Unicorns are real. They're just fat, grey and we cal then Rhinos.

Well the almost week gap since my last post just goes to show at rubbish I am at remembering to write a blog. I'd like to say I have been so busy that I just haven't found the time, but that can only be claimed for half the time since then. My mind has the memory of a goldfish, that is fact.

Backtracking since my last post, I have now finished my intern at Jealous print studios, and I can honestly say it was a really great opportunity! I've met some great artists, worked on some great prints and learn new techniques that I can use in my own experimental practise in the future. Print is not dead (as some people would have you believe, but it's not!).

Yesterday was the official end to my Easter holidays, which were ridiculously early in comparison to when Easter actually is, which is in three weeks. I have submitted my learning agreement for my new project titled Convergence/Divergence. For this project I am aiming to create a short animation using rotoscoping, which is something completely new to me and I am very excited at the prospect of learning a new skill! My idea is based on the BBC's Africa, in particular the scene of the rhinos at night at a waterhole. This rare piece of never before seen footage is a fantastic insight into the behaviour of rhinos when they are gathered together which is a rare sight. I hope to recreate this scene as an animation, but with a slightly comical twist. We will see the sun setting on a rhino at a water hole and the last of the visitors leaving the park. Then more rhinos will begin to appear at the water hole, and once all gathered will turn morph unicorns. It will end with the unicorns morphing back into rhinos and leaving one rhino at the water hole again when the sun rises and the visitors return. This animal morph was inspired this image I found which I found quite funny.

Through this comical twist, I hope to represent rhinos as a vulnerable species that shies away from the human eye when transforming into the unicorn, but that may very well become as mythical as the unicorn in the future if they become extinct. 

I found a really interesting article the other called: Is this all humans are? Diminutive monsters of death and destruction? by George Monbiot. The link to the article: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/mar/24/humans-diminutive-monster-destruction

I found this very interesting to read, and it saddened me that it is true, we are destroying our planet and the animals that also live on it. Humanity has turned us into a selfish and greedy race as a whole that wants the world to ourself, but there would be no beauty and wonder in that.

I hope that my work can inspire as wide a range of audience as possible to do something, to make a small change that can help to save our precious planet. And for the time being, I will learn as much as I can, so that I may use my skills as an illustrator and print maker to create beautiful illustrations, books and animations that can get this information and urgency across before it is too late.

It's getting colder.

The weather seems to have dropped from the summer-like weather we had about two weeks ago to colder, windier and rainier. How cruel to jape us with the warmth on our skin then bite into it with the cold so soon after. Typical British weather! My hopes are pinned on less than three months from now when I shall be packing as much as I can fit into a suitcase whilst also leaving room for spending items, and heading to the U S of A to work in an American summer camp for two months, followed by a month of travelling. I am counting on the weather being a lot better than here!

On the plus side today, I had the best donut I have ever tasted, ever. It was a banoffee donut from Dum Dum Donut's and if you haven't tried one of their fabulous and innovative donuts yet, head to the Box Park in Shoreditch London and grab yourself a freshly made donut from an amazing selection of flavours! Here's a picture to tickle your fancy.

On the weekend I took a visit to the Tate Modern to see the Richard Hamilton exhibition which was great to see. His work is a right old mixture but it was interesting to see what inspired him and the movements he worked within the art world. I even got to see the exhibition for free because Jess who works at Jealous Print Studios ever so kindly lent me her Tate membership card, bonus! I then spent Sunday afternoon wandering down and around Brick Lane at the market. It is utter madness I tell you! There are stalls of all sorts and people of all sorts and a mixture of all sorts. Vintage, home made, prints and every sort of food you can think of, all set up within the lane and lanes of Brick Lane in Shoreditch, London. Was I tempted to buy something, of course I was! But I resisted and instead settled on a very tasty dish of gnocchi with blue cheese and tomato. It was cold though and I seem to be quite tired from the hour commute I do every day to and from working. To me, this is a long time because it takes me 10 minutes to walk from my house to university, and in Jersey where I am from, it took me no more than 15 minutes to get to work, so in comparison, and hour is long.

I'm into my second week of interning at Jealous Print Studios and it's going great! I've done some more gold leafing on another print edition and am getting into the swing of things. Although I still can't seem to cut the prints straight using a weighted ruler and scalpel. I'm bloody useless at it in fact! I have learnt a new technique to create a wonderful finish to prints called a deckle edge. This is where the edge of the paper is torn instead of neatly cut, to create a more natural and authentic look to when the paper will first have been made before sliced up and sold in the first place.

I shall also apologise now in advance for the use of Instagram pictures that I have used, and will be using in many of my posts. I am addicted. If you ever fancy following me, my username is hollclark and I am very much interested in visually documenting my life. That username also goes for twitter if you fancy following me there too. Oh and tumblr, where I try to put up my artwork as an online portfolio.

