Art College Application

At last! I have finished and sent off my Art College Application!
well, that's a relief....

Just in case anyone's interested, here's my personal statement: (with added notes and links)

From cardboard models to candle making, artistic projects and ideas fascinated me from an early age.

The Art Department at Monmouth School provided me with a variety of media and held workshops with artists including Jenny Whiskard, Jonty Henshall, and Anthony Frost. My developing interest in pursuits such as abstract expressionism, photography and driftwood sculpture culminated in my A-level projects:

- An “investigation of self” project consisted of a driftwood cabinet containing artefacts, photos and sculptures from throughout my life; it also included a video portrait of my life;
- An “Abstract Colours” project based on oil and acrylic paintings of Monmouth School buildings was backed up by a related study and video about the life and work of Anthony Frost;
- A third project was the result of an extracurricular life-drawing class;
- For the exam theme “Industrial Action” I constructed a semi-abstract oil painting based on photos of construction machinery.

During my gap year I studied Japanese in Japan and travelled in Europe. Throughout this and my university career I bound my own travel diaries and dream diaries and continued my life video portrait.

While living in Tokyo during my second year of university, I developed an interest in Kabuki theatre. I also got a brief glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes of the performing arts through a part-time job with the Bologna Opera on tour in Japan.
In Tokyo, my drawing style was influenced by visits to art exhibitions including Kandinsky and Sesshu. Art galleries I have enjoyed in the UK include the Tate Modern and Tate St. Ives; I also love the concept of the gallery as a living art space as envisioned by the Baltic in Gateshead.

The majority of my recent artwork consists of abstract drawings made with pencils and oil pastels, photography and digital imaging. I am interested in creating depth within drawings and have experimented with bringing this into 3 dimensions with freezer-based ice sculpture and some ceramics. I am also interested in the construction of large interactive spaces – an idea I have yet to develop.

I am currently working at the Board of Education in a small town in Japan as a CIR on the JET programme. My job consists mostly of teaching English throughout the community, but also incorporates international relationships through music in a band with other CIRs who come from several different countries.
A lot of my work is with the town Kids’ Club. I have used this as a basis for teaching juggling, musical improvisation, inline skating and paper aeroplane making. My next of these projects is an Anthony Frost style abstract collage workshop.
Due to finishing my contract in Japan, I won’t be available for interview until August – I hope this is not too inconvenient.

HCAD is the nearest Art College to my home near Leominster, but this is not the only reason for choosing to study there. The small college environment attracts me, as does the variety of disciplines on offer, including book arts.
I feel that the chance of working alongside a group of artists at College would give me the opportunity to develop my art and help link my current practices with my long-term goals.
My long-term goals include the incorporation of art and artworks at various levels of society, and I am attracted to the practice of art within local communities and the revival of rural craftsmanship.

My other interests range from outdoor pursuits such as hiking, paragliding and snowboarding to inner pursuits including yoga, meditation and reading. I love many forms of music and play the clarinet, saxophone, piano, accordion, as well as pretty much anything else I can get my hands on. When in the UK I also ring church bells.