art and Graphic Communication A Levels, completing in 2014.

University: Sheffield Hallam University

Course: BA Hons Graphic Design

 

During my time at Thomas Rotherham College I took both Graphic Communication and Fine Art.

After finishing my A Levels I went to Sheffield Hallam University to do a Graphic Design degree and I chose this university because it has one of the most creative courses that is similar to how work is done at Thomas Rotherham. When applying for uni (your portfolio) and in your first year, they are not looking at your final outcomes or if you have Photoshop skills, because you can easily learn them, but they look for your creativity! The courses at Thomas Rotherham prepared me so much because they teach you different mediums such as Screen Printing, Lino and Intaglio ect, which is the same mediums that they use at uni, so I had a head start. Also at uni you have to work independently a lot more and make decisions for yourself, I know it feels like Sarah, Bev and Lyn nag you to do more work at home but this prepares you for your independent study time at uni. When I have finished uni I hope to become a Graphic Designer or Illustrator and maybe set up my own company. 

 

(I don’t currently have any pictures of my work because I have two deadlines in 11 days)

Where are they now? - Jamie Hammond, Graphic Communication and Fine Art 2014

Guest blog post written by Jamie Hammond, all images appear with his permission. Jamie studied both Fine Art and Graphic Communication A Levels, completing in 2014.

University: University of Lincon

Course: BA Hons Media Production

 The Complete University Guide rank the University of Lincoln's Media Production course number one in the UK. The University of Lincoln’s Communication and Media Studies courses are ranked 4th for Career Prospects within The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2014.

Where you went immediately after TRC? Straight to University

What subject you are specifically studying and where? Media Production at the University of Lincoln

Art and Graphics prepared my MASSIVELY because the work load for my work is enormous, so by doing this I was good with deadlines and organisation. In my course I do six modules (Digital Media, Script, Photography, Radio, Production Planning, +Visual Design) and for three of these modules we have to do journals which are almost identical to our A level journals. This meant that the A Level journals that I made at TRC are university standard, therefore prepared me for Uni and the high level that they expect, plus the quantity they want too.

 Do you have any specific career aspirations? Undecided, but would like to go into a media.

 

This is my light photography project and Short exposure.

 I’m currently working on my main project about depression in young people which I will send you the link to once I’m done.

 

Where are they now? - Callum Evans-Rooney, Graphic Communication 2014

Guest blog post written by Callum Evans-Rooney, Callum studied Graphic Communication A Level, completing in 2014. 

University: Sheffield Hallam University

Course: BSc Business and ICT

 

I did the Graphic Communication endorsement.  I felt that this would be an interesting course, with the opportunity to learn new skills. 

After leaving TRC and achieving the required UCAS points, I went to Sheffield Hallam University.  I felt that this would be the best option in terms of achieving a good job and career. I am studying Business and ICT.  This is because I know that this is a strong area for employment, with many graduate jobs following the course.

The 6 modules are:

Information Systems
Introduction to ICT
Entrepreneurial Theory and Practise 1
Information Analysis
Understanding Organisations
Managing and Understanding Customers

Studying Graphic Communication at TRC allowed me to explore marketing and how products are designed with the clients, customers and target markets in mind.  Graphic Communication has also helped me to structure and organize time better, as at TRC I had to complete work each week so I didn’t fall behind.  The written essay also helped me to improve my report writing and referencing skills, which is crucial to achieving the best marks at university.

When I graduate from university, I would like to work within a business environment, maybe as a business analyst.  Graphic Communication has enabled me to be more creative and explore further options and push myself further.  

All of my work is on Microsoft Excel and Visio.  There is also a lot of group work involved and theory in work books.  I am not actually ‘making’ any work.

Whilst at university, I am a student rep, where I meet regularly with the tutors in order to convey ideas, thoughts and feelings from the rest of my group.  Graphic communication has enabled me to develop better evaluation skills, allowing me to reflect on what is going well, and what requires improvement.  Furthermore, In Entrepreneurial Theory and Practice, I will undertake an enterprise project with my university group later in the year. 

 

Where are they now? - Miranda Jones, Fine Art 2013

Guest blog post written by Miranda Jones, all images appear with her permission. Miranda studied Fine Art A Level, completing in 2013. She is now in her second year and this is her second post for us, her first post can be seen here:
ttp://trcarthive.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/where-are-they-now-miranda-jones-fine.html

University: University of Leeds

Course: Art and Design

My name is Miranda Jones and whilst at TRC I completed Fine Art A-Level. After TRC I went straight to University without completing a foundation year. Currently I am a second year student at the University of Leeds studying Art and Design.

