I’m sat here watching the sun cast it’s soft morning glow across the fields, gradually getting stronger and reaching further as it rises in the sky.

My time studying the UAL Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at Weston College, has been my own sunrise as a creative person. Over the course I have grown more confident as an artist, one of the reasons for this is being exposed to and given access to facilities to explore different skills.

I loved learning about screen printing and that’s an area I would like to explore more. Hopefully as I progress through my degree it is something I can revisit.

I never thought I would spend so much time in the metal and woodwork workshop. Or even use those items in my work quite as much as I have. The downside for my husband is I now recognise and know how to use the tools he has to restore cars, for example the metal bender, metal cutter and actually used his sandblaster for my final major project. I may find the mancave locked and barred.

There were three pathways to the course Interdisciplinary Fine Art, Visual Communications and Surface and Form. The tutors and technicians were good at delivering course content and helping you work through creative solutions. I found that there were areas where the pathways overlapped. After spending time on each one I could see myself working in any of them but Interdisciplinary Fine Art was where my creative heart was and I’m glad I chose that pathway.

I think my main objectives when I enrolled on the course was to define who I am as an artist more, understand my style and learn more about different techniques. The course has definitely helped me do that, although it is an ongoing process. I’m glad I’ve started this process and am going on to do a degree in Art and Design in September.

The hardest part for me was being more structured, using my sketchbook to research and plan out ideas, rather than just create. However, doing that has helped me understand my creative blocks, having a tutor to talk things through has helped me work through the messy it’s all going wrong phases, where I would usually give up.

I would recommend the course to others, and I’m glad I listened to my friend who did this course about 10yrs ago. It’s set me on a path for a career change, it’s given me the confidence to be more creative and share my art. I’m looking forward to the next chapter in building my own art practice and getting my work out there.

I don’t think I can end without a music reference so as Nina Simone sang, as far as my art is concerned “it’s a new dawn, a new day, it’s a new life for me, and I’m feeling good.”