Introduction

I am currently coming to the end of my second year of Foundation Degree in Art Practice.  I have always been enthusiastic about art from a young age, and at one point I didn’t think I’d ever be able to get back into Art after being discouraged after being unwell for a long length of time.  I have attained a B grade in Art and Design at GCSE and a C at A Level, and also went on to do a Foundation Diploma in UWIC after leaving school, but had to leave because of health problems, which was devastating to me as I have always wanted to become an Art Teacher. After some thought I thought I would study from home so I went on to do a English Literature and Language BA hons degree with Open University, where I learnt how to be independent within my work.  One of the modules I touched upon in that course was Art History, which made me want to come back to do a degree within Art and Design.  So a few months later in September 2014 I applied to come onto the Art Practice Foundation Degree, which I am now on, which has given me the chance to explore new techniques within my artwork.

 

Skills and Experiences

Art has always been something I have wanted a career in and I find it come natural to me in the sense of painting, I am always inspired by artists such as Jenny Saville, Chuck Close etc.  I adore exploring topics that I have experienced personally and I try to mirror these within my work.  I have been fortunate enough to have be able to travel to a lot of places, I have travelled to various places around Britain throughout my life going on Scooter Rallies, where I was fortunate enough to have an insight to the Mod and Skinhead scene and seeing a totally new culture within design (Lambretta and Vespa modifications), style and music.  I have also been to New York (Times Square, Manhattan etc.) and Australia, where I was able to see the Barrier Reef, Noosa, and Byron Bay etc. I have been to many other places around the world, where I have got to learn about different cultures and lifestyles, which has given me a broader and wider outlook on the world around us that has given me a lot of inspiration for my work.  During my time at Merthyr College, I have been able to visit a range of Museums in London such as, The Tate Modern, V&A, Serpentine Gallery and the National Gallery.  I have also travelled to Manchester to see the Manchester Gallery and also to Cardiff to see the National Museum of Wales which has given me an a new perception of art around us for example:- installation pieces and the way an art project has been displayed, whether it’s hung on the wall or positioned in a certain way.

 

Aims

The purpose of me volunteering is to understand the roles and responsibilities of working as teacher’s assistant, and what it takes to become a teacher.  I also want to learn about how to work with students aged 16 and over and see whether this is the path I want to follow after my degree.  I also aim to improve my organisation skills and also build up my confidence in talking in front of large groups.

 

Objectives

I hope from volunteering I will gain some knowledge of knowing what to expect if I choose to go down the career path of teaching and also getting to know what I would need to plan for lessons, and how to interact with the students on a professional manner.  I hope that I inspire one or more students into taking art further as a career path or hobby and I will hopefully help them with their journals and research.