The evidence below will show how I have fully met the Level 7 assessment criteria for Unit 3. I have also included an overview from Units 1 & 2 to give context and to demonstrate chronologically the complex development of my practice and patterns of behaviour leading up to Unit 3.
Learning Outcome 1:
Present evidence of a body of work that demonstrates a systematic enhancement of your knowledge and understanding. (AC Realisation)
The Blog:
The primary piece of work that demonstrates a systematic enhancement of my knowledge and understanding is my blog. Currently standing at approximately 230 posts it documents the work that I have made and reflects a lot of my thinking and lived experience during the past 2 years. It is a work that contains a body of work within it.
At the start of this course, I was a person who did not naturally engage with social media, but I realised that if I was going to do myself and the course justice, I would need to engage fully with the blogging process. This was not an easy thing for me to do.
The value of the blog is threefold:
Freedom
By engaging with the idea of vulnerability and by writing about my everyday life and my thoughts and feelings on my blog, I have posted work which before the course I would not otherwise have shown to anyone thereby releasing me from the fear of failure. This opened the gate for me to embrace experimentation fully. The public nature of the blog, whilst initially difficult to embrace, is at the very core of this freedom.
Reflection
The inherent reflective nature of the blog has enabled me to look back at myself, and my work, to re-assess and to develop; to understand my life and my work backwards so that they can be lived forwards.
The Embodiment of My Becoming
Not only does the blog document my journey on this course but more importantly it embodies my becoming and it is for this reason that it was inevitable that it would be made into a book. I knew that the blog would be important as early as my Study Statement (Section 5) and that it would be taken out of the digital into the physical form of a book (We’re So Excited). It is important that the book is made by my hand because the act of making it feeds back into my becoming in a reiterative loop. It is also more than one volume which means that it is incomplete and can be added to in the future – again, in my Study Statement (Section 5) I anticipated that keeping a reflective blog would be a cornerstone of my future practice.
The Book: Rejection; Regrets; The Book; The Book II; Four Little Words; Soft Structure
Other Work:
Looking back through my blog I can see clearly how my understanding and knowledge about both myself and my work has been systematically enhanced. This is because of my practice of regular reflection which facilitates the connection of ideas and the constant drive to develop and move forward with my work.
UNIT 1 Overview:
I lost myself in experimentation and confusion in an attempt to overcome my perfectionist self and to foster an approach of openness and vulnerability. I began with the foundation of automatic drawing as a method of letting go of control (Miscellany I; Trying Not to Overthink It; Ever Tried, Ever Failed). I also explored:
- digital artmaking (And Now for Something Completely Different; Doing Lines; Motherhood I)
- ink (Blot; Blot II)
- print-making (Hearts & Lino; Three Conversations with My Mother; Where Do We Go?)
- photography and video (A State of Flow; A State of Flow II).
- cyanotype (Out of the Blue; Parental Loss; Out of the Blue II; Out of the Blue III; Interim Show; Out of the Blue IV)
- kitchen lithography (Never Drinking Coke Again)
- interactive art (Call Me; We’re So Excited; Interim Show)
Whilst experimenting with other media, I also continued to paint (Less; Figuring It Out; Resisting the Urge)
Certain themes and behaviours began to emerge:
- I often feel overwhelmed. Having too much choice and the need to explore all options either paralyses me or causes me to seek comfort in control and structure eg limiting my colour palette or medium (Less; On Your Marks…; Lines; Doing Lines; Making a Sound). I also reflected on how I felt overwhelmed by the responsibility of becoming a parent (Motherhood; Interim Show).
- I have unresolved feelings from having cared for my mother and her subsequent death (Reflecting on Resentment II; Three Conversations with My Mother; The Cost of Living; A Wobble; Reflection). I began to think about my place in the world after her death and my relationship with my siblings (If You See It, Just Buy It; Sisters; The Invasive Sibling)
- I have a paradoxical nature (Caught in a Paradox)
- I realised that in the past my perfectionism was fed by a need to do my best (Caught in a Paradox). So, I decided to privilege process over product (Doing Lines; It’s All Part of the Process; Resisting the Urge). I also realised that I do not need to make what I like or like what I make (Figuring It Out; We’re So Excited)
- I became interested in the idea of reprocessing and layering (It’s All Part of the Process; Out of the Blue IV).
