Portfolio visits (PDP)

1 The first Portfolio visit:

I received the response from Charles Hively who is the Editor and Design Director of the Journal of Art and Design in New York. I am really so grateful for such an honest and valuable review of his on my website and blog. Following his suggestions, I made some changes to my e-mail address and I am planning to improve my existing website, in terms of layout and content. I have to reconsider the number and the type of art work represented on my website. Also, I will create a new website that will include my latest work, in order to represent my preferences in a type of work I like producing. I have to depict the certain direction and develop the style that will communicate the main subject I am studying. That would take me to the higher level and hopefully will help me to be integrated into the Art Industry.

2 The second Portfolio visit:

The second response was from Andrew Bailey,who is the owner of multiple businesses such as:

abdesigns 2004 – Present (10 years)

Valerie Beauty Salon
Ripley & Co (Films)
Richard Grant ( school branding)
Jacks Fish
Zeststreet
Watford Council ( House Plans)
Pact - Hair products
Saasabi - software development
Kasturi - Indian Restaurant

He woks in Creative Design Industry and also does Illustration & Photography. Andrew Bailey thinks that I am competent, my print work is very iconic and my “illustrations are also good and would work well in illustrating children’s books or magazine work etc.” Andrew Bailey suggestions to me are: “My advice on the grounds of pursuing a career in illustration is to rattle off as much work as you can with a great deal of variation of subject so you strengthen you style and show a wide range of adaptations. choose areas of painting that perhaps doesn’t appeal to you or might seem difficult and have a go”. Also Andrew Bailey  pointed that he himself is “a bit of a chameleon”, where he has a variety of styles, which have been useful when he finally set up his own business. He said: “When I did general graphics I also opted for Illustration and Photography, my design work has always got me bread and butter work, whilst I established my illustration.” Accordingly to what Andrew Bailey says, I  myself should be promoting more actively my work, keep expanding and improving my skills in order to find the area of Art that will bring me most success.

3 The Third Portfolio Visit:

The third portfolio visit was completed by Professor of Illustration at University of Kansas Barry Fitzgerald.

From his point of view I should think about “what segment of the industry” I want to work with. This should help to” focus and refine “my artistic voice". Also, Mr Fitzgerald suggested displaying the best pieces of my work on the website, and preferably of the same style, as a diversity of styles makes a lot of confusion.

As well as other portfolio viewers, Mr Fitzgerald pointed at my prints, saying that they are “the best group of work”.

About some animated films represented on my website, Mr Fitzgerald had a controversial opinion. He said:

“The “Nostalgia” animation is very nice. Good pacing, playful feel, and much better than the "Age UK Project", which I found too slow and lacking clarity. “Psycho Emotions” was quirky and playful, but the credits were way longer than the actual content, so it needs a lot of editing. All the videos need some text introduction so people will know what they are about to watch, or at least be able to decide if they want to spend time watching a subject that is relevant to them.”

Summarising all comments from different professionals, I would like to emphasise that the most successful method of producing Art in my case is a print making process. All three viewers had different and controversial opinions about any other types of my art work or styles, except from print making. Possibly I should focus on making prints and expand my skills, in terms of creating a sense of place for those characters I made, as Mr Fitzgerald recommended. I am planning to purchase an equipment for screen printing and set the little workshop at home. It will help me to get more practice,to have fun and to develop further my skills, while looking for a job.