Return to Kuopio

After spending just over 3 weeks back in the UK, Leigh and I made our return to Finland last Monday.  Being home was lovely; getting to see everyone I'd missed, catching up on terrible TV, fixing my food cravings, and getting some long overdue film developed!

Since getting back to Kuopio there has been a few minor problems in relation to what courses we wish to take this semester. Originally planning to study the jewelry, metal and precious stone workshop, we were confused when we arrived to class to be greeted by a lot of boys and some heavy metal welding... apparently the jewelry module was full up so they'd put us in the next best thing... Industrial Design. This was clearly not suited for what we wished to achieve this term, so we arranged a meeting with the head of textiles, Kaisa. 

Although I wasn't very stimulated studying textiles here last term, I believe it was because I wasn't driving myself to try knew things enough. We decided that if we were to return to textiles, we should somehow see if we could incorporate ceramics into our work as it was something we both enjoyed from last term. However, after speaking to Kaisa it became obvious that there would be no way to fit this into our timetable, seeing as the whole 3rd semester is very written based and few workshops actually run. Disheartened, we decided to use our time to create some samples in the ceramics department anyway, while we arranged a meeting with the head of Ceramics, Merja, for the following week.

This meeting went much better; similar to textiles, the ceramics department also runs mainly academic-based modules within the 3rd term, although instead of suggesting we join these classes (as Kaisa did), Merja proposed that we make full use of the empty studios to work on an independent project. This was the best possible news to hear, as it was basically what we were going to ask her permission to do. The fact she suggested it to us without having to convince her at all was brilliant!

As no practical lessons are being held, we can use the empty workshops and kilns any time any day, and Merja will be giving no classes this term so she is free to come along and help us out whenever we need.

Our projects are to be marked in accordance to a work agreement she will write up for us, and by meeting the outcomes set by her we will gain our credits for this term.

I intend to explore the relationship between textiles and ceramics during this semester, experimenting with techniques and materials to pursue an innovate and interesting result!

 

KALPA vs. JOKERIT

Today I went to my first ice hockey match! Actually, it was everyone's first ice hockey match - even the Finns! We went to support Kalpa (the local Kuopion team) play Jokerit (Helsinki's team). And we won! It was pretty exciting, but brutal! A fair few injuries and many fights broke out, funniest was probably when there was one man down and a crowd of opponents beating him with their sticks!

In other news, school is getting even better! We just started classes on the pottery wheel and I'm a lot better than I thought I'd be (I've only tried it once before and it didn't end too well) -  along side hand building clay techniques. Our glass classes are also progressing now and I can finally (sort of) make a rose :D

Oravia

After my first classes in glass and ceramics I can definitely say I'm just as excited (if not more) by this term than I was in my previous blog.

Our induction to glass included a tour of the studios and having a go on various machinery (saws, flame cutters, grinders, etc etc). I must get some photos of the workshop spaces! I created a candle holder from a milk bottle, by cutting it in half, sanding the edges down, and engraving a heart on the front. It was really simple but fun to get so involved on the very first day!

We then had our first ceramics class with the hand-building tutor Jari (we will also be taking throwing  classes on the wheel with a tutor named Merja). This class wasn't so hands on, as we were given the project brief straight up and expected to begin designing possible outcomes. A process much different than I am used to (designing through sampling and experimenting, long before thinking of final ideas), however I'm going to embrace these new ways of working as it's all experience. The only specifics we were given for this class were:

The outcome should be constructed from either coiling, pinching, or slab building techniques

The final piece should have a function

The work should be modular - made up of several parts that piece together

We weren't given any other restrictions. I'm thinking about creating salt and pepper shakers that slot together in some way. I also want to include squirrels in this work somewhere. I like drawing squirrels.

 

Lukukausi KAKSI

We have just began the second term here at Kuopion Muotoiluakatemia. Dropping Textiles in favour of Ceramic and Glass Design, I'm already feeling completely different about my attitude to the work.  The textiles section was fun but there was nothing new in the disciplines studied - felting, weaving, basic print and basketry were all covered in first year of university at Huddersfield. It was nice to be able to revisit these practices, but I found studying them for a whole term to be quite tedious, especially as 'innovation' and 'pushing boundaries' isn't explored or encouraged too much on this course. I came here to learn new skills, and so far I've only produced work which I could create back at home.

This is why I'm so excited about the upcoming Glass and Ceramics term. In secondary school we had excellent ceramic facilities and I appreciate the skills I was taught during those 5 years. I also had very basic experience in glass blowing and moulding, which I really enjoyed.  However, since leaving school in 2006 I haven't had any other chances to develop in these fields.
The opportunity to study in a different discipline from textiles for a whole term is something I'm really looking forward to. For me, working within the same context for long periods of time can have negative results. As a printer I'm constantly made to think about how my drawings can translated to prints - and to a certain degree this has narrowed down my style to be 'print-friendly'.  I feel that being exposed to a completely different working routine - such as clay or glass, can only benefit my work, as I will have to entirely redefine my designing process to suit such materials.
Our tutors in Huddersfield are constantly pushing us to blur boundaries within textiles, and this is something I'd really like to explore during this term.  How can I take my experience from textiles and translate it into ceramics?  Can I manipulate glass as if it were a textile?  What are the differences  between clay and textile, if any?

I can only hope that my enthusiasm to start this course will be obvious in the work I produce.

Kuopion Muotoiluakatemia

I can just about about manage to remember (and pronounce) the name of our school now!!
Anyway, I've posted a lot about what I've been up to in the city but nothing about what I'm actually doing regarding school - the main reason I'm here in Kuopio. This term we opted a textile craft & design course not too dissimilar to the first year of our course at Huddersfield, and next term shall be a ceramics and glasswork course!!

A selection of my work (theme being 'Natural Forms' ...not too inspiring, I'm looking mostly at insects)

Trees

Dead Bird

3D Felting

Basketry (poor attempt!)

Loom weaving with reeds from the lake.