So far my second year has been pretty hectic! One of the biggest differences between first year and second year is the pace of work. In first year, you are relatively gently eased into the course whereas in second year it is go go go right from the start and it doesn’t let up so you have to be prepared. Plus your marks now start to count towards your degree, so no dossing off! However, in saying that second year does have its perks; you are firmly established within your course, the tutors know you and therefore are more accessible, and you are more confident in your work (you got through the first year, so you must be alright!).

In terms of my own work I have so far had the chance to work in 2D (drawing, painting and printing), 3D (sculpture and installation) and new media (photography, film and sound). I have also had work displayed at a public exhibition. Currently I am half way through a photography project exploring identity and gender through selfies, but only using analogue camera techniques. On my course you get to take elective modules (extra classes that don’t have to have anything to do with your main course) I am doing beginners Japanese this year which is really intense but so much fun.

At the moment I am in the process of applying to go on a year abroad. On my particular course you can change your 3 year program to a 4 year one by partaking in a year abroad, a year in industry (where you organise internships and placements) or a year in enterprise (where you are given a grant to start up your own business). I am hopefully going to York University in Toronto, Canada.

My extracurricular activities include working as a steward for No Gloss Independent Film festival, being secretary for the Leeds University Comic Book society (and designing and manufacturing their membership cards, commission work looks great on your CV!), having illustrations displayed in a café in Leeds, attending life drawing and of course enjoying nights out and house parties (another perk of second year, moving into a house).

Here are some examples of my work:

 

 

‘Selfie?’ – 2014, Fujifilm Instax 100

 

 

'Photomosaic’ x2 – 2014, Black & White Film

A series of small books I made exploring the Quotidian Object (the everyday object) – 2013

An image from my book ‘Insomnia’ – 2013, paper and thread

Close up of Exhibition Piece

Man versus Nature

2013

Ink (hands) and thread (embroidered leaves)

Where are they now? - Marta Kwasniewska

Guest blog post written by Marta Kwasniewska, all images appear with her permission, thanks Marta!  Marta studied Fine Art A Level 2012 - 2014 at TRC.

University:  Sheffield Hallam University


Course: MArt Animation

 

Not surprisingly, Fine Art prepared me for my course much more than Maths and English did! For my course, we have a range of modules that we have to complete and I think for all of them the things I've learnt in Fine Art came in handy.

One of my modules is 'Drawing for Animation' – it alternates between a life drawing class with a model and character design every few weeks. My tutor for this class constantly urges us to experiment with mark making and the mediums we use, especially when we do life drawing. I know some of the people without an art background in my course sometimes struggle with the experimentation side of things, running out of ideas quickly, but I feel that because of TRC I was much more prepared for it.

Naturally because of Drawing of Animation I have pages of A2 pieces of paper filled with life drawing sketches of our models, but in the character design we've done a lot of exercises to help us come up with great character designs – one of the assignments we have to do. There's a lot of time given to feedback from tutors as well and also we're encouraged to give feedback to other students as well – the more you get the better!

This week we've also been doing models of our characters – to see how they would the drawings translate into a 3D shape and also to have a reference point if we draw from different angles as sometimes characters are made up of difficult shapes that may be hard to imagine at ¾ view and such. I made one of my characters, a square shaped cat, which I'm developing for an assignment and also a rather strange looking creature when my tutor told us to experiment with what we can do with the plasticine.

 

 

Another module I have is simply 'Animation', which so far was working in Photoshop. We've learnt how to use Photoshop CS6 to animate 2D – we did morphing animations (ones where one object turns into another), walk and run cycles as well as how to show weight in animation. With this class, we've also been told how important it is to have a reference to draw from, particularly a live action one as going by imagination or using someone else's animation as reference will not produce an animation as good as it could be. At TRC I've learnt that a reference to draw from is key and I hardly do it anyway, so this was something I was rather used to.

I have two more classes, one of which is all about animation theory – researching it will make us better practitioners. I'm quite happy with this class, I'm already used to researching artists and such thanks to having to fill pages about them for Fine Art, so I just had to translate that skill to animators! It's also supported by a mandatory movie screening every Tuesday, to show us movies that we might not have seen before, but certainly could inspire us. I'm not complaining, I'm being “forced” to have a movie night every Tuesday? Bring it on!

The other is Practice Skills, which basically gets us used to any cameras or equipment we might need to use for animating stop motion or recording audio. Probably my least favourite class, but it is rather important – and I think it will make my horrid photography skills improve!

