Learning Log: Part Two – Tutors Report

Tutors report on assignment two:

02/01/2012

Rather than reproduce the full report here I intend to highlight the most salient comments that require my attention and immediate focus before becoming fully immersed in part three.

My tutor has made a number of positive statements (“you are developing a good self-critical and questioning approach to your work”) about my work to-date and I am grateful to her for these. She has been forthright throughout the report. I want to concentrate on those areas in which I need to make a greater effort to meet the requirements of the drive to  ‘go for the textile degree’ and to this end make changes to the way I process my work so that I can then be confidant that I can achieve the content and quality of output required for assessment. I am mindful however that I must ensure the correct balance to ‘write-up’ as opposed to ’output’ tasks. I can still hear my tutor saying though that “nothing is cut-and-dried”. I accept that we all have to have an out somewhere along the line – ‘journey’.

Introduction Specifics:

(i) I need to think about my presentation over the next few months, (how/what I will submit for assessment), by

    (a) sending all the developmental work making up the final piece/s and

    (b) ensuring that my online blog has a visual record of my ‘working notebooks’

(ii)  My working notebooks shall include my ‘sketchbooks’ as well as ‘samples in loose leaf files’. by

    (a) making my sketchbooks ‘tell the story’ indicating how thorough I have been in my approach to each assignment, and

    (b) ensuring that my sketchbooks include a diary of my ideas from initial mind map to rough ideas, tests, log of experiments, colour notes, diagrams and patterns for final more resolved pieces

(iii) I need to research how others present their work appropriately so that an assessor can see online how I am doing by for example

    (a) avoiding using pieces of cardboard, framing and glueing items to pages.

Re-work:

(1) As colour exercises seem rushed my vocabulary of colour needs extending by 

    (a) carrying out more close objective studies from primary sources (actual objects, landscapes) by

    (b) dating each page and

    (c) ensuring that each sample, design idea or exercise is accompanied by reflective notes and process notes.

Focus-on:

(1) I need to re-organise my sketchbooks (including loose leaf files) into a working diary by

    (a) labeling samples, writing down thought processes and dating entries. (“There is not enough written notes in your sketchbooks to clarify your ideas, purpose and whether you have achieved what you set out to do. A good way forward would be to put written notes first in your sketchbook, date them so that ….can see what you are doing before, during and after you do the work then transfer this thought process as a reflection with samples to your blog”)

(2) The time and effort put into experimenting and sampling must be carried over into my sketchbooks/working notebooks by

    (a) having one (or more) working notebook/s specifically for assignment three showing consistency, design rough ideas, experimental samples and thought processes.

Conclusion:

– boy do I have some rethinking to do! I am not confused about what I have to do but am very much aware of the need to make substantial changes to how I write-up and present my work for asessment. This will be my challenge for assignment three