If you're not having fun, whats the point...

I've been thinking lately if this course is the right course for me.

I wonder if I am making progress. I am struggling a lot, between things at home hindering my attendance and the work load, I don't know if I can handle it.

I don't understand assignments, there are some that are due that I'm not close to finishing, the computer programs make me cringe and are so daunting because I don't know how to use them. My drawings aren't looking how they are meant to, and nothing seems to be turning out right.

I've got some serious thinking to do over the holidays.

Mankind is no island

Money talks

I made this quickly in photoshop. The picture was one I had taken of my younger brother and I just googled the dollar sign.

Unfortunately, this is the way some parents view their children. With the amount of money the government now pays you when you have a child, and things like child support factoring into the equation, it can twist and warp people until eventually all they see is a dollar sign on their child's head.

Something Sandra had said in our earlier weeks of class had repeated itself over and over in my mind the last few days.

As I struggled to deal with some family issues, and fell into a deep depression over them, I remembered what had been said - basically that different emotions inspired art. At the time I did not agree but as I put more thought into what had been said, and interpreted it in my own way, I found myself agreeing with it. I would not have created an image like this had I not been inspired by my feelings of hatred, rage and depression.

50 uses for bricks

1. To build a house

2. A door stop

3. A book end

4. As a step

5. To sculpt things from

6. To break things (windows, nuts etc)

7. As a paper weight

8. To stop a trailer rolling back

9. To keep things flat

10. To make noise

11. To make a pathway

12. To make an oven

13. To make a BBQ

14. To press flowers

15. As a hammer

16. To secure things in place

17. To help things stay in the wind

18. As a seat

19. To write on concrete with

20. To make garden ornaments

21. Pillars to hold roofs up

22. To create a barrier around something

23. To make a shelf with

24. Add to drawings

25. Martial arts (chop the brick with hands)

26. Paint and play tetris

27. To build a wall

28. Smash up and use as texture

29. To squash bugs

30. For bugs to make a home under

31. To make an arch

32. to substitute weights in body building

33. As a fire pit

34. As a weapon

35. To paint a picture of

36. To photograph

37. To build a cubby house

38. To build a wishing well

39. To build a car port

40. To make a garden bed

41. To fill holes

42. To graffiti on

43. As bed legs

44. As a TV stand

45. To build a bridge

46. As a retaining wall

47. To build a chimney

48. To make a pond

49. Flooring

50. To make a dog kennel

Experimenting

Sick days, control and encouragement.

I had to take the day off on Friday due to being ill. My apologies to Pete as we were meant to work on our film assignment.

Being sick frustrates me. I am pretty anal about routines. I plan what I have to do the night before each day and I follow my schedule very closely. I don't like spontaneous changes to it, it throws me i don't cope well with change. I'm a control freak and being sick is not something that I ever plan for. It is out of my hands and getting that control back over my day is difficult.

Besides being sooky about being ill and having my entire day thrown out of whack, I was pretty annoyed that of all days, it was this day. A day I really could have benefited from being there. I need much help with film and sculpture and both those were being covered that day. I have a lot of catching up to do.

However the day wasn't a complete waste. I was able to write my script for the film assignment, work on my circles triangles and squares and sorted through the house finding materials for the sculpture assignment.

I also spent some time brainstorming some ideas for the nocturnal exhibition proposal. I'm getting very excited about this, and the more I think about it, the more ideas I get. What I initially thought was a very restricted project has suddenly become limitless, and I know it's going to be a lot of fun. Even if my ideas aren't chosen, supporting my classmates and watching their ideas come to life will be just as exciting.

In about an hour I am heading down to the beach to photograph some bottles for the photography assignment. I'm hoping the sun will co-operate with me and with any luck I will be able to upload some pictures to share with everyone tomorrow.

First week

The first week of school was big. So much work in just three days!

I'm having trouble understanding what I need to do for the sculpture assignment and I'm really lacking confidence with the video camera.

So far my favourite class is the one I thought I'd enjoy least; drawing. I just need to get into a habit of not playing it safe with my drawings (of triangles, circles and squares) and asking 'what if' and take a risk with things.