It was a fantastic start and the group is a great mix of people and ages which means a lovely chatty atmosphere throughout the class.
I think I made myself useful, mostly cleaning up and exposing screens but I definitely feel confident enough to advise and help the students. Even though it was quite a long, late night it was a lot of fun and I think I would like to continue assisting if I can get paid to do so.
I have found that meeting new people and working with a variety of people really excites me. Something I should probably reflect on before I dive into freelance solo work.
Notes:
In the second week I was able to really help people with their digital file prep and get results that everyone was really happy with. Kirstie also suggested that I look into the West Yorkshire Print Workshop because ether are looking to take on a letterpress technician. I called the up the next day and the main technician will be contacted next week, (she is not in on thursdays and fridays).
Third - I was working more in the area of the beds this time as more of the students were ready to print with the files and images that we prepared last week. It was great to see the experimentation that people went with and how the relaxed freedom of the environment meant some really cool stuf was produced
Fourth - This was more of a mixed session dodging between the computer prepping files for people and helping with the actual printing as well as coating and stripping screens both with and for students. What I really learnt here was the balance between showing someone what to do and letting them do it. It was really great to see the students improve.
Fifth-
Mostly my time was spent helping people mix inks for print as a number of the students are well into the printing stage and want to start experimenting with colour. Through the briefs I have done this year I have found that I have a back or mixing colour and I really enjoyed working with the students on their prints.
Sixth-
Was quite a rush. everyone was trying to finish their work before the end of the session. We had a number of people printing free of the beds and this was something completely new to me. However, it mostly worked out really well. Kirsty showed me the ropes and I soon got the hang of it. The main skill being the clean lift of the screen off the paper.
Condensed Report-
Throughout my time at vernon street I have learnt
a lot about how I like to work as well as the screen print process and
workshop environment. I really enjoyed simply working with a number of
people. Getting to know them and help them achieve the best work they could. I
find the idea of working as a technician very appealing. However, I think
this is something I can get from working in a studio. Through this work
experience it has occurred to me that I collaborate with clients when I
work for them, and each brief is a chance to learn someone and something new.
More than anything I have reaffirmed the fact that it is the people that I work
with rather than what I am doing that makes me love a certain type of work.
This is why I feel big corporate studios in London are not for me.
I have also decided that I will go on working as
an assistant during the evening classes at Vernon, because it is a
wonderful supplement of mess and ink in-between a lot of staring
at screens. More than anything I have found that I have a worrying propensity
for teaching, in this particular instance. Although, it is not something I am
going to immediately pursue in my career, I have started to think about how I
would do so in the log run. So, I have signed up to teach a lettering workshop
at Deer Shed festival to test if this might be a direction In which I wish to
go.
However, I am also aware that this work
experience didn’t exactly challenge me it was comfortable and familiar. This is
why I think I need to pursue a design studio environment (just not like split)
that pushes me, because I need to be challenged to be happy in a Job for a substantial
time.
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