- I am inspired by a variety of sources including literature (Motherhood; Parental Loss); images (Out of the Blue I II & III; Parental Loss; Interim Show); and other artists (Out of the Blue III; Interim Show; Call Me)
- I tussled with my inner conflict in attributing value to my art and the impact of the accidental, effort, readymades and collaboration (We’re So Excited)
UNIT 2 Overview:
I began the unit resolved not to follow my work plan but to wander and to wonder (Self-accountability 15/4/25). It was an eventful time from a personal perspective – my daughter was involved in a car crash, and my dog became ill and was euthanised.
The feedback for Unit 1 referred to the idea of mapping and the idea of maps and mapping began to appear in my work. In Solitude I used an image of my father to create a silhouette. The idea was then developed in Rubbing It Out in which I introduced automatic drawing from Unit 1 and map like gridlines. I attempted to take it further by experimenting with oil paint, but it did not work so, I cut the figures out and explored collage (What Was I Thinking?). I then introduced the contour lines which had emerged from my line drawings in Unit 1 (Late Night Ramblings). The use of the silhouette and mapping symbolism later appeared in By My Hand.
I started to research and think about maps and mapping practices in more detail (Maps) and thought about producing a map as an artifact embodying what I have learnt during the course. (Wondering About Wandering; Trying to Move Forward). I looked at psychogeography and made my own emotional map (Carbon Dating) using carbon paper and my first foray into stop frame animation (Carbon dating II). I made work out of a map (You Can Take the Girl Out of Essex…) and contemplated the inherent sense of place and of connection (Raita Bitless; You Can Take the Girl Out of Essex both of which develop the idea of connection to place first considered in Where Do You Come From? in Unit 1).
Hand Map was the first time I used thread in my work.
I continued to engage with the process (Just Because; Making A Face) as well as my painting classes which confirmed a move away from the figurative (As I was Going to St Ives; Rule Breaker; Water). I experimented unsuccessfully with new processes such as solargraphy (Catching Some Rays; Catching some Rays II; Sticker in which I accidentally created a sticker) and carried on making videos and taking photographs (Seeing the Wood for the Trees; If You Go down to the Woods Today). I experimented with slow shutter photography (Ice and a Slice) and filming through layers and taking screen shots to explore the abstract (In A Flash). The importance of layers persisted in my work (Trying to Move Forward; A Test of Memory). I continued to be inspired by the work of others in my experimentation and embraced the accidental (Last Minute; Siblings, which was selected to be exhibited at ING Discerning Eye 2025).
I continued to contemplate the issue of the value of art (Am I Bovvered?; Making Sense of Worth) and by the end of the unit, I had reached the conclusion that I would probably be a mixed media artist (A Test of Memory).
The Research Paper was a pivotal point in the course as it aligned so closely with my practice and made sense of it. However, deciding on the research question proved to be difficult because of my inability to deal with too much choice which I had previously recognised in Unit 1(The Paradox of Choice; Wondering about Wandering).
In addition to mapping, I had been thinking about
- memory (Our House; Keep Making Art!; Raita Bitless);
- the distortion of memory (Carbon Dating II; Arachnid);
- the dialogue between maker and material (Clay!);
- how what is made embodies our memories, our emotions and the process of making (Time Capsule; A Test of Memory; Carbon Dating II);
- how we are changed by what we make (Carbon Dating II); and
- the self in flux (Wayfinding; You’re Turning into Your Father).
The research paper explored these elements within the framework of ontogenesis.
UNIT 3:
By reflecting back on units 1 & 2, I can see how they have naturally fed into Unit 3, further enhancing my knowledge and understanding.
My Research Paper has brought clarity to my practice. The idea of the ontogenetic self and of my art practice as not being a representation of self but as a lived recursive becoming, has made sense of my reluctance to limit myself to a specific medium and has reinforced my commitment to process over product. I now feel more content in my making as I have a greater understanding of my process.
I am continuing to experiment and to privilege process over product and in doing so I am both observer and participant in my own becoming (see LO2 for details of relevant work). However, I have realised that this approach does not mean that the product has no importance – it is important that when I look at my work it reflects my process and evidences my becoming (A Moment; Pushing Paper; Never Say Never; Feedback; Oops, I’ve Done It Again).