The approach that Fine Art takes at TRC (thank you Sarah and Bev!) certainly prepared me more for independent work and made me a much more creative person and I felt more confident starting my course having that experience with me.

I'm hoping that one day I might be working for Aardman animations or Dreamworks (or perhaps start my own animation company and make a name for myself?), which this course is great for as they have links to Aardman and even Nick Park (creator of Wallace and Gromit) picks his favourite animation from third-year work so I may have some sort of a chance.

I've started a blog that will document my progress through this course, although it's in desperate need of updating with some more work which I really should do soon: http://animarta.wordpress.com/

Some of my work, ranging from animations to some character stuff from Drawing for Animation:

 

AS Yorkshire Sculpture Park Art Trip October 24th 2014

Students from Fine Art, Graphics and Photography spent a busy day at the beautiful Yorkshire Sculpture Park, braving the weather to draw, sketch, research and photograph the amazing artwork on show there. The students produced some inspired work and their enthusiasm was touching. As usual, they were an absolute credit to the college, behaving impeccably and really getting to grips with their work and research, making the most of the day.

There was a major exhibition of the work of Ursula Von Rydingsvard. This is the first time her work has ever been gathered together in a such a large-scale collection. The exhibition, which is the artist’s most extensive to date, illustrates the full scope of von Rydingsvard’s diverse practice, including more than 40 works of drawing and sculpture made over the last two decades, presented in YSP’s purpose-built Underground Gallery and the open air. Students spent the majority of their time working from this, both inside and outside. They also worked from an exhibition by Ai Weiwei in the Park's newly refurbished 18th century chapel. The project, the first by Ai Weiwei in a British public gallery since Sunflower Seeds at Tate Modern in 2010, is accompanied by poetry readings from the works of celebrated poet Ai Qing, Ai Weiwei’s father.

To see the work of such internationally acclaimed artists is of great benefit to our younger, aspiring artists. Feedback from students was extremely positive, despite the rainy start to the day. Everyone knuckled down to business without a thought to the weather. Then, by lunchtime the sun was shining and we were all able to sit outside to eat sandwiches and enjoy the view across the sculpture park. A perfect day!

 

Here is some of the research work created by the students on the day, more will be added to our dedicated Pinterest board in the future!

 

 

Star Artists of the first term

We have decided to resurrect the ‘Artists of the Month’ blog post! For those of you who are unfamiliar with this; each month we choose several students who have produced some excellent work, and deserve recognition for this by awarding them with ‘Artist of the month’. This work is then posted on the blog, and will also be displayed in the Art department for the month. We choose students from both AS and A2. We are putting a twist on the first blog post by outlining the ‘Star Artists of the first term’. It will continue as ‘Artists of the month’ after this one.

We have seen some brilliant work being produced from everyone, but a massive well done to these particular students. Here are the ‘Star Artists of the first term’:

A2 Fine Art – Eva Priestley & Stephanie Moorhouse

A2 Graphic Communication – Shannon Marriott & Dominique Williamson

AS Fine Art – Darcie Budziszewski, Elizabeth Weldon & Freyja Haddrill Selman

AS Graphic Communication – Michaela Richardson, Mason Pilgrim & Sohail Khalil

AS Photography – Amy Jones, Harry Hardwick & Evie Atton

Well done to you all, and keep up the excellent work!!

A2 Students

Eva Priestley: own study

Stephanie Moorhouse: Wax Study

Shannon Marriott: Physical Typography

Dominique Williamson: Written element

AS Students

Darcie Budziszewski: Intaglio Prints

Image coming soon!

Elizabeth Weldon

Freyja Haddrill Selman: Intaglio prints

Michaela Richardson: Primary Photographs

Mason Pilgrim: Yorkshire Sculpture Park work

Sohail Khalil: Typographic Poster

Amy Jones: Photo shoot

Harry Hardwick: Hand Manipulated Photographs

Evie Atton: Artist Study

Where are they now? - Hollie Turner

Guest blog post written by Hollie Turner, all images appear with her permission, thanks Hollie!  Hollie studied Fine Art A Level 2012 - 2014 at TRC.

Hollie Turner

University:  Sheffield Institute of Arts (Part of Sheffield Hallam)

Course: Fine Art MArt

 

From TRC’s Fine Art A-level I went straight onto study Fine Art MArt at Sheffield Institute of Arts (part of Sheffield Hallam). TRC’s art helped so much with this, and I feel more prepared than a lot of students who have come from foundation degrees. The level of freedom and experimentation at college with the help of amazing teachers makes the start of university a lot less scary!

