Over the duration of my time at AUB I have come to realise that as much as I have enjoyed my time here on the course, I do not wish to pursue a career in illustration. Instead, I hope to study a PGCE in Primary teaching starting 2016. This said however, I still thought it important to take this opportunity to undertake activities such as creating a website and producing business cards etc. One reason for this being that this is something new that I have not done before and I also think its good to be prepared for any possible opportunities that might arise, especially as I am taking part in the graduation show.
The main inspirations for my work are books and narrative. I love the physicality of books as well as the stories they hold within them. I have quite a broad taste in literature but within my illustration practice I often find myself drawn to stories with strong female leads. Since being introduced to her writing at A-level I have been inspired by the works of Angela Carter and have subsequently based two of my projects on her work. I like to focus of the moods and atmospheres within a text to create intriguing, evocative imagery. A lover of the handmade I like to form physical objects from my work, such as hand bound books and zines.
From left to right, 1.The Bloody Chamber, 2. Heroes and Villains. 3. Angela Carter’s book of fairy tales, 4. Tess of the D’urbevilles, 5. The perks of being a wallflower, 6. Oranges are not the only fruit, 7.The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, 8. Farewell my lovely, 9. Wuthering Heights
Within the pre-major project I experimented a lot with combining handmade and digital techniques. Although I am very much an analogue person, it is 2015 and I think it’s important to be able to use technology to get the most out of your work. I feel like I managed to find a happy medium within this project as I was still making all the initial imagery by hand but then using Photoshop to play around with layering and form. Because of this experimentation I am a lot more confident in using Photoshop, something that has helped me in my major project, even if just to spruce up my images so they look better on the screen.
After reading Jeannette Winterson’s ‘Oranges are not the only fruit’ for the Penguin design award, I felt inspired to form my major project around this text. After exploring various areas of the book I focused on a single quote that I found myself repeatedly drawn to ‘I have a theory that every time you make an important choice, the part of you left behind continues on the other life you could have had.’ I explored this idea using a range of methods including collage, photography and drawing and found that a painterly style with a limited palette worked best. During the pre-major project I worked predominantly with found materials and digital techniques and so I found it quite refreshing to get back into drawing again. I created a couple of short zines within this unit as seeing my work in a physical form helps me to see how my images are working together and where I can take it next. I’ve found that engaging in smaller projects like this within my theme helps me to keep focussed and motivated.
I also started focusing on small, interesting moments within the book and turning these into short, narrative sequences. I broke these moments down into really simple forms using a limited colour palette. I think there’s something quite intriguing about them and would like to take this forward and perhaps illustrate the entire book in this way.
As part of my major project I decided to enter The Penguin Design award, something I’ve been meaning to do for the last two years but never got round to. I sent in entries for both the adult fiction award and the puffin award, the books for which were ‘Oranges are not the only fruit’ by Jeanette Winterson and ‘Carrie’s War’ by Nina Bawden. This was a challenge for me, as I’ve never designed book jackets before, however I had a lot of fun doing it and am glad I pursued it. I am a huge book lover and I think that if I were going to seek a career in illustration, designing book covers for Penguin would probably be my dream job. The shortlisted entries are announced on April 24th.
Although I am not intending on taking my illustration work forward as a career I will be participating in the graduation show being held at The Rag Factory in July. This is something I wanted to do as a way of celebrating the four years I have spent at AUB and I think it will be a nice way to end my time here. Because I am taking part in the final show I have also contributed towards the fund raising activities for this, which included manning stalls at two external craft fairs and also at our own Silent Auction. I also contributed some of my own handmade items to these events; such as crochet Christmas baubles and handmade cards. I love anything craft and so these events were perfect for me. Although the first two events weren’t particularly successful, it was a good way to learn about planning, presentation and pricing. I spend quite a lot of my spare time ‘crafting’ and am thinking of setting up an online shop, probably on Etsy, to perhaps sell some of the items I make. From top to bottom - 10. Pricing items for market stalls, 11. Winter Wonderland market stall
I am not the most computer savvy person in the world as so I thought the best option for me was to host my website on a site I already know quite well, Tumblr. Although hosted on Tumblr I thought it would be more professional (and exciting) to have my own domain name, and so I am now the proud owner of www.allysprague.co.uk. I’ve tried to keep my site simple and easy to navigate with only my best/ favourite work on there. It is a work in progress but hopefully I’ll have it exactly how I want it soon.
