Guest Speaker - Jo Blaker

Jo Blaker came in to speak to us about her work and her creative process. Some of the things she said that stuck out to me where:
"Don't worry about the labels"
"Looking, observing and noticing is how a creative process starts"
"You can naturally be very visual, or you can develop it by starting to look around you for things that interest you and collecting them"
"If you get bored, try a new material - it usually opens things up for me"
"Get away from the idea that you're sketchbook is for an audience - it's for you"

  

  



Her way of working is hugely based on collecting and documenting things she is intrigued about. She does this mainly through observation drawings and sketches.
Personally, I don't feel confident with realistic observation drawing, I find it slightly of a chore and never feel as if it has been successful. However, I am passionate about collage, scrapbooking and abstract drawing. I realise my sketchbook work does not have to be like Jo Blaker's, because there is no right or wrong way to collect and document information. That is why I can easily incorporate what I am passionate about and apply it to a sketchbook. For this module, I will be collecting information through the mediums of photographs, print outs, magazine/newspaper cuttings, and abstract drawings/paintings. I will explore my research by collaging, painting, scanning, cutting, folding, ripping and manipulating it in any and all ways I can think of.