Serena J K

Drawing, Drawing, Drawing

2011-12-07T00:54:00.000Z

During the first term on Visual Communication I've been lucky enough to do the drawing elective alongside my narrative project. Each week we've been given a short brief encouraging us to draw using different methods, sources and inspiration. The aim is not to make mastepieces or final work, but to challenge the way you draw and percieve the world, and to break away from routine. My favourite briefs included model making, drawing from film stills and drawing A3 portraits of unassuming tube passengers. Here is a tiny selection of what I've been upto:

Current Musings and new website

2011-11-19T14:49:00.000Z

Please have a look at my shiny new Cargo Website! Still a lot of work to be done, but for now it's doing it's job.

So, the first project we've been given at the RCA is the visual editor, with the aim to produce a book of our own narrative by christmas. Here are just some of my doodles and musings.

Der Dunkle Wald

2011-11-19T13:01:00.000Z

A very belated post about the Myth Collective Exhibition, held at Surface Gallery in Nottingham way back in early September. Organised by the talented Deborah Ballinger

the show featured work from recent Graduates on the theme of Mythology.

My work was produced during my time in Berlin earlier this year, and focuses on the role of the forest within German mythology and folklore. I was fascinated by how the forest is anchored deeply in our collective unconsciousness as a holy and magical place of transformation. It is representative of the unconscious mind, and said to house our deepest desires and fears. These images form a narrative sequence which describes the beginning, middle and end of a character's journey through the forest. Typically in fairytales, a character passes through a forest when he is in great need. During his journey, he has to confront a danger, and in doing so understands more about the dark aspects of life. Only then can he leave, prepared to take on the outside world again.

Produced at Druckwerstatt, Kunsthaus Bethanien, a printing workshop in East Berlin, with the help of the wonderful Klaus Peter. If you are lucky enough to spend some time in Berlin, go and make use of the facilities. It's hugely affordable and a really inspiring space to work in.

Bollocks to Poverty

2011-11-16T20:51:00.001Z

Some old old work has now finally gone live on the action aid website. Feels a world away from what the work I'm doing now but still great to have work out there. Lovely news!
http://www.actionaid.org.uk/101720/design_our_banner_artwork.html

Goodness, has it really been that long?

2011-11-16T19:55:00.001Z

Summer's been and gone and I'm now already mid-way through my first term at the RCA. Where has the time gone?! 

Apologies for lack of non-posting, my heart sinks every time I see the Blogger shortcut on my Firefox, but it's been a busy and wonderful couple of months! Website is on the way, as are some well overdue updates. Watch this space....

Safina Exhibition

2011-06-11T15:46:00.000+01:00

It's up, it's done, the ladies Alberio, Brinded, Ballinger and Armitage have done a wonderful job getting our work onto the walls of the Noverre Gallery at the Assembly house, Norwich. Our collaborative exhibition is now up until the end of June.   

Do do do go and have a look, and come to our Private View! 

For a sneak preview of the delights on show, have a look here (but that's no excuse not to visit in person!) See you soon x

Animals

2011-05-17T20:18:00.000+01:00

Well, as we all know Noah had some animals on his ark. Here are just a few. You can see the rest, as envisaged by Mesdames Brinded, Armitage, Ballinger and Alberio at the Assembly house in Norwich, from the First of June. Very exciting!

I'm suprised by the amount of colour seeping into my work recently, but think it's a welcome change! 

Noah, it's going to rain.

2011-04-29T22:05:00.001+01:00

Noah Builds an Ark

2011-04-29T22:01:00.001+01:00

So here's my final image. Noah builds his ark, as his Neighbors laugh at him. Which Noah do you prefer? Opinions welcome!

Noah

2011-04-29T21:56:00.001+01:00

In the past months I've been working on some images for a group exhibit that goes up in June. The theme is Noah's Ark, and I've been experimenting with my Noah. I'm beginning to conclude that I prefer the simpler option. Compare these two to the Noah who ended up in my final image, who is much fussier; I think I prefer these. Well, lesson learnt...!