First week Intern.

It's been a very good week working at the Jealous Print studios in Shoreditch, London! I wasn't actually sure what to expect but it has met all my expectations anyway. I've met some brilliant artists, like Angie Lewin, whose prints show an amazing array of mark making and blend of colours. 

I have also been learning new techniques that I can apply within my own print making in the future. Gold leafing: which although is tedious work, it creates such an amazing finish and particularly works well with the fine detailing.  Flocking: which is where many small fiber particles are magnetically transferred onto the surface of the print to create a velvet texture. And diamond dusting which is tiny fragments of glass stuck on with a layer of printed PVA. It is quite prickly when you rub your fingers together to get it off though! It's been great working with other interns as well, who come in one day a week, and I have been introduced to a new drink that contends with my much beloved chai latte; the matcha latte, which is concentrated green tea mixed with milk. Its amazing, and I recommend you try it! Another week to look forward to next week and I will hopefully meet more artists and learn some more techniques.

Onto the social side of my life, on Thursday I met up with Jade and Naomi, fellow Jersey's and AUCB art foundation'ers, at Jade's fine art exhibition at Gallery 320, Bethnal Green. I witnessed an eclair eating contest (not the sweet which I thought to begin with) where the aim was to eat the eclair in the quickest and most seductively way: most entertaining! It was so nice to catch up with a few too many free glasses of red wine consumed as well a shocking (on my behalf) game of pool. After having seen Naomi's new tattoo, it makes me want to get one even more! I still love Cara Delevingne's lion tattoo on her finger (see right) but I am also now tempted by the ankle, the back of the ankle to be precise. I shall have to get designing, its becoming more tempting to get one in America over the summer. On Friday night I met up with Toby, another fellow Jersey and AUCB art foundation'er for a Thai dinner and a good ol' catch up. I'm off to explore London tomorrow, fingers crossed I shan't get lost, and buy too many things either! I've got a terrible addiction for buying clothes at the moment when I really can't afford to! Oops, we shall see what tomorrow brings!

The start of it.

I am writing a blog. I am actually going to try and remember to write a blog and keep it updated... at least a few times a week! So here goes the start of it:

I'm going to tell you about the last few days, because they have been pretty exciting for me and I think it is something worth blogging about. I think.

On Saturday 15th March I went to London for the day. I had a free trip courtesy of the AUB short courses and UK Study Tours. Anyway, I asked my friend Rosie along and we had a lovely start to the day doing some shopping: I am a shopaholic and must be stopped! Aka. new Nike Air Max trainers! And then we took part in what is my first ever march for the #GlobalMarch4Lions with Lion Aid to raise awareness about canned hunting.

Did you know there are more captive lions in South Africa than there are free lions?

And did you know that many of the lions cubs advertised for tourists to pat and volunteers to help look after, are in fact bought up to be drugged and shot for a price and the pleasure of disgusting human beings?

Well this is what this march was about, raising awareness to stop the cruelty and murder of these magnificent animals, which have now sadly been listed as Near Threatened. Once the second most widely spread animals after humans, we have managed to completely sabotage the population of lions to a few countries in Africa and a tiny population in India. There were many cities around the world that took part and it feels amazing to be part of something on a global scale about an animal that I feel so passionately about. (I'm a sign of the LEO didn't ya know!) Here's a link to a book I made as part of my Narrative project in my Level 5 Illustration studies at the Arts University Bournemouth:

http://issuu.com/hollieclark/docs/the_lonely_lioness__2

Moving on a few days, I am now staying in London, Twickenham to be precise, to do an internship! How bloody exciting is that!! Thanks to the lovely Erica Donovan for the contact, I managed to get in touch with the Jealous Print Studio and organise a 2 week internship with them. Now, not only is this a screen print studio, it is also based in Shoreditch in East London, which is the up and coming, hip, young and cool place for the creatives to be right now! How god damn awesome is that?! Must have an explore at some point!

I have just finished day 2, and so far so good! Yesterday I helped out with cleaning screens, which are so much bigger than the ones in uni, and just got myself familiar with the studio layout, doing odd jobs here and there. Today, along with a weekly intern, we helped to add gold leaf to a print. I would love to use this on a print some day, it looks amazing! 

We then had a jolly lovely pizza at Pizza East and went to Saatchi gallery where Jealous were having an opening night to the Exhibtion for the Jealous Prize, which grants 8 graduates from across the London Art Colleges an all expenses paid residency with the Jealous Gallery print studios to create a new limited edition print. Not bad ey! Shame I'm not doing fine art in London!

Any who, I have babbled on enough for today and must get some sleep. I seem to be turning 90 instead of 21 in the summer as I now look forward to my bed at the end of each day... some student I am. However for the time being, I am a working lady now for 2 weeks so I think this is acceptable.

Catch ya on the flip side!