Metamorphosis

For the Opus assessment day on Saturday we have to take a "carefully selected body of work" and I can't help thinking what we leave out is as important as what we take. There is a temptation to cram everything in but I think that will work against me so instead I'm agonising over every piece and every sketchbook page wondering which pieces of work best reflect the module citeria - a slow process considering I have filled four large sketchbooks over the past four months. And of course I want to put in the best pieces, or at least the bits of work that I like best. I will definitely include my "Faces on the Train" which I think is my favourite piece of work, plus a selection of my larger drawings.

I've also just finished mounting four mixed media pieces that are the resolved studies for our final project. The project was titled Metamorphosis and I struggled for a long time not knowing which direction to take. I had lots of ideas but none that really screamed out to me. I finally decided I wanted to show change and transformation over time having been influenced by the work of Anya Gallaccio. I set up a still life of fruit and flowers which I photographed daily over three weeks, recording the gradual decay. I also made four large drawings during this time - which I hated! All this was going on in the lead up to Christmas, the still life was getting smellier and more disgusting on a daily basis and I despaired of ever getting anything worthwhile out of the project. Then on the advice of my tutor I focused on the detail choosing a single tulip and this is the result... I think I like them, but you know how it is when you've looked at something for too long.

I was delighted to throw out that flower arrangement though! Here they are as a group of four. Now to get on with the rest of the selecting and labelling of all the other work! I expect I'll change my mind a dozen times between now and Saturday.