My selected competition.

I have decided to the international contemporary printmakers competition. This is because I am currently experiencing a struggle with my creativeity and need to try experimenting with new ways of working to help reinspire me. I feel that developing my print making skills will be a good way for me to reinvogorate my work, and as this competition has an open brief it does not restrict me in any way.

At the end of the illustrative practises module i aim to have a series of prints which may be submitted for the competition or may require further development before the deadline of the competition - which is 12th June 2011. What I aiming for most importantly is a development and experimentation of with my printing skills, and hopefully the production of some prints which I am really proud of.

Plans for the remaining four weeks of the illustrative practises module.

I aim to spend at least 2 hours each week working within the print studio at college (the development of prints - such as physical lino cutting will be done outside the studio). I will start by experimenting with different finishes that I can achieve through different print making techniques and how paper, texture and colour can effect these. I will to other printmakers to gain inspiration and influence for this.

I am also hoping to visit some local galleries to gather inspiration (as suggested by Simone Lia when I emailed her asking her approach to dealing with a creative block) as well as mood boarding and mind mapping potentials for the content of the prints.