Michael Kirkman Lecture.

Right third time lucky, as I have tried to write this twice, via my iPhone app and had it deleted twice! ARGH!!!

Todays lecture was good compared to others, with the exception of Professor Norris-Wood (Whose lectures can not be given justice in words, you have to witness him and one of his lectures to appreciate just how ‘fab’ they are.
One student once said “It is like being sat in the pub with a mate you have known for ages”. I think that sums up on of Professor Norris-Wood’s lectures quite nicely.)

Anyway back to todays lecture with Michael Kirkman. A guy who is only a couple/few years older than most of us students, a guy who as not long completed his MA in London and became a freelance illustrator almost immediately. Yes, he may not have had much long term experience but he his out there, a freelance illustrator in todays society!
The difference I found with this lecture was that you could still hear the love for what he does (printmaking) in his voice, which is what I found was lacking in other lectures.
Even though his life is clearly not perfect; still using his bedroom as his print room occasionally, trying to put on his own solo show, while holding down commissions etc but he clearly loves printmaking and the process of making images!

A few tips I picked up on during the lecture were:

“Don’t underestimate talking and drinking beer in the pub with professional illustrators and tutors”. - Can’t disagree there.

“You need to be out there saying ‘employ me’”.

“Embrace the fun stuff, if you enjoy doing something do more of it, and see what comes out of it.”

“It’s alway the students that hung around with the tutors, they were the ones that won the competition prizes”. - It’s like that good old saying;
“It’s not what you know it’s who you know.” That pretty much sums up what I hate about this world, this rat race. Michael’s in the rat race but he hasn’t let the rat race over taken him, he hasn’t lost his passion for what he loves to do!


“The more focused you are on doing the thing your good at, expanding it, exploring it. The better off you’ll be.”

“Stick to what your good at”.

These last two quotes reminded me of what I love and what my passions are; tattooing and painting.
Listening to tutors over the years saying “don’t do that”, “you always come back to tattoos”, “it’s a bit dark isn’t it” etc but I’ve never really paid much attention and I don’t plan on starting now, because it’s my passion, I know I am good at it and I know I’ll get even better as more time passes.

I refuse to give up know matter how many people think I can’t or shouldn’t do it, because theirs plenty of people who think I can do it!
“You have to have faith in yourself because nobody else will”.