My Personal Statement

My Personal Statement

Since seeing the film Jurassic Park as a child and being blown away by exceptional practical
effects and computer generated graphics I've had an intense interest in visual effects.
Finding a second hand book about the work of the legendary Stan Winston as a young teenager
solidified my interest. I also became a fan of graphic novels and manga around that time.
These mediums, along with animated films by Disney and others, developed into an interest for
visual storytelling, with my preference to create character and emotion driven stories driving
me to explore visual themes and character design. I would love to work in industry creating
characters or effects, either animated or practical, and communicating ideas visually.

I am currently studying Art and Design at Level 3, which has given me valuable experience
working with many different mediums and materials, and has introduced me to a lot of art
history and movements. Many of my modules allowed to work in 3D, which I really enjoyed. So
far I have created a high heeled shoe inspired by Louise Bourgeois' 'Maman', and a dolls house
living room with a self-portrait string puppet. This course has given me a great start on the
path of art and design, and I look forward to continuing.

Living so close to London I enjoy visiting galleries and museums whenever I can, one of my
favourites is the Victoria and Albert museum. I also took a recent holiday to Amsterdam in
August last year and visited the Rijks Museum and the Van Gogh Museum. In the Rijks Museum I
got the opportunity to view and learn a great deal about one of Rembrant's most famous works,
The Night's Watch. The Van Gogh museum was my favourite of the trip, it was fascinating but
somber moving around the museum viewing Van Gogh's works in chronological order, as if viewing
his life from start to finish.

I worked in a photographic shop before I returned to education, and a large part of my work
was taking portrait photographs of children or families. I learned a lot about photography
there, but I also learned other valuable skills such as managing responsibilities.

I like to connect with art through my love of dolls. I love customising dolls to create new
characters, and browsing the internet to see what other people have created.
I am constantly working on and starting new projects at home, including making costumes to
wear to conventions and experimenting with toy customisation.

I hope to be able to apply my artistic interests to industry, learning from more experienced
people and experimenting with and sharing what I learn with others. I'm excited to see what my
peers can create and to be inspired by them. I am also looking forward to be able to solidify
my skills and work on bigger projects.