zines or handmade books

Zoe Ainsworth-Grigg Portfolio 2023

Still Dieting 2022

 Well I am still very overweight and been threatened with death should I get a chest infection the weight will press on my lungs and kill me.

God knows I try.  As a form of exercise I play croquet with John despite the pain in my back. I walk much more than I used to.

I have joined weight watchers. and stick to my points, and eat healthily and less quantities.

I have lost one stone and now I am stuck and still look like a floating galleon as I walk along a corridor. I hate my body.

I need to kickstart my diet again.  Maybe the 2/5 diet might do that. and drastically cut out all carbs.

Falmouth MA in Illustration update

 I have completed two terms of Falmouth MA passed the modules and have received a certificate.  But the course itself didn't suit me.  There was too much time spent reading on the screen in front of my laptop and it affected my health in terms of eyesight and back problems.  I decided to withdraw.

I do not regret taking the course I have learnt an awful lot of useful skills and improved my knowledge of illustration.

Since January I have been taking a course with the Unitarian College in Worship Leader Studies.  This has been very inspiring and spiritually very comforting.

I have now found a BA course in Illustration at the Open College of the Arts.  I am not yet fully decided to apply.  I am also going to investigate if the 30  credits that I have achieved at Falmouth will be recognized by them.  Certainly the course looks more practical than academic which might suit me more.

Thank you for your support, I shall keep you posted

Zoe

Dieting in The Lockdown

 During the first lockdown, the process of cooking was a pleasant activity and a pleasurable diversion.  If we couldn't eat out, I cooked in and the pounds have crept on until the limit was the fact I could not fit into my clothes.  

Therefore I have to diet.  I have yoyo dieted all my life ever since my mother asked me to slim down a size for my wedding dress but that's another story.

BUT

The activity of dieting lowers my mood and the angry scales watching me from the main bathroom follow me everywhere in the house, I go to bed with gnawing hunger pains and acid reflux after my tablets.  I experience so much discomfort on 1300 calories with very little result

I decided to record and illustrate my frustration - image one - a pretty dress hides the truth May 28th 2020.  My birthday meal is not excessive but for me everything in my mouth puts on weight.

To express my anger with myself, here is image 2/3/4

I have been on diet five days and lost 1 lb. I have 18 months to go if I stick to a diet to lose correct amount of weight.  I have discovered that the BBC do free Keto recipes.  My son came over  and we had a nice chat, my hunger is irrepressible. Tim suggested that I try Keto with no carbs and lots of protein and veg for five days a week and have the weekend off with calories counting but some carbs. I am dancing to Michael Blube ten minutes each day, He is a the most sexiest and nice man and I am a  fan and that lifts my mood.  Tim suggests I walk with John when he goes to get his paper ,The Guardian and I get The Daily Mail  and arguing with John might fritter away the lockdown and introduce another exercise.  I might become part of the celebrity culture and get more followers on Instagram, who knows.  Tim is a great source of amusement for me as he has a great sense of humour.

So Week one weigh in 25/1/2021

I have lost 1 1/2 pound

I have to keep to my resolve,  I am cross with myself for having put on half a stone during this latest lockdown.  I have been eating chocolate biscuits which is a great no no for me.  The way forward in my opinion, is to give myself treats of some kind.  I like shopping so at the end of the week I shall go shopping. We went to the coop and food shopped  and then went to Chaplins where I bought some wool.  I am going to knit a large teddy, I did one before and it was a good success and they raffled it at my mother's  care home.  Maybe I can raffle it or give it to Jakub.

This might take my mind  off food in the evening when I am too tired to do very much.

I cant believe I knitted this six years ago! I hope the next one turns out as well.

Newsletter for the New Year

 

Newsletter from Zoe Ainsworth-Grigg  - new beginnings

 

January 1^st, 2021

 

During the last year Zoom has revolutionised relationships and social get togethers including zoom parties, quizzes, singing, art etc.  Part of studying with Falmouth University last term was to really look at skills sets and decide the best way forward. For example : I have in the past self-published my books.  It was suggested in a tutorial that people might look at how much energy expended and  how many results  there are from self-publishing and instead try to approach publishers with their work instead using the same amount of energy.

Domestika taught me that publishers now require a print ready photo of illustrations.  They taught me how to set up a light box and produce what is required.  Many illustrators go digital so that doesn’t require this photography process but publishers are tired of flat digital images and are turning to analogue images.

During the last year I have been practicing my Person-Centred Art Therapy skills with college students in America.  I was contacted by a friend to experiment with this and I was gifted not paid. However, it became very successful via zoom.  I now offer Person-centred art therapy session via Zoom via my website www.artythingsplus.co.uk

People know that I have for several yearsI have  offered creative writing skills in groups. This too has moved to zoom and sessions are also available on my website. www.artythingsplus.co.uk  I also offer a critique for writing under 2,000 words.

A friend of mine  Claire Jeanes who taught mixed media at The Brewhouse now offers online zoom art courses.  You can contact her at Clairejeanes@hotmail.com  for more information.

 

Please forward this to anyone who might in your opinion be interested.

 

Many thanks for your attention

 

Zoe Ainsworth-Grigg

Newsletter from Falmouth Illustration MA

 Falmouth University - Illustration MA

Term Two

Well I have completed my second term and put in the portfolio and report and await my results. I think I have done enough but one can never be sure. Nine people failed last term.

This term as stated we had to make an artefact which reflected our theme.  After some reflection a children's book was not going to be applicable.  Instead I decided to invent a board game.  It reflected my work in that it had a psychological framework and was a journey and a story around a villae.

The game was called 'The Happiness Village Game'.  Based on Norton Fitzwarren I took photographs of the village and they became the perimeter of the game.  I illustrated the centre piece by doing an Ariel map of the village locations. Using a dragon ( Somerset    Wyvern) players went around the board throwing a dice and encountered instructions that pertained to happiness.  The object was to collect happiness tokens and pocket money each time they passed HOME.

In addition I included a zine* which told some interesting historical facts about Norton Fitzwarren.  It is aimed at children aged 6-11 and their families.  

I hope to crowd fund for the professional publication of the board game when it has been tested.

It is hoped that it will be available on my new website www.artythingsplus.co.uk priced £19.99.

We have seen during lockdown wonderful kindnesses from people facing adversity.  Psychological research indicates that happiness is achieved by giving acts of kindness on a regular basis and being an active part of a community. I hope that my board game will illustrate that to the children that play it.

In addition this term I constructed my new website and started to produce craft items such as pin brooches out of shrink plastic and also develop craft kits for sale.

Zoe Ainsworth-Grigg

* A zine is a small handmade book usually A6 or A5.  They are collectable and offer art produced affordable craftwork from writer/illustrators.