At SIA we started with an introductory set of “streams” workshops, which is essentially drawing based skills aiming to get you straight into your studio practice (which is 80 out of the 120 credits each year). This ran until trips week, when we went to London for three days! Now we’re about to start more specific workshops in the printmaking, photography, film and sculpture workshops (and in January we choose one to really specify in).

As well as this there are two visiting artist lectures each week- transmission and gravity. This means that we have contact with those already working in the art industry and we get more of an insight as to how they work and advise they can give us. We have two written modules, one runs in the first semester which is Professional Art Practice which over the three/four years aims to get your ready to enter the art world, and the other is an art context and theory module which I’m starting in January.

As well as university I’m also volunteering at Old Market Gallery, which is a community run gallery in town (the big glass one as you walk down from college). It’s really nice to get involved in the local art scene and events such as Love Comes First.

I don’t really have a set goal for when I leave university yet. I’m thinking possibly about the e film industry, or working with arts charities. I’m hoping that over the next few years I can get a better idea of what I really want to do so that for my 3 month work placement during my fourth year I can get involved in something that could potentially lead to a career!

Rough work in my sketchbook focussed around the Rotherham Sex abuse scandal and the reaction to this.

 

Start of a “never ending drawing” as part of the streams workshops- based on an interactive piece of peoples thoughts on Rotherham

 

 

Blogs:

http://hollieolivia-studiopractice.blogspot.co.uk/   (for my professional art practice module- to be assessed)

http://hollieolivia-artblog.blogspot.co.uk/ (personal blog)

 

 

 

 

Where are they Now? - Joe Bradley - Year 2

Guest blog post written by Joe Bradley, all images appear with his permission, thanks Joe! Joe is now in his second year, this is his second post for us, his first can be viewed here:

http://trcarthive.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/where-are-they-now-joe-bradley.html Joe Bradley

University: University of Cambridge - Christ's College

Course: Architecture (K100)

 

T H E  N E X T  E P I S O D E ______

J O E  B R A D L E Y

2 N D  Y E A R

A R C H I T E C T U R E

C H R I S T ‘ S  C O L L E G E

U N I V E R S I T Y  O F  C A M B R I D G E

 

 

 

So I finished up first year bedraggled and depraved of much needed sleep. However, I could not care less. My first year down at Christ’s was amazing. I’m currently writing this half way through Michaelmas (first) term of my second year and very little has changed.

 

In fact it has only got better; the work is much more detailed and sophisticated, we are much tighter as our own little architecture family (now a mere 35 students in the year) and the most important point is now that I am a fully-fledged second year, I know what the crack is.

 

Last year we were all working on the same project, a church in the centre of Tottenham that was isolated by busy roads. The brief was to somehow dissolve these boundaries in a way that would lead to the church being part of the community once again. This year we have been split into three separate groups working in and around the King’s Cross area. The studio group that I am in has begun to look into the designing of art houses and hotels in this developing part of London. It’s quite nice being in smaller groups in that much like at TRC, it was better to have a smaller class so you had more of the teacher to yourself. Spending so much more time with the tutors is great as you get to know them a lot better and have a much closer relationship with them.

 

Last year was a very busy year, which included trips here there and everywhere! Our trip at Easter was definitely the best, going for a week to study the architecture through the ages in Naples. We visited the lost city of Herculaneum, watched the sun set from the top of Mount Vesuvius and went for a meal at a girl on my course’s house all in a day! That house definitely showed how the other half live too!

The actual work last year was really fun too, branching out to things like model making and photoshopping model photos to look like a real building.

However, some things are too good to let go of

This year we’ve moved onto bigger and more elaborate ways of working. We began the year by making a 1:1000 wooden site model of the King’s Cross area. Once this had been completed, we moved onto more individual pieces of work.  These were looking at how art houses could be built within the area, and what moments they may capture from the street. I chose to do this by making film set type models where I would have cutouts of people so no photoshopping was needed.

 

 

 

 

All this said, Cambridge isn’t all work. Once exams are done with, we have a week-long party. I have managed to work my way into a band, and as front man, I played at quite a few of these parties, alongside other acts like Pendulum, Scouting For Girls, and the evergreen S Club 3 (the other 4 were busy). I helped transform my college into the wonderful world of Oz with our theme of ‘The Emerald City’ and many of my scavenging skills learnt at TRC came in handy while working on the design team.

Overall, this past year has been absolutely amazing. I feel so proud to be here, mixing with these people and experiencing this city. Not a day goes by without me thinking this at some point. Yet at the same time I feel so lucky, in that I didn’t even consider coming here, it was only by virtue of someone else thinking I could make it that I applied – so, thank you Bev for speaking to Richard.