Last week, the UK went into lockdown in an effort to stop the spread of the deadly virus, COVID - 19. Thankfully, I had already made it back to Derby, after leaving Aberystwyth when the university shut down. However, I had lost more than I imagined.
The most frustrating thing about leaving Aberystwyth is definitely the loss of the facilities there. I no longer have my studio space and likely wont see it again till September at this rate. I have to admit that this has hit me harder than I expected. For one, since I shared this space with other students, there was always a drive to create by seeing others working. As well as this, having a space to work that I have to leave my house to get to, meant that any distractions were minimised and I could focus solely on the painting.
However, this seems to pale in comparison to the loss of the printing studios. The equipment there was invaluable and many of the processes we were learning simply cannot be done without it. Sadly, I had to leave many of my prints unfinished. Despite this, our brilliant tutors have suggested many ways in which we can do some table top printing, which I am keen to try. A family friend also suggested I try table top lithography which apparently uses aluminium foil and coca cola. He swears he's had good results but I'll remain skeptical till I've tried it myself.
One of the hardest things I've had to adjust to is the lack of schedule. I've tried to create one based on my university timetable but the temptation to do nothing is sometimes too great. The only people holding me accountable is me and my family (whom I live with). I've found that if I try to make my day as busy as possible, I am more likely to work (even if its scheduling my Boris Johnson daily walk in). The more breaks I have, the more likely I am to have a cheat day and do nothing. I think that the key to not going mad in this lockdown is to not have time to.
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