Not a great day tbh.
I was really pleased with the learning curve achievements last night and in fact right up to presentation was in a relatively good space.
Coming pretty low down in the alphabetical running order is good and bad, the 'client' has heard it all before, you're beginning to sound like a cracked record but it's time find something new to entice them. That comes across like a form of desperation. And the client is trying to find new things to say that haven't been said already to other students. On the upside you've heard all the feedback for others and can tailor your own presentation accordingly.
The feedback, from all came in the form of 3d models too small and badly rendered, elevations ok but not great and 'your bubble diagram looks like hieroglyphics' (I think that's supposed to be a complement!). I feel like a complete re-draw is what I have to do and have absolutely no desire to do it. I feel like I gave it my best shot and failed.
CK asked where I thought I'd come marks wise 'low to middle' was the answer. Right now I feel like I'll be lucky to pass this one. 4 days of solid slog and I have to ask was it worth it?
Sure I'll pick up tomorrow, get back on the horse and try again, identify areas which needs work - all of them given the feedback - and practice practice practice... Instead of seeing and appreciating the hurdles I have overcome this week and the steps forward I have taken I am deflated and disappointed.
I should say there were some awesome and inspiring solutions and presentations. People often surprise you and today was no exception.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Deadline frenzy
This week is our first deadline for our Post Grad Dip at Oxford College of Garden Design. A full set of drawings for the first design project to be handed in after presenting them to the client. Thursday is the day. Preparation is exciting and exhausting.
As with anything there are hiccups first time out and this exercise is no exception. Lack of supplies, supplies failing to work as described, realising you're missing some of the key facts, realising one half day session is not enough to make a drawing exercise easy and so on. BUT during this steep learning curve, I have learnt, been creative when things fail, listened to peers who have better skills or simply there to provide an ear. I am thrilled to be at a point, on Tuesday pm, when I have the bulk of the work done and the fun bit, well the bits I find easier, to come.
Architectural Blank 1 - Bubble diagram
Architectural blank 2 - sketch plans and 3d models (SketchUp7)
Architectural blank 3 - Planting plan, elevations and 1 point perspective drawing.
2 mood boards and some rendering to come. This is a really pleasing accomplishment :)
As with anything there are hiccups first time out and this exercise is no exception. Lack of supplies, supplies failing to work as described, realising you're missing some of the key facts, realising one half day session is not enough to make a drawing exercise easy and so on. BUT during this steep learning curve, I have learnt, been creative when things fail, listened to peers who have better skills or simply there to provide an ear. I am thrilled to be at a point, on Tuesday pm, when I have the bulk of the work done and the fun bit, well the bits I find easier, to come.
Architectural Blank 1 - Bubble diagram
 |
| From 2009_11_10 |
Architectural blank 2 - sketch plans and 3d models (SketchUp7)
 |
| From 2009_11_10 |
Architectural blank 3 - Planting plan, elevations and 1 point perspective drawing.
 |
| From 2009_11_10 |
2 mood boards and some rendering to come. This is a really pleasing accomplishment :)
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Tate Modern
A day at the Tate modern was on the agenda today.
Loud groan and eye rolling from inner art student.
CK and I pitched up fractionally late but in time to hear the basics about searching out form and shape and finding the inspiration of the piece, or maybe the last bit was form Sylvia Crowe's boo?, anyway the basic tenet of the day was to be inspired and to see what could be brought into our garden design projects and our HLP project over xmas.
Inner student yawned loudly....BORING.....she shouts. I don't listen.
After fielding coats to the cloakroom, finding loos and grabbing a cuppa we embarked on the 5th floor rooms. Swarms of school children drawing, mooching, discussing and listening flowed around us. Asians snapping happily as they stood next to the 'no camera' signs. I began to sketch, self consciously and hiding my book from anyone who wanted to see what was being scribbled. Never been a big fan of public drawing.
Inner art student nods in agreement.
Gradually as I noted things that inspired me, scribbled shapes and tones along with names and dates, picture refs and titles I began to realise how much inspiration I was gathering from this place. My 1st 4 visits here were to the top floor restau only, not even bothering with the galleries. Shameful!
I saw artists that I know well, Miro, Monet, Braques, Picasso, Matisse, Kandinsky and some I have not heard of before but want to see more of. It's not the Musee D'Orsay (I spent A LOT of time there when I lived in Paris) nor the Tate proper but it is great to see modern works of all media and mode.
My favorites of the day were '30 pieces of silver', the stands upon which 4 cubist sculptures sat and a fallen over palm tree covered in clay - go figure. ... and of course Matisse's 'L'Escargot' and Rothko's 'Untitled' and Miro's mobile and and and.....