I have embraced the concept from my research paper that I not only make but I am also made in return. This seems to explain so many things to me:
- How I have come to understand myself better through making and how my behaviour in life is often mirrored in my making (Solace in Repetition; My Best)
- How I process through my process (A Sense of Achievement; Liminality of Memory – exploring unhappy memories of my parents’ house; Regrets; My Best; A Line Made By Running; A Line Made By Threading). This understanding can be retrospectively applied to Motherhood I, Parental Loss, and Three Conversations with My Mother in Unit 1.
- How I am shaped by my environment (Pushing Paper II)
- How, by allowing myself to relinquish control by experimenting in my process, I can identify past behaviours which fed into my making and can recognise that my current process of making can influence my behaviour going forward (My Best; Back to Black; Pushing Paper II).
I have accepted that I will never be able to rid myself of the perfectionist self and that it is a case of learning to live with it (A Moment; Inner Critic; Life; Oops I’ve Done It Again). The Pushing Paper series (Pushing Paper, I, II, III & IV) and the work which flowed from it (Never Say Never; The Accidental and the Incidental) also brought clarity to my understanding of myself and my work. I felt content whilst I was making the work and I realised that this was because the repetitive mark making appeased my perfectionist self but there was still an element of the unknown which satisfied my experimental side. This realisation was later consolidated by my understanding that I need soft structure within my practice (Soft Structure; Life)
I have thought further about my paradoxical nature in the context of the art world (Ambivalence).
I now accept the accidental and the incidental in my work (Feedback; Where Have I Come From?).
I have systematically enhanced my understanding and knowledge of skills during Unit 3 by building upon those already acquired throughout Units 1 & 2 eg. inspired by Do Ho Suh’s thread drawings I researched his process and how to make paper; I have learnt editing skills in Capcut etc.
During Unit 3 I have reflected about my practice and who I am as an artist (Chasing My Tail) and how I have changed over the last 2 years (Where Have I Come From?). Rather than being the mixed media artist I thought myself to be at the end of Unit 2 I have decided that a better description would be multi-disciplinary as I want to be able to choose the best process for the piece of work, which may turn out to be a single medium (Feedback; What is My Work About?).
I can now see what elements of my practice are important to me:
- A fluid process which is evidenced in the product
- Experimentation but in the context of soft structure including repetition of mark making, patterns and motifs
- Automatic drawing
- Line
- Thread
- Layering
- Lived experience
- Reflection
- To continue becoming
In Unit 3, video has made a strong appearance and I recognise that it satisfies my liking of narrative, and I anticipate that it will become more central to my practice in the future (Please see video pieces detailed in LO2 below).
I have only referred to a limited number of posts in support of specific aspects of LO1 and so please also see LO2 below for work not specifically mentioned.
Learning Outcome 2:
Synthesise and critically reflect coherently on your process whilst providing evidence of an active, independent and/or collaborative practice. (AC Process)
I have continued to learn through making and to translate ideas into realised experiments as well as regularly engaging in a process of questioning and reflecting.In this respect, I repeat the critical reflections on my practice made in LO1 above. I continue to be inspired by a variety of sources.
Within my process I continually critically reflect on my making; what I like and what I do not like about my work, how I felt when I made it, what I would do differently next time and how I can develop the work further. In doing so, I am constantly looking for links to previous thoughts or work which could be enhanced or could serve to enhance my current work.
My practice is independently driven, although I would like to enter into collaborations as I think that it would be a rewarding experience. However, I anticipate that as my practice is experimental and fluid, it may be difficult to find a collaborator with whom to work unless our practices complement each other. In the meantime, I have explored collaboration in the sense of allowing external input in my work (Pushing Paper II & III ; Book II (I wanted to invlove my daughter and husband as they have been a part of the process)).
Process:
I have continued to experiment with various processes:
Mark-making:
The Accidental and the Incidental – this was developed further by overprinting and the addition of thread
Back to Black – revisiting charcoal
Do I Have to Look? – charcoal and pastel and rubbing out – a form of automatic drawing originally developed in Unit 1
Threads II – inspired by Shiota’s Threads of Life exhibition.
Yet More Play – lines in charcoal and pastel; bubbles and ink revisited from Units 1 and 2 which is then further further developed by overprinting in Is It Time to Come in Yet? and I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles .
