Annabel Reece

Could you tell us a bit about yourself, your background, or anything you think is relevant?

I've always been into art, and I've been drawing ever since I was little. I tried out studying art with psychology and sociology in sixth form as I'm really interested in understanding what people think and what people feel. I tried it for a little while, but it wasn't really working for me, so I decided to come to Newcastle College and study an art course full-time. It was definitely the right decision! The great thing is I’m still able to explore the themes of psychology and sociology within the artwork that I'm making but in a less essay-focused way! It's been really rewarding being able to put all my focus into my art.

Why did you choose to study a degree at Newcastle College University Centre?

I started at Newcastle College, and I really wanted to stay I because I knew the Mandela building well as well as some of the tutors and other students here, so I think it was really good to stay in the place where I'm comfortable to keep developing my practice.

What was it about this course that made you want to study a degree at Newcastle College University Centre?

I chose the fine art course because it's multidisciplinary. I'm really into painting, but I've tried a lot of different mediums and I'm really getting into oil painting now. I'm drawn to a lot of the older historical artists, but I think with this course you can kind of research whatever avenues you want to. Some people are looking at more historical work, but some people look at more modern and contemporary artists. I think they leave that up to you!

I was also interested in dabbling in a bit of photography which I can do within the fine art degree too. I think it gives you a good chance to explore everything if you're not really sure of what you want to do, or even if you just want to try something new! This course really allows you to do that.

What benefits do you think there are in studying at Newcastle College University Centre?

There are loads of facilities! I think the new CAD rooms are good; we've got a new print room and a massive photography studio. I think that it's really good that we have so much access to all of these different things to try out because a lot of these things are quite expensive to get into.

What do you enjoy the most about your degree?

I like how our projects are really self-led, so you can think of your own themes and make them personal to you. We are given briefs, but they are broad, so you can take it in any direction that you want. Everybody's work in the class is so different, I love to walk around the studio and just see what other people are up to. I get a lot of inspiration from that.

What inspires you?

I've been inspired by a lot of historical artists like the Classics and the Romantics. I also take a lot of inspiration from nature and my religion as well. Anything you come across you can use it as inspiration if you think about it in the right kind of way. You've just got to put your art glasses on!

Tell us about how you have worked with industry whilst studying your degree (i.e. talks / live briefs / projects).

For our end-of-year degree show, we are working with alocal art shop called Details that has a small gallery space. We're working with them to have our show in that space and I’m so excited as I’ll get to see my work in a public gallery!

We've also had a couple of trips to local galleries like Slug Town in Newcastle. The people who run those galleries gave us some talks about how they started and what they look for in artists. It was really helpful to connect us to different places and different styles of galleries as well.

We’ve also been to the Tate Modern and the National Portrait Gallery, which I would say have very different styles of work - this degree offers a wide range of different avenues we can take things so as an artist, the possibilities are endless.

How do you think learning from industry-experienced tutors has benefitted you?

It's been really helpful to have tutors who have experience in the industry. For a site-specific project, we worked with a tutor, Peter, who is very into his site-specific work. It was really good to have him on the course at that time because he knew the specifics about what it was he was teaching us, and he could really apply the subject by showing us examples of his own work and how he approaches these kinds of briefs as a working artist.

How would you describe the staff at the University Centre?

All the staff are friendly, and I think all of the staff are happy to help, even if it's not necessarily your tutor. I feel like I could just go into any classroom and ask for something I need and there’s always someone there to help.

The teachers are happy to help because you can tell that this is something that they're passionate about and I think that's the most important thing. We also get a lot of one-to-one time with the tutors, with it being smaller classes, so you get that time to talk about your practice and kind of flesh things out with them. I think they’re great!

What kinds of support have you received during your studies?

I've spoken to the Academic Coaches, they're really helpful for checking your bibliographies and proofreading your essays to make sure there are no spelling mistakes. Sometimes I think even if you're happy with the work that you've written, it's really good to just have that second pair of eyes to look over things as they might have seen something you’ve missed.

What has been the highlight of your time studying at Newcastle College University Centre?

I really love the studio spaces; they’re such a highlight! They’re great because we have so much room in the studios to really spread out. That has really been a highlight because that's not something I have the facilities to do at home. I don't have a big empty white wall that I can paint on, but they can give you that space and that canvas here. I think it's been so beneficial for developing my craft. In my class, we are encouraged to decorate our spaces with inspiration pictures, and things personal to us, and I think that really helps to create a fun and comfortable environment.

What’s Newcastle like as a student city, in your experience?

The city centre's great because there's so much that you can do. There’s lots of nightlife, but also more, such as cinemas and bowling places to go with your friends. There are lots of parks and lots of outdoorsy things that you can do too. Newcastle has loads of places to go to eat and drink, coffees, bubble teas, all sorts! It's nice to go when I'm walking back to the bus stop with my friends.

In what ways do you think your degree at Newcastle College University Centre has prepared you for employment?

The briefs that we get are quite helpful because they get us to think about how we would propose an idea to a professional gallery or somebody who is looking to hire an artist. It teaches us how to write academically and professionally about what it is we want to do and how to frame our ideas with context. The degree also includes research-based information as well.

What are your plans after you graduate?

I want to continue with my studies in the hope of going into art conservation and restoration because I'm really into all the historical paintings and I think it's really

important that people look after these. I hope that I can preserve them so that other people can also get to enjoy them because I think they’re really special.

Describe your student experience in three words.

Explorative, exciting and encouraging!

What are your top five tips for studying at Newcastle College?

1. Be brave and don’t be worried about your ideas because everybody has different ideas, and everybody's ideas come from different places. I don't think it's helpful to compare your work to other students’ work. For me, I think it's better to compare to where you've come from and how your own work has developed, rather than comparing yourself to others as everybody is different.

2. If you need help with anything, or if you get lost, just ask somebody. The other students are really friendly, and they'll be happy to point you in the right direction.

3. Take pictures of everything that you do, places that you go to and galleries you visit. Pictures, pictures, pictures! It can all go in the workbook, and you can document that (and you get the marks too!).

4. Don't leave all your work till the last minute, instead ask for feedback as you go

5. Make use of the library because there are some good books in there, and even if you don't really know what you're looking for and you just go in and have a browse, you'll probably find something that interests you.