I've not updated this blog for a while as I've been focussing on my tumblr blog and website - here's a link to my recently updated website:

www.nicola-spencer.co.uk

I've just uploaded images of my degree show installation, and some of my most recent work.

Tumblr Updates

I've been sing my tumblr blog account more recently, and have been posting a few more updates:

www.nicolaspencer.tumblr.com

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1/3/2012

This is my latest doll that I've made so far - I've tried it on a bigger scale (around toddler size) and based the dress on the porcelain doll (pictured) that I found in charity shop. I added a black lace veil (trimmed with red) and paint to the hand and face of the figure - and have been trying out various compositions with smaller dolls that I've made. The next step is to make an adult sized doll figure!

This is the most recent small figure that I've made:

I like the contrast between the mirror and the lace but am not sure if it looks a bit too cliched?

I'll have a go at making some more small figures and see how things develop.

Ballerina study

Yesterday I painted a study of a ballerina by the photographer Sirkka-Liisa Konttinnen - I wanted to loosen up my painting style again, and also wanted to have a go at drawing something that wasn't a doll! I took photo's at various stages - and can't decided whether the study looks better when it's half finished or fully complete.

I wanted to try out a repeated pattern background for some of the doll figures that I made - kind of recreating a wallpaper pattern. Although the floral motifs aren't identical, I feel like the colours work, especially the sugar paper's texture, and helps to reference kitsch style.

This series of photographs was taken in order to investigate other ways I could use the dolls that I made - instead of just being physical objects. The blurring camera effect makes the images almost look like paintings, I could try printing these on a large scale and placing them together with the dolls in an installation set up to see what effect this has.

28th February - Studio Work

I've been on overdrive in the studio lately, due to the ever nearing deadline of the degree show. Although we're all feeling the pressure to make and develop work, I think it's a positive kind of pressure as it is making us work hard and push our ideas further and quicker than previous years. Hopefully we won't all be reduced to nervous wrecks as the weeks progress.

These are the small dolls that I've made so far but I hope to make around 20 to try out various different fabrics and dress styles. I've tried out making some dolls with bridal dress in response to my dissertation research on women and mental health and feel they are quite successful. I'm in the process of trying to integrate my dissertation research in my studio works more, and feel this is a step in the right direction.

Updated Website!

I've just had a spring clean of my website, updated some of the pages and added dates and titles to the works, which I completely forgot about doing before.

I hope to add images of my most recent work soon....

www.nicola-spencer.co.uk