Monday, 17 September 2007
If you cant do ..teach
http://www.neishacrosland.com/main.htmlThose that “can’t do teach” is often used as an insult but actually it is a complement because those that can do often can’t teach, the ability to extrapolate the best out of students is not often managed by experts as they often fail to break the subject down or know how to impart the skills needed to do so or have a broad enough skills base.
Teaching crept up on me and I went for it above studio work because I was not good enough to succeed other than as a foot soldier and struggled with the parameters set by design briefs. I find it hard to work for others, one of the best kept secrets of teaching is the freedom I have as an art teacher. I can choose themes, materials, processes. Exams get in the way as does the mountain of paperwork that no one looks at. The final hideous task just introduced is self evaluation, another government initiative and a complete waste of time.
From my time at Camberwell the only Next Big Thing to emerge (apart from some of the tutors) was Neisha Crosland and to be honest she was bankrolled through RCA by her parents, had a famous step father and her subsequent partners bolstered up her business. Neisha like all of us at college loved to design but was less successful at selling. I think this holds back some of the best talent we see. How do you keep designing, producing as well as juggle publicity, marketing, selling? It must take nerves of steel. Gordon Ramsey seems to have made the transition to the dark side losing the hands on practical. Is there a compromise between financial success and staying true to your design ideals? And then there are the children, because that would be having it all.
Teaching crept up on me and I went for it above studio work because I was not good enough to succeed other than as a foot soldier and struggled with the parameters set by design briefs. I find it hard to work for others, one of the best kept secrets of teaching is the freedom I have as an art teacher. I can choose themes, materials, processes. Exams get in the way as does the mountain of paperwork that no one looks at. The final hideous task just introduced is self evaluation, another government initiative and a complete waste of time.
From my time at Camberwell the only Next Big Thing to emerge (apart from some of the tutors) was Neisha Crosland and to be honest she was bankrolled through RCA by her parents, had a famous step father and her subsequent partners bolstered up her business. Neisha like all of us at college loved to design but was less successful at selling. I think this holds back some of the best talent we see. How do you keep designing, producing as well as juggle publicity, marketing, selling? It must take nerves of steel. Gordon Ramsey seems to have made the transition to the dark side losing the hands on practical. Is there a compromise between financial success and staying true to your design ideals? And then there are the children, because that would be having it all.
Friday, 14 September 2007
Depression
The wave of depression that is threatening to engulf me has as usual come out of nowhere, I suspect the shock of returning to work has not helped, I miss my girls, I have not had time to paint, for reasons too boring to list work is total chaos. I have lost interest in my clothes because I am so HOT all the time ( yes I know its the bloody menopause but labelling it does not help) and I have so many lovely cardies to wear..I have to deal with yet another Au Pair, and Emin works all weekend leaving me with Leyla and no car. I am tired all the time despite 8 hours sleep, interest payments will rise again so that's another £75, my Liz Earle stuff never arrived. All little things but somehow all seem insurmountable and all I want to do is curl up with a book and sleep.
Talking of books Simon Hoggarts parliamentary sketches has made me laugh out loud so often in a way I thought only Bill Bryson could, I wish I could stay awake to read more.
On a positive note yesterday, when I came home I peeped through the living room window to see Kitty curled up on the sofa reading the latest Vogue earmarking her favourite pages. The apple has not fallen far from the tree there then. She is lucky, my mother read Good Housekeeping!
I have made 2 mental promises
1. Next Easter whilst Daisy is throwing herself down yet another European slope and whilst Emin& Leyla reside in Cyprus, I will take Kitty to Paris for a few days and have fun being a mum and a tourist again.
2. I have calculated that we will be Au Pair free in 5 years time, then that spare room will be mine or I will leave, I think I will have earned a room of my own by the age of 50.
Belgian Fries
The most disappointing part of my trip to Belgium was the fries, which have morphed into English chips. As a child I was lucky/unlucky enough to be dragged across Europe many times and as a child you tend to focus on the food to alleviate a) Travel sickness (well your stomach is always empty!) b) Constantly needing the toilet ( my father had the constitution of a camel and never ever stopped) and c) since we were always broke, its all that was ever bought for us.
But my most favourite food was a cone of Belgian fries with mayonnaise, which trust me back in the 70s was the height of exotic sophistication. So on my return that is what I was expecting but sadly no.
Other memories of food
The Good
1. Belgian fries circa 1970s
2. Hot chocolate for breakfast in a French Hotel ( as a five year old raised on cereal this was an awesome sight)
3. French butter.
4. Dutch farmhouse breakfast (ham, cheese and chocolate spread for breakfast utter bliss)
The Bad
1. German Rye bread
2. French bread
3. Any German farmhouse breakfast
4. Belgian fries circa 2007
The photograph is courtesy of the wonderful www.belgianfries.com
Wednesday, 12 September 2007
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