Alas, all good things must come to an end, and with almost 25 study credits towards the B.A of Art completed, the end for the basic studies looms near. All that remains is the portfolio grading and critique
The very portfolio that you’re reading right now, that is. In this post I’ll take a moment to reminisce and talk about the experience as a whole, and touch upon the student diary writing / documenting process.
I’ll fully admit that in the beginning of these courses I was quite far from my personal comfort zone. A significant part of that was due to the COVID-19 measures, and the consequent online teaching in the earliest parts of the year – I do not really thrive over zoom calls, and art feels like something personal, something which is difficult enough to communicate about without the added restrictions of distance. Even in-person it took a while to get to know my fellow students and to get more comfortable around them – we were a varied bunch from many age groups and walks of life. This quickly dissipated during in-person interactions however, and the rest of the classes have been a joy to attend. The mood in the classrooms has made them a very welcoming place.
These courses have been great for introducing me to a lot of ways to create art and ways of thinking about art. We had an excellent cadre of teachers with varying specializations and personalities – their approaches to art could not have at times been more different. The mediums and techniques of art utilized were also often something that I would not have been able to try from the comforts of my home. I think that the exposure to the vibrant variation of the arts in this manner has been the most fruitful part of the experience for me.
As a part of our studies we needed to document our work into a student diary / portfolio of sorts – this very website you’re on. This wasn’t without its own pain points for me – I had to learn how to use WordPress for one! As a Finn, I’m also not predisposed into talking about myself much. Looking back now I’m glad I did it, and put in the effort to set up a website for it as well: I think I did a good job, and I hope it’ll be of use for people to understand what studying art at a University is like: I’d recommend the experience for anyone who has the opportunity.
