I had been wanting a hobby of my own for quite some time. There is of course me going to the gym or watching Netflix but can I really call that a hobby? Last year I was looking at short courses that were available at one of the universities in the city and some that caught my eye were based in the Art School. I loved art at secondary school and was keen to ignite my artistic side again. There were courses in painting and photography amongst other mediums. At that point, I didn't think any more of it until the beginning of this summer when I took the plunge and booked myself into a foundation printmaking course.
Granted, it was a little pricey and you had to buy some of your own materials but I thought more of the artistic merit I would gain. The course runs for two semesters; October to December and then restarts again in the new year until March where there is an exhibition for all the work from the short courses. So, how am I getting on?
I'm loving it.
I was really nervous for my first class to the point where my anxiety was beginning to rear its ugly head in the hours leading up to it but it's been brilliant. I'm learning lots of different ways to print art and it's letting me be a bit more creative in my life. The printmaking studio at the university is a little shabby but that's what I love about it. I feel inspired by my classmates who are amazingly talented and I like getting to know them better by laughing with them when a print goes wrong, sharing ideas of what colour would work best or even helping them open a tin of ink.
First semester is almost over and we'll be moving onto our personal project next semester which I'm really looking forward to. If you're considering enrolling onto a short course at university or college; go for it. Do something that you loved and lost because somehow life got in the way.
Have you re-discovered a hobby you used to have?
Vanessa
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