My Son's Dilemma
My son wants to study Optometry. He needs a B and 2 A's in A level science subjects. This is even higher than is required to study as a doctor, mainly because of the small number of universities offering optometry. In a couple of weeks time he has to sit a biology exam followed by Chemistry and Geography. He says he must sacrifice Biology in favour of Chemistry and Geography because, (as mentioned in my previous post), the Biology teaching has left him clueless. If he devotes his time to it he could blow his A grade in Geography, which would mean having to retake the subject with a new curriculum and start again with new coursework. Whereas he can retake his blown Biology exam in June.
I have sanctioned my son bunking off college this week so he can spend the whole time revising Chemistry. I think the system has failed him so drastic action is required. If I get called in by the college I will tell it how it is.
The whole credit crunch thing has thrown the issue of employability into sharp focus. I read the other day about how few graduates are gaining employment. The government have even devised a scheme where graduates are offered jobs below their abilities just to get them in employment.
I don't want my kid's to struggle financially in the future like I have so I will do whatever I can to help them.
My Work
I have ordered some Terracotta clay from a supplier on Ebay. I don't know of a local supplier. I got 2 x 25kg bags for £18.00 about the same cost of one bag delivered from a bone fide sculpture supplier.
I have knocked together a wooden plinth and constructed an armature for the miner, but now have to wait for the clay to arrive before I can get on with the sculpture. I don't have much time so I'm chomping at the bit.
In considering what medium I want to work with, it occured to me that one of the things that attracts me to a sculpture is its tactility. I'm not sure I have that feeling with ceramics. When faced with a marble, bronze or wood sculpture my first impulse is to touch its surface. When walking around Barbara Hepworth's sculpture garden I wasn't so enamored with the designs as I was the tactility of the stone and bronze. So maybe wood will give me the best of both worlds.
Life
Before writing this bit I was trying to sum up how life is at the moment. My feeling was that I am somehow at a threshold of something. I decided to draw a Tarot card and it was The Ace Of Swords. In all the time I've had these cards I have never before chosen this card. The birch tree features in this card and in Celtic lore this denotes new beginnings:¬) Other key words: Clarity, Success, Clean Break. The latter seems to resonate with me for some some reason.
My son wants to study Optometry. He needs a B and 2 A's in A level science subjects. This is even higher than is required to study as a doctor, mainly because of the small number of universities offering optometry. In a couple of weeks time he has to sit a biology exam followed by Chemistry and Geography. He says he must sacrifice Biology in favour of Chemistry and Geography because, (as mentioned in my previous post), the Biology teaching has left him clueless. If he devotes his time to it he could blow his A grade in Geography, which would mean having to retake the subject with a new curriculum and start again with new coursework. Whereas he can retake his blown Biology exam in June.
I have sanctioned my son bunking off college this week so he can spend the whole time revising Chemistry. I think the system has failed him so drastic action is required. If I get called in by the college I will tell it how it is.
The whole credit crunch thing has thrown the issue of employability into sharp focus. I read the other day about how few graduates are gaining employment. The government have even devised a scheme where graduates are offered jobs below their abilities just to get them in employment.
I don't want my kid's to struggle financially in the future like I have so I will do whatever I can to help them.
My Work
I have ordered some Terracotta clay from a supplier on Ebay. I don't know of a local supplier. I got 2 x 25kg bags for £18.00 about the same cost of one bag delivered from a bone fide sculpture supplier.
I have knocked together a wooden plinth and constructed an armature for the miner, but now have to wait for the clay to arrive before I can get on with the sculpture. I don't have much time so I'm chomping at the bit.
In considering what medium I want to work with, it occured to me that one of the things that attracts me to a sculpture is its tactility. I'm not sure I have that feeling with ceramics. When faced with a marble, bronze or wood sculpture my first impulse is to touch its surface. When walking around Barbara Hepworth's sculpture garden I wasn't so enamored with the designs as I was the tactility of the stone and bronze. So maybe wood will give me the best of both worlds.
Life
Before writing this bit I was trying to sum up how life is at the moment. My feeling was that I am somehow at a threshold of something. I decided to draw a Tarot card and it was The Ace Of Swords. In all the time I've had these cards I have never before chosen this card. The birch tree features in this card and in Celtic lore this denotes new beginnings:¬) Other key words: Clarity, Success, Clean Break. The latter seems to resonate with me for some some reason.
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