Although I already owned an Instagram account it was quite personal and so I created a separate account for showcasing my illustration work. Instagramming is something I enjoy doing and it’s easy to keep up on a day to day basis. Quite a lot of people use Instagram these days and so it’s also a good way of keeping up with the latest work of other practitioners.
Although I don’t really use Pinterest to showcase my own work I find it a great source for inspiration. I’ve created boards with inspiration for my final project and well as professional practice. I find looking at Pinterest a quick way to get inspired when I’m having a bit of a creative block.
I have a Tumblr blog that I have used as a way of documenting my journey throughout the major project, using it to post thoughts and ideas as well as works in progress. This blog is way for me to pause and reflect on my work, as well as a way for the tutors to see and understand my processes.
I am in the process of creating a new blog, as I’d like a more permanent blog that I can post all of my creative projects on. I am quite into crafts and spend a lot of my free time crocheting, sewing and making various things and so I want a place where I can document and show off the things I make.
After spending quite a lot of time browsing at business cards I decided to keep mine simple with an image on the front and handwritten text on the back, this way they are eye catching and the information is easy to read. I’ve gone for four different designs and eco-friendly recycled paper. All the designs are consistent in colour and style.
I feel that my work has developed quite a lot since the pre-major project and so in my portfolio I have only included my most recent work to keep it fresh and relevant. I placed my book jacket designs onto a template in photoshop to give them more of a context and this is how I’ve chosen to display them in my portfolio as I think they have more life this way. I’ve tried to keep my portfolio concise and consistent and I think that it flows quite well. Obviously I want my work to look the best it can and so I used professional lights and a good camera in order to get some clean, crisp photos of my work.
After graduation my plans are to apply for a PGCE in Primary teaching to start September 2016. I think the PGCE is the right choice for me as there’s still the guidance and support of the university environment as well as 120 days spent gaining experience in schools. My intentions are to spend the year prior to this working as well as gaining more experience in the teaching environment. I have already completed the minimum requirement of 2 weeks work experience, which I undertook at my old infant school in September 2014. My intentions are to get experience in a few different school environments such as smaller village schools, private schools, pre-schools etc. in order to gain a greater understanding of the type of school I would like to work in in the future. I will also look for any workshops or summer clubs that may be happening that I could possibly volunteer at.
Within the two weeks I spent at my old school, Harnham Infant School I worked in classes ranging from the foundation stage to year 2, so children aged between 4-7. I had a really great time working with the children and it reassured me that teaching is the right path for me.
From top to botton - 12. Hedgehog class, 13. Harnham infant school entrance.
So far, my top choice of University for the PGCE is The University Of Winchester. Originally established as a teacher training college I think it would provide a really good environment to learn in. Back in October I attended an open evening there and it felt like somewhere I could really see myself going. It is also fairly close to home which is useful as I think I will probably be commuting (to save on rent!).
I have also booked a place on an open evening at The University of Southampton as they also offer a PGCE in primary teaching, however their course is focused towards teaching ages 5-11 rather than the 3-7 age range that Winchester offers. 14. Screen shot from University of Winchester website.
My illustration practice is primarily based around narrative and storytelling and I think this is something I can take forward into teaching. Illustration is about finding creative ways to communicate ideas and I can use the skills I have in this to create a rich and stimulating classroom environment. I plan on spending some time familiarising myself more with the national curriculum to help prepare me for any interviews I might get. There is student finance available for the PGCE for which you can apply for with the usual process. 15. Screen shot from UCAS website.
