On The Road

Did two drawings of my cousin this afternoon. Just felt she looked funny in this fat pink PJ.

What about me? Feeling shit coming back from the project for holiday knowing there’s still much work undone. And couldn’t feel more shit knowing I’m booked onto another project in March for a whole month. Shit!

One of my drawings of Al before he left back to UK. I’ve been involved on a project since. Feeling really exhausted and stressed.

Al watching Pink Pantha in bed. I feel this drawing is a bit like Schiele’s style, one of my favorite artists.

I’m planning to take some figure painting course when I go to UK. Although I got the offer of University of Arts London, considered the big gap between their international students’ fee and home fee, which is £9,300 per year and £1,390 per year, I decided not to be account on taking a course in that university, at least not in the next three years. Because the reply I got from the university to my question “If I get a spouse visa, in what condition could I just pay the home status fee?” is- You have to stay in UK for at least three years to be accepted as a home student.

The answer was quite disppointing, thinking of the HUGE gap between the oversea’s and home’s fees. The tuition is going up year by year, while I am not sure whether the teaching quality would climb along with it. Think about it, what if I get pregnant and have a baby in one or two years, I will still be treated as an “international student” if I wanna go to college? I did feel quite excited when I got the offer.I did look forward to going there to study, very very much. And I did work much. But what a pity, facing my financial situation I don’t think I could accept loaning money for just one year foundation course for which British students will just pay nearly 1/7, and I even don’t want to wait for another three years to go to a foundation course. All what I feel is I wont make it unless they suddenly changed the policy to accept me as a home student then.

I just hope Al could get a good job where he feels fulfilled and joyful in career development. He thinks I should consider more about other ways to persue art, like short courses. I guess that’s a good idea. I would like to join several short courses to train myself more in traditional art technique which is helpful for me to get deeper in art.

The only joyful chance to do art with my job is to draw my colleagues while we are working together. It is quick, meaningful and satisfying.

P1180987, originally uploaded by rgmu11.

Monica Li, at lunch break time

Cindy Cong, at lunch break time

This post continues my previous post about my colleagues: http://robinwang.co.uk/?p=516

It was 26th, November, 2009 yesterday. I went back to the university I graduated from and had an interesting experience there.

I was honoured and pleased to be invited by Mr Wang Shijun, an excellent teacher from School of Advertising of my university, to give a lecture to his students. I had total freedom to choose any topic in design. Eventually I decided to target on maintaining a sketchbook and the impact it has. The subject is called “Records of Your Creative Process”.

Mr Wang also post a “report” on his advertising class website. (click here)

26/11/09 Giving Lecture in DUFE, originally uploaded by rgmu11.

There were two reasons for me to set that subject.

- I think keeping sketchbooks is something missing in Chinese art school education. Till now, in the entrance exam to art colleges here, they still select promising students through technique test, i.e. sculpture sketches and still-life painting etc instead of appreciating the students’ personal portfolios and their interest in art shown from their sketchbooks. Moreover, keeping a sketchbook is so important for all designers.

- I have developed my thoughts in art and benefited myself from learning to use a sketchbook. I really want to share the experience with the students and hope they could be inspired as well.

Mr Wang suggested me to give it in English since this would be give the students a totally fresh experience. The two hours lecture went well. And it was indeed fresh to them.

I tried to guide them on how to accumulate the inspiration and knowledge. In the excise I gave them, I played some music clips and asked them to tell what image and colour they had on their mind from hearing. I know imagination is human’s gift. They just need to remember that moment’s vision with some idea journal  let’s say. The most important thing is I want them not just to see, not just to hear, but also to think. When I heard the students speaking out how they feel personally on the same music, I felt really happy. Some of them even made a story throughout the music. This is also a method I think useful: We need to practise from observing our surrounding life, and use our mind to think actively, then build up connection between the practical life and our own thoughts to convey that idea to the public, as a designer . Observe, Think and Connect.

We had some interaction in the Q & A section.I told them the importance and power to be true to their heart. I could see from their eyes that something they started to feel made them want to think about their life. Mr Wang has been supporting me since. He told the students that I am being in a hard time to save money for my tuition from my current job and even though they couldn’t help me but they would like to give me best wishes on this Thanksgiving day…I almost cried.

At the end of the lecture, he gave me a design magazine as a present and wrote his feeling on it-” The best student is also the best teacher of a teacher.”  I was flattered. We had a dinner  together and again he gave me some unforgettable advice- Many people like to spend time on making up for their weakness instead of enhancing their strength. They think getting rid of their shortcoming would lead to success but it is wrong.

My colleague Ivy was asking me to drawing a series of illustration about the romantic experience of her and her boyfriend as a present for his birthday. It was a lovely idea and I felt the sweetness when reading the story lines she wrote me. She wanted something simple. Here are some of them. I’m glad she and her boyfriend both like the work. I wish them a continuing happy relationship.

Al marking his students’ paper in grandparents’

We spent 6 days holiday in my mum’s parents’ in Tangshan. The last I went to visit them was when I was 12. Their home hasn’t any changes. They still live a simple and plain country life. For Al, it was his first time to see the Chinese country-side. Read his feelings here.  During the stay, we visited many relatives-my grandpa’s brothers and my grandma’s side. Apart from that, I had been enjoying sunshine in the garden.

Al and Mum making fun of each other

Al spent most of his time either on watching TV shows on laptop or marking the students’ paper

Al and mother eating home-grown corns in the garden

You know what I mean, if you do know.