EDINBURGH COLLEGE OF ART
I moved through from Fife to Edinburgh in 1987 to begin a B.A. (hons) Degree at Edinburgh College of Art. I queued up with the other first year Art students to matriculate around the Sculpture Court. I thought well here I am, against all odds at Art College. Most other first year students were a few years younger than me. I was 21 and they were mostly 18 and straight out of school.
I’d worked a few years and got my required three Highers at night school.
The first year was a kind of foundation year where you tried out different subjects. I’d always been interested in Graphic Design and Illustration but I enjoyes Drawing and Painting, Sculpture, Ceramics. I wasn’t aware we had to write essays and attend Art History lectures too though and we’d often skip the lectures and go to The Tap of Lauriston pub. (No longer there.)
In those days students got a grant to go to college, it was a lot of money at once that’s supposed to last for a whole term. Students loans just started to come in 1991 in my final year, so thankfully I didn’t leave with massive debts as students do know.
Im second year I chose Illustration and Graphic Design as my main subjects and we were set projects that we’d later be assessed on and critiqued. There was pretty much free reign to come and go as you pleased at Art College as long as you did the work and attended certain classes. I also did ceramics where I used the kilns in the ceramic department to fire these little porcelain zodiac figurines.
The social life was good, and Edinburgh is a fantastic city full of culture and always something happening. There were student revels, gigs at The Wee Red Bar and a great café Albertina’s where you could get a great cheese & ham toastie and a full canteen. There was the college shop to buy art materials, a fantastic library of Art books. The college itself if decorated with statues and sculptures, replicas of The Elgin marbles and other classical sculptures.
Theres, an in house printers with litho print machines and screenprinting facilities, an animation department and a dark room for photography.
In the final fourth year, we had to work towards our Degree Show where you display all your best work for approximately two weeks. You’re assessed on your work and you also have to write a 10,000 word dissertation. I did mine on the illustrators of Alice in Wonderland and discussing how the original and most famous Tenniel illustrations had influenced future illustrators of Alice.
It put me in touch with Alice Illustrator Peter Weevers and we corresponded frequently over the years and later I was honoured to host his work on my artists’ website Chameleon-Arts.com. Which was inspired as a way to alloy artists to carry on displaying their artwork to a worldwide audience permenently.
I graduated and got the B.A. (Hons) Degree and the photos with the gown and hat looking very studious. I loved my time at art college and the people I’ve met as a result of being there. I’m determined to always be an artist of some sort all my life.
