Author Archive

OCA student Lucie Bromfield recently completed a level 2 OCA painting course and submitted a suite of work that demonstrated such thoughtfulness and integrity that we just had to review it for the blog. Lucie’s mark reflected what the assessors felt about the work, and here, OCA tutor and assessor, Emma Drye, reviews...
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Listen to this fascinating piece about writing good quality reflective commentaries. OCA tutor and Creative Writing assessor, Liz Cashden, explains what makes a good creative commentary, and reads out some revealing samples by John Wrigglesworth, wh
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As we all know, the web provides a great array of wonderful stuff, but it is a challenge to sift the good from the indifferent and downright bad. But now an initiative based on a philosophy of collaboration in the arts community is beginning to bear
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The much publicized Hockney exhibition: A Bigger Picture, has arrived and we couldn't let it go without having a study day. Since it will be so popular we have chosen to visit it during the week. The visit is planned for Tuesday 14 February, start
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This is the second time we have highlighted Fran Clark's blog: its just too good to ignore. Fran is doing the level one Drawing Skills course but her reflections, and the way she goes about documenting them, are outstanding. Just look at what sh
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Step into a world of lace like you've never seen it before. See how the patterns, materials and cultural traditions of lace are represented through radical new approached by UK and international artists. This OCA study day will be of interest to Fine
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A two pronged study day is planned for 21st January in Liverpool. Two exciting exhibitions, in a wonderful city. First we'll go to Tate Liverpool to learn about Lewis Carroll’s timeless novels, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through th
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You missed a real treat of a study day if you were not with me, a couple of textile tutors and an art history tutor, at what is my exhibition of the year: the Grayson Perry 'Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman' at the British Museum. I have never seen an
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Richter paints the most intricate paintings using fine tools, and at other times, paints with a squeegee. Tate Modern’s retrospective of Gerhard Richter, ‘Panorama’, aims to show the range of work he has been engaged with over the past 50 years
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Its not often assessors do a double take... but Andrew's work was a submission that caused assessors to look again. Why? Andrew doesn't draw in a conventional way, its quirky. But he has a voice, a clear and unique voice. This is rare at the leve
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