The first term of BA (Hons) Carving: Architectural Stone is all about introducing new students to a range of skills that you will build on in the next term and years to come. The curriculum includes drawing, clay modelling, art history and stone carving which are staggered and mixed over the timetabled weeks so we are always doing something new. For example, one week will consist of clay modelling with one tutor for the first two days then switch to two days of letter carving with another tutor and the week after might change to two days of modelling and the two days of drawing. We always have two art history lectures on Friday, the final in the form of a walking tour somewhere in London to discuss a specific type of architecture and ending at a pub for a well-deserved drink.
Teaching is between 9:30-4:30 every day so the perfect time for me is to arrive at 9am, which allows me to set up and enjoy a coffee before jumping into the day. As we can’t take our work home with us, it is usually better to stay a little longer than the teaching hours. On Tuesdays, I will stay for life drawing which finishes at 8pm. These days are excellent for improving drawing, as we get the benefit of even more one-on-one teaching from the Tutors. The biggest challenge can be the workload. We are so lucky to have constant access to teachers and resources, but this means the days can be long and require sustained attention. I would say you should expect your quality of sleep to improve instantly because you’ll be wiped out each day for the first few weeks. Fear not, your tolerance builds up quickly, but it can sometimes be a shock if you’re unprepared.
Outside of teaching, there are plenty of opportunities to expand your experience at the school. As the Art School is in London, we get the benefit of extracurricular activities all the time. Exhibitions, lectures and museum visits are always happening, so it helps to ask the tutors if they have any recommendations.
As for your experience with other students at the school, you can expect to meet a close group of fascinating people. Many of them have already had time and experience in a separate field before attending the school, so you should bring helpful insights and the maturity to try hard and be accepting of new challenges. My year is a particularly big cohort, and has people from various life experiences and skillsets. There are stonemasons, art students, history students, and people from established careers in psychology and the civil service. No one student has the same experience, and will often have strengths in one particular area. This means that each person has the chance to feel confident whilst also feeling challenged and motivated to progress in areas that are out of their comfort zone. We swap ideas and help each other to improve our carving and academic skills. I had almost no experience carving before the course, so the stonemasons will give me tips and encouragement on basic skills to help me in the carving lessons and I try to give back in our art history lectures and portfolio note-taking.
The carving studio is open plan, so we mingle with different year groups of woodcarving and stone carving throughout the day. This is particularly good for first years, as we can see both the second and third-year stone carvers working on their projects. These are typically longer and more intricate than anything we produce as first year students. We are lucky as they are often keen to discuss their work, answer any questions and give encouraging stories about their experience as first years. It’s a great opportunity to keep yourself motivated to improve and excited to reach the next year of the course. First-year woodcarvers and stone carvers attend classes in drawing and clay modelling together and the conservationists join us for our art history lectures on Fridays. The carvers are tasked with organising the Christmas party at the end of term which includes deciding on a theme, making decorations and organising music. My favourite social event happens every other Thursday where all the carvers from each year group are invited to a communal lunch, the Head of Department bakes a mountain of different types of bread, and we bring food for everyone to share.
Words and Photography by Charlotte Ellery, First Year BA (Hons) Carving: Architectural Stone
