Final Project Evaluation

Project Evaluation:

Contemporary Landscapes and the Urban Environment

Knowing that the final project of the year was going to be the most important, I was always sure that 'Contemporary Landscapes and the Urban Environment' was going to be the theme. Feedback from tutors and successful work in earlier projects proved that this was the most appropriate of choices.

 

I would say my main strength was developing and producing work from the artist research I collected. I recreated the artist's work to familiarise myself with their techniques before working from my own photographs and observation. In some areas of the project, mainly with my final painting, I found that qualities from different artists have been combined to create a mixed-media piece that is highly successful.

 

Not everything went to plan and there were some challenges along the way. The main reason for this, I would say, is time management. I could have maybe planned my time a little better to ensure all work was completed in a certain time limit but with some of my work, it took longer to complete than I thought it would.

Overall, I’m pleased with how this project progressed. Although there could have been more, I am proud of the work I have produced and I think I’ve done well at meeting my original aims. At the exhibition, I received positive feedback from both tutors and fellow students which made me realise the choices I made throughout the project resulted in a successful sketchbook of work and a visually interesting exhibition.

Evaluation Notes

 Project Evaluation: (100 Words?)

These notes for the Project Evaluation are just a few simple bullet points to use as a reminder for what to include in the my final draft which will be submitted.

- Why based on chosen theme? Based on Feedback? Successful work? Interests?

- What went well? Be specific. What was successful? Materials, Techniques, Specific Pieces.

- What would I change? Things that didn't go as planned, Challenges I faced, Time management.

- How Artists influenced my work? Same materials, Similar techniques, Colour schemes.

- How the Exhibition turned out? Build-up, Was it how I planned?, Challenges, Final Thoughts

Finishing Touches

With the project deadline looming (22/06/2012), I have spent some time today finishing off a few bits and pieces in my sketchbook. I want my sketchbook to look the best it possibly can so I have spent a lot of time ensuring the presentation is of a high standard. I've included annotation where I think it's necessary to co-incide with posts on this blog and the reflective comments made in my journal. I'm pleased with the overall look of my sketchbook and I just hope that the tutors and moderators appreciate the time and effort I have put into this project to get it to the standard it's at now.

Exhibition Opening

Last night's exhibition was highly successful. Everyone's work was completed to the highest of standards and the exhibition as a whole looked amazing. The whole exhibition space and the huge variety of work on displayed made the night enjoyable and visually stunning. It was a great opportunity for students to explain the reasons behind their work to others and reflect upon the project's strengths and weaknesses and help with the input for the project evaluation. 

Exhibition: The Final Look

I am pleased with the how my exhibit looks. In comparison with other student's work, It's size is on the smaller side but I'm still happy with it's overall look. Personally, with the intricate, detailed pieces I create, I prefer to work on a smaller scale because I think they're more successful. I always come across numerous problems when working on a larger scale (loss of perspective etc.) and I don't think work like that is as successful.

I'm certain I have made the right choice in which pieces to exhibit. I think as well as being the best pieces from the past year and this recent project, they work really well collectively. In my opinion, the strong contrast between the two makes my exhibit more interesting. Looking back, I'm glad I decided to leave the prints in their original condition beacause if I had worked back into them with watercolour, I don't think the exhibit as a whole would be as successful. The fact that the painting is colour-based and the prints are a simplistic black and white, has made my exhibit more visually appealing. 

Displaying Work

For my painting, a rather simple method was used to display it on the screens. Using a spirit level, I ensured the painting would be straight horizontally, therefore it would be vertically accurate too. Two nail tacks were hammered into the screen on the horizontal line so that the wooden frame could be simply hung on them to keep it straight and solid. I think this was perhaps the best method to use because there are no visible marks or features (screws, brass plates etc) distracting from the piece and because of it's size, I think that's best.

The prints, as seen in the photo above, have been placed alongside each other in order of tonal qualities. To enhance these, they were mounted onto a layer of foam board shortly after they dried when they were originally created. To ensure the prints were applied with strength to the screens, several 'sticky pads' were used which not only helped with displaying them but also with enhancing them because the thickness helped bring them forward a little giving them more of an impact along with the painting.

Painting: The Final Outcome

After being left overnight for the glue to dry, some final adjustments were made to ensure the painting was looking the best it possibly could. The frame was then painted white to co-inside with the screens. When deciding upon how and where my work would be displayed on the screen, I noticed the original wooden board was chipped on the left, and it was quite noticeable from both, a distance and close-up. To solve this problem, I asked Bill, the technician, to sand off a small margin of the wood to make the sides even. The results were successful and I was happy with how the improvements were made. All that was needed to do then, was to re-paint the frame and to ensure the adjustments weren't noticeable.