Voyeur project

2011-02-21T17:25:00.001Z

This project has been an investigating into the interaction between human figure and urban landscape. I have taken reference photos from GoogleMaps, which enabled me to become a completely detached observer. Using frottage techniques allowed me to interact with the surface of the images, and to build my own 3D spaces on a 2D surface.

Another Portrait

2011-01-31T22:29:00.001Z

Amidst the flurry of applications, work and internships there's been limited but enjoyable room for being a bit artsy, hopefully there's much more to come soon.

This is my Grandmother, commissioned by my dearest mama.

April, May and June

2010-12-23T17:22:00.001Z

In the spirit of welcoming in a new year, here are some more of my Months of the Year series.

Printing Lino by hand is a tricky task, and although I enjoy some of the imperfections, I am pining for a real printing press! Are you listening Father Christmas?

Portraits

2010-11-04T16:48:00.001Z

I've recently started doing more portraits. These two were presents for people, but I loved doing them, so I think I want to try doing more for real money-pennies. Any commissions welcomed!(apologies for bad photos - need to get these scanned better)

"A bloody Noise" - illustration commission

2010-11-04T16:39:00.000Z

Isle of Wight Gents

2010-10-04T20:36:00.001+01:00

waiting for the Yarmouth Ferry to come in

Doormouse

2010-10-02T22:07:00.001+01:00

the coming winter makes me want to curl up exactly like this chappy....

Months of the Year Project

2010-09-20T18:49:00.002+01:00

I took part in illustration Rally (which you can find here: http://illustrationrally.blogspot.com/2010/09/months-of-year-may.html). Doing my entry has inspired me to do a God for each month, so watch this space! Here's Maia, the Linocut that evolved from my original painting:

Notes from a beautiful Summer

2010-09-20T18:41:00.004+01:00

Apologies for the length of non-posting. Being a Graduate means no scanner and lots of free time! I like to spend mine painting. Here is a glimpse into my summer...

If you go down to the beach today....

2010-07-12T22:32:00.002+01:00

....beware the seagulls and murky figures.... 

(Sketchbook from Sheringham)

"Ingeborg's Reise"

2010-07-07T22:37:00.002+01:00

My degree show work....Illustrations of my Grandmother's diary from 1945. Her journey from the Czech Republic back to her home in Hamburg was undertaken with her 2 small children amongst hoardes of refugees as the second world war ended.

Bird Mythology

2010-07-07T22:31:00.002+01:00

......exploring the mythology of birds....how they came to represent power and freedom, and the links between the human and divine worlds......

the soul

the messengers

the light

the prophet

Illustrations for "Love in Verona" by Gianni Rodari

2010-07-07T22:26:00.002+01:00

A surreal fairytale about a young man from Verona who falls in love with a Guinea-Fowl.

Old spanish refugees

2010-07-07T22:22:00.003+01:00

Welcome to the circus

2010-07-07T22:17:00.005+01:00

....Carny's were the first purveyors of fantasy....celebrating man's sheer capacity for survival....

San Sebastian

2010-07-07T22:10:00.002+01:00

....wonder who they were gossiping about...

Carnival

2010-07-07T22:07:00.002+01:00

There were some strange characters poking around Basque Country in the 1900's, even for Carnival season!

Ideology

2010-07-07T21:59:00.005+01:00

...Posters for the Warsaw Poster Bienalle unde the theme "IDEOLOGY"....Looking at how uniform ("of one form") creates or obliterates identity....how it asserts dominance and control.....imposes ideas of those in control on the masses and how history repeats through the ages....

My favourite bit of research from this project was that "during the 19th century, ornate beards and moustaches complemented officers rank and age, and were worn by socially equivalent civilians".

Inge & Jo

2010-07-07T21:41:00.003+01:00

The story of my maternal Grandparent's love during the Second World War; based on old family photographs.

Guerra Civilia

2010-07-07T21:24:00.007+01:00

Reflections on the Spanish Civil War, produced during Erasmus in Bilbao, 2009.

Hello again

2010-05-27T18:05:00.007+01:00

....It's been a while. It's about time I got back into this blogging malarky! So here goes, bit of a re-cap to start with....