In the end inner art student had a great day and my sketch book is much fuller than I thought it would be with ideas and collages of ideas and forms of ideas.
Loud groan and eye rolling from inner art student.
CK and I pitched up fractionally late but in time to hear the basics about searching out form and shape and finding the inspiration of the piece, or maybe the last bit was form Sylvia Crowe's boo?, anyway the basic tenet of the day was to be inspired and to see what could be brought into our garden design projects and our HLP project over xmas.
Inner student yawned loudly....BORING.....she shouts. I don't listen.
After fielding coats to the cloakroom, finding loos and grabbing a cuppa we embarked on the 5th floor rooms. Swarms of school children drawing, mooching, discussing and listening flowed around us. Asians snapping happily as they stood next to the 'no camera' signs. I began to sketch, self consciously and hiding my book from anyone who wanted to see what was being scribbled. Never been a big fan of public drawing.
Inner art student nods in agreement.
Gradually as I noted things that inspired me, scribbled shapes and tones along with names and dates, picture refs and titles I began to realise how much inspiration I was gathering from this place. My 1st 4 visits here were to the top floor restau only, not even bothering with the galleries. Shameful!
I saw artists that I know well, Miro, Monet, Braques, Picasso, Matisse, Kandinsky and some I have not heard of before but want to see more of. It's not the Musee D'Orsay (I spent A LOT of time there when I lived in Paris) nor the Tate proper but it is great to see modern works of all media and mode.
My favorites of the day were '30 pieces of silver', the stands upon which 4 cubist sculptures sat and a fallen over palm tree covered in clay - go figure. ... and of course Matisse's 'L'Escargot' and Rothko's 'Untitled' and Miro's mobile and and and.....
In the end inner art student had a great day and my sketch book is much fuller than I thought it would be with ideas and collages of ideas and forms of ideas.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Full Time and then some
Funny really I thought a full time course would be just that but this Post Grad Dipl in Garden Design at Oxford College of Garden Design is a bit like being back at Graphic Design degree stage. I was the only person amongst school friends with more than about 10hrs a week in class. We had class 9-6, Mon to Fri and then of course there was homework too. OCGD is a bit like that, only 2 days a week in class but I seem to spend ALL of the rest of my time working on projects, that's a 'no weekends off' policy :).
Right now I have a set of designs, elevations, 3D model, mood boards to finish for next Friday, for this I also have to find and learn to use Transtext, a 3 x A3 page pictorial timeline (120 images and text) for Dec 10, I have to think up an essay title and write a plan for it, for Dec 15. Before the end of term we have another garden to design and hand in plans - we haven't seen it yet. Then in the 6 week xmas holidays (ho ho ho) we have approx 200 hrs of work to complete a Hard Landscape Portfolio.
Concurrently with this there are gardens to visit, seasonal images to be taken of borders and flowers/plants for the soft landscape portfolio and we need to learn Vector Works (a type of CAD). GULP
I thought it would be knowledge expanding, and it is, I didn't quite realise how time consuming it would be, nor how much planning it would require, nor how obsessive one can become about filling in background info - that would be reading the reading list books I have bought and the magazines I have subscribed to!
I am off to read the entry rules for igpoty Garden Photographer of the Year 2010, got to relax some how
Right now I have a set of designs, elevations, 3D model, mood boards to finish for next Friday, for this I also have to find and learn to use Transtext, a 3 x A3 page pictorial timeline (120 images and text) for Dec 10, I have to think up an essay title and write a plan for it, for Dec 15. Before the end of term we have another garden to design and hand in plans - we haven't seen it yet. Then in the 6 week xmas holidays (ho ho ho) we have approx 200 hrs of work to complete a Hard Landscape Portfolio.
Concurrently with this there are gardens to visit, seasonal images to be taken of borders and flowers/plants for the soft landscape portfolio and we need to learn Vector Works (a type of CAD). GULP
I thought it would be knowledge expanding, and it is, I didn't quite realise how time consuming it would be, nor how much planning it would require, nor how obsessive one can become about filling in background info - that would be reading the reading list books I have bought and the magazines I have subscribed to!
I am off to read the entry rules for igpoty Garden Photographer of the Year 2010, got to relax some how
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Silvia Crowe - Garden Design
Found this Dame Sylvia Crowe book lurking in the annals of the town library under 'books no-one reads anymore'.
Took them 10 days to get it from storage. Good job really as the only copy on Amazon is retailing for about £3.5m... no I am not kidding!
Praise to the British library system.
Took them 10 days to get it from storage. Good job really as the only copy on Amazon is retailing for about £3.5m... no I am not kidding!
Praise to the British library system.
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