OCA BA Fine Art: Meet & Make

“There is no planning that has to be done, just turn-up and do as much or as little as you feel like, with cameras on or off, as you feel led. It is a time that can be set-aside from our busy days to dedicate to our creative interests and pursuits.” Sue Lawler

How familiar is the phrase or excuse  “I don’t have the time”? We say this as creatives and as OCA students. The more we think about the task, the more it becomes a chore. Suddenly, the washing up becomes more important! The BA Fine Art Meet and Make are monthly sessions where there is a dedicated time to forget everything else and focus on the OCA task at hand. This can be research, written work, work in progress, experimenting or finishing off a piece of work. You can even come with nothing except perhaps a few key words. We often work in isolation and forget there are many other students at the same stage and pace as you. 

“I think the Meet & Make sessions are valuable for meeting with others from the FA dept, to hear about what others are doing and to share ideas.  Today, for instance, what a ‘happenchance’ that another student showed a piece of work using exactly the technique that I had this morning been thinking about including in my current painting project.  Seeing and hearing her experiences helped me plan my next step”.  Sue Lawler

Judith Nowotarska, Urban LandscapeIt is only an hour. But only an hour can seem long or short depending on how our mind wanders. Students from all stages can come to the sessions and have the time and space to just get on with it. When studying on your own, we can be doubtful, and the wait for the next feedback can seem far away. 

“I really enjoy participating in Meet & Make. It gives me motivation to go ahead with my coursework and the opportunity to ask suggestions and exchange ideas with the other students and the tutor. As studying online is sometimes a solitary experience, these meetings are a great way to share learning with other students”. Annalisa Simonella

The added bonus is you are in a virtual studio with your peers. You can leave your cameras off, you can be silent, you can converse with others or ask for help and feedback. Quite often organic conversations happen and this leads to new ways of seeing your own work. It helps you be part of the student community. 

“I attended the first one and found it to be a very positive way to work alongside other students. It was nice to work with chat in the background or just the quiet knowledge that other students were there”. Claire MacDonald

Here is some feedback from students who have attended

What does it mean to you to come to these sessions? 

Being with others, in real time, that have shared interests means a lot.

It’s a way to connect with other students from all year groups and to see what they are up to, to share work, although I am a little shy in this department as my work is very basic, to discuss any stumbling blocks and to have a coffee and general chat. They are informal, fun and a great way to engage with the OCA community. 

What do you gain? 

A feeling of being part of the wider OCA community. 

I like to know that I have a scheduled bit of time to be able to sit down and get on with a piece of work. I have attended a couple of sessions and each time I have been able to work on a piece for one of my exercises. What I like is that it gives me an opportunity to be a bit more spontaneous rather than overthinking.

What does dedicated time add to your coursework?  

As a distance learning student, this one-hour, shared, virtual studio space encourages spontaneity, creativity and conversation which helps to keep me inspired and motivated in the weeks that follow. Being just one-hour a month is enough to keep me going.

I get it done but in a relaxing way. Although I do also like the opportunity to have a bit of a chat too and to see what other people are doing. 

The sessions are for OCA BA Fine Art students on the first Wednesday of every month, 1-2pm UK time. No need to come with anything other than yourself and your current work and mindset. Give yourself some space and time and let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to leave the washing up and procrastinate with some creativity instead?

I would like to thank the following Fine Art students for their contribution to this blog –

Sue Lawler, Annalisa Simonella, Claire MacDonald, Razaz Ghani, Judith Nowotarska.