Part of the UCAS application process involves including a personal statement and so this is something I have been working on recently. There is quite a lot of competition for a place at Winchester and there will be people applying who have degrees in subjects such as childhood studies and so I need to make myself stand out in my personal statement. However, I think with a creative degree I will be able to offer something quite unique and exciting to the job, this is something I have focused on in my personal statement.
Following hand-in I will need to start preparing my work for the Bournemouth and London shows which means selecting and framing the work I want to show. I’m not entirely sure what kind of frame to go for at the moment but once I have everything handed in I will have some time to shop around for one. I already have business cards however I think it might be worth getting some other promotional materials to hand out or sell at the show such as post cards, prints and stickers. As I’m looking to get a job between graduating and starting University again in 2016, I thought it important to update my CV. I have already started applying for local jobs and have already had some interviews so hopefully I will be able to start working soon after hand in. Although I obviously want to start working as soon as possible, at them moment I’m being quite choosy and only applying for jobs which I feel I will enjoy and that will challenge me.
My practice has come a long way during my time at AUB and I feel that during my major project I have discovered a style of image making that’s really working for me. Although I do not wish to have a career as an illustrator I will continue drawing and keep my website and instagram updated as this is something I enjoy doing.
The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter. (1998). [online image] Available from: http://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/the-bloody-chamber-and-other-stories-vintage-magic-8/9780099588115 [accessed 20 April 2015] Heroes and Villains by Angela Carter. (2011) [online image] Available from: http://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/heroes-and-villains/9780141192383 [accessed 20 April 2015] Angela Carter’s book of Fairy Tales. (2005). [online image] Available from: http://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/angelacarters-book-of-fairy-tales/9781844081738 [accessed 20 April 2015] Tess of the D’urbevilles by Thomas Hardy. (2003). [online image] Available from: http://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/tessof-the-durbervilles/9780141439594 [accessed 20 April 2015] The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. (2009). [online image] Available from: http://www.whsmith.co.uk/ products/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower/9781847394071 [accessed 20 April 2015] Oranges are not the only fruit by Jeanette Winterson. (2010). [online image] Available from: http://www.whsmith.co.uk/ products/oranges-are-not-the-only-fruit-anniversary-edition/9780099530244 [accessed 20 April 2015] The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle. (2008). [online image] Avaible from: http://www.whsmith. co.uk/products/the-adventures-of-sherlock-holmes-penguinclassics/9780141034355 [accessed 20 April 2015]
Farewell My Lovely by Raymond Chandler. (2010). [online image] Available from: http://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/ farewell-my-lovely/9780241954355 [accessed 20 April 2015] Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. (2003). [online image] Available from: http://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/wuthering-heights/9780141439556 [accessed 20 April 2015] Schofield, L. Pricing items for market stalls. (2014). [online image] Available from: http://lauraschofield.tumblr.com/ post/114310278362/university-year-3-pricing-and-promoting-winter [accessed 20 April 2015] Schofield, L. Winter Wonderland Market Stall. (2014). [online image] Available from: http://lauraschofield.tumblr.com/ post/114310659032/university-year-3-selling-at-winter-wonderland [accessed 20 April 2015] Harnham Infant School. Hedgehog class. (2015). [online image] Available from: http://www.harnhaminfants.org.uk/_files/ images/100_5366.jpg [accessed 20 April 2015] Harnham Infant School. School entrance. (2015). [online image] Available from: http://www.harnhaminfants.org.uk/_files/ images/100_6934.jpg [accessed 20 April 2015] Screen shot from The University of Winchester Website. Available from: http://www.winchester.ac.uk/Studyhere/Pages/pgce-primary-3-7.aspx [accessed 20 April 2015] Screen shot from the UCAS website. Available from: https:// www.ucas.com/ucas/teacher-training [accessed 20 April 2015]