Papermaking:
Paper – embedding stitching in paper after research
Layers – paper pulp and thread developed further in Yet More Play
Printmaking:
Me And Aquatint Just Don’t Get On – a second attempt at aquatint following on from the Low Res last year (Where Do We Go? ).
Never Say Never – the development of the line drawings in Pushing Paper I, II, III, and IV using linocut together with some monotypes
A Line Made by Threading – monotypes on which I experiment with layers from Layers and then develop with thread and hole punching
Still Playing – Montoypes developed using thread, metallic pencil and hole punching
Thread:
The Accidental and the Incidental – using thread to develop linocut
A Line Made by Threading – used in conjunction with contour lines & holes to develop monotypes
Still Playing – used in conjunction with metallic pencil and hole punching to develop monotypes
Photography:
You Know Kate – noticing the everyday
Oh, That Looks Interesting – noticing the incidental and the effect of backlighting
Video:
Liminality – experimenting with effects and examining the moments of transition,
The Liminality of Memory – exploring layering and audio using my voice and background sound – further developed by reprocessing in The Liminality of Memory II by filming a projection of the video
Oh, That Looks Interesting – inspired by the incidental and exploring speeding up playback and playing with sound
A Line Made By Running – experimenting with effects in Capcut, playing with speed and flipping the image
You know Kate – inspired by the everyday
Fish Tank – developed from Suminagashi– but concentrating on making own audio by using Jonathan playing the thumb harp– editing – playing with speed – developing the video by adding sound
Fish tank II – developed from Suminagashi – observation of ink which was then developed by adding audio and adjusting playback speed to cause a delay and altering volume in Fish Tank III – recognition that photography and video will feature in future practice
A Video Made by Walking – experimenting with effects in Capcut; making own audio by playing piano
Stop Animation:
Tick Tock – I used myself in the work
Voice:
I began using my voice in my work:
Layers:
Layers – paper pulp and burnt paper
A Line Made By Threading using layers from Layers (see above)
Repetitions:
Pushing Paper II – development from the line drawings in Unit 1; imposing rules and exploring collaboration; developing by adding colour and gold leaf.
Pushing Paper III – experimenting with different markmaking; using silhouette and contour lines which had been developed over Units 1 & 2 , and considering how to develop further – embedding thread in paper Paper
Pushing Paper IV – using silhouette and line drawings of contours over old photos
Reprocessing:
Metallic – development of Trying to Move Forward in Unit 2
Rain, Rain ,Go Away I & III– medical images; painting and collaging on photo
Liminality of Memory II – filming projection of original video in Liminality of Memory
Reflection:
I reflected a lot during Unit 3. I think that is because I started thinking about the end of the course and life afterwards as well as the elements from the previous units and my research paper which are now making sense in my practice. I continued the practice developed in Units 1 & 2 of reflecting on my work, my practice, the wider context of my practice and everyday life.
What’s the Worst that Can Happen?
End of Year Show:
My approach to the End of the Year Show is to carry on experimenting and to show whatever I am working on as a snapshot of my process at the time. I am hoping that this will prevent any old behaviours from reappearing in my practice. As can be seen from the reflections above it has not been easy. At the very least I intend to show the Book and some videos that I have made, but I am hoping to make a larger wall piece and a layered piece as well.
The above evidence demonstrates that I have the tools and rhythms of working which I can take into the future.
Learning Outcome 3:
Summarise and evaluate your overall progress and formulate a constructive plan for continuing Personal and Professional Development. (AC Communication)
It is worth noting that in Unit 3 I also presented the most important principles of my Research Paper to my peers and that I have considered the implications of the research on my own practice.
I have summarised and evaluated my overall progress in my 5-minute video which built upon my critical reflections in my 3-minute video.
Looking back at my Study Statement I think that I have achieved most of my goals. I have carried out practice-based research into ‘me’ as well as into ‘the artist’ by maintaining a blog detailing my working processes, my thoughts and reflections on my lived experience both in the past and during this course. I have also produced a body of work reflecting the contents of the blog (see LO1 above) and have established a working practice with a constructive plan for continuing after the end of the course. In addition to maintaining a reflective blog in the future I will action those matters discussed in the following posts relating to how, when and where I make art centring on sustainability of my practice and future personal and professional development:
Kate McCalmont-Woods 