visualarts

Flux descends

| woodysstudio

Coming back into the blogosphere after a long absence is being met with an honest reluctance, I must admit. However, it feels necessary to clarify a few things on where Woody’s Studio is going.

Efforts in researching and being involved where interweaving art and human health issues (endometriosis, for example) is no longer a focus. Abandoned, actually. Disappointing, yes, but move on. The circumstances that surround and confront us now highlights a need to engage in more fun and engaged personal creativity. That’s how I feel anyway. Selfish. Total. And I don’t need to apologise for that.

I just want to have some fun in my practice and output.

What does that mean for doing a Masters in Visual Arts? I don’t know. That will take time to figure out. For now, perhaps, for another 12–18 months, my Woody’s Studio is, indeed, in a period of flux, including myself. I do know that I will soon (hopefully!) complete a Graduate Certificate in Visual Arts at Griffith University, in Brisbane.

For the foreseeable future, keep an eye on Woody’s Studio’s bookFace (think about it!) and Instagram, for what conjures up intuitively…

Martin “Woody” Robinson

Making the best of it in the World of Bewilderment

| woodysstudio

… and what’s happening?

After many, many, many considerations, with thanks to all current events around the place, the decision to complete a Masters at the University of South Australia is over.

Griffith University’s Queensland College of Art (QCA) has now taken me!

If an achievement of an adequate grading Graduate Certificate in Visual Arts is completed at the end of this year, I hope to enter QCA’s Master of Arts programme.

However, every effort in securing some form of permanent employment remains a key objective, along with various quirky Woody’s Studio projects to coincide. My health conundrums faithfully remain to remind me of my certain limitations though. An added bonus to that is a nicely unreliable car!

The rough-around-the-edges Schlock comic strip will pop-up every now and then, and you may find me participating in various exhibitions around south-east Queensland throughout 2021.

The pandemic is likely to still give curve balls, so nothing is ever concrete in the planning. Impossible.

But nothing is impossible until it is done, right?

Martin “Woody” Robinson

The Rising Caduceus Phoenix

| woodysstudio

With great rapture this tattoo design was created for an increasingly resilient nurse, who has been confronted with many challenges. Now on its way to Scotland to provide the continuing impetus of rising above these challenges. Godspeed … seriously, I bloody pray that it does get there, given the current circumstances with mail and deliveries!

Martin “Woody” Robinson

Destiny now plays …

| woodysstudio

The future? I don’t know. But I am pleased to announce officially that I have been offered a place in Master of Design (Contemporary Art) with the University of South Australia, in Adelaide. A very practical programme of postgraduate study, I have the chance to learn more on commercially viable art practices, whilst exploring an artistic idea, and continue and advance my interest and skills in arts administration.

My artistic idea – statement of intent to be more academically correct, is “seeing the unseen”. Establishing how to use visual art to communicate hidden health conditions, particularly afflicting the brain and nervous systems. I do speak of anxiety, depression and, even, from current personal experiences with vestibular dysfunction. If you still don’t know what “vestibular” is, it is not that difficult to look it up!

Coincidentally, my intent coincides with the university’s Match Studio initiative, with one of their ongoing projects being Visualising Mental Health – bringing psychologists from the community to work collaboratively with postgraduate students to develop ways of communicating mental health to the broader Australian public. This is an exciting development to come from after my application and will assist my idea of “seeing the unseen” during the course of this Masters.

Given the obvious state of affairs around at present, unfortunately, I will have to defer my offer until the new year. Logistically, it is a total nightmare at present! Uber uncertainties! With little on offer to start online. So, in the meantime, if anyone knows good reasonable folk in Adelaide, who could house a quirky 40 year-old arty farty from the end of this year, or beginning of next, please let me know. I have tremendous references and can cook! As for the remaining time here in Queensland, destiny can play with that now, as my proactive efforts in the last four years for permanent roots are exhausted. So, time to have some fun …

Martin “Woody” Robinson