Sandra Stewart
Reflecting on process
Symposium presentation 10.30am Wed Dec 7 (via Zoom)
Reflection invokes images of Monet paintings with floating water lilies, a peaceful meditative scenario. It can also be chaotic, scary, and a challenge for learners who wish to create art but do not have art’s building blocks or foundations. They have no language and experiences to draw from or no memory of primary school art lessons. They have no base of understanding about elements of line, colour, shape, balance, and form, but they do have a burning desire to express themselves through art. Monet’s reflective pools have a place.
As humans, we frequently reflect on our actions and may change directions in the middle of a task, informed by past experiences and learning. This reflection in action, while we are doing, helps us know when something is working or needs changing. Education providers ask students to reflect in writing after they complete an activity. Examining their processes and actions should help them be constructively critical of their work and consider how to approach a situation differently in the future. Autoethnography places the researcher in the position of the research subject and the researcher. The researcher is a creator, participator, and observer.
This autoethnography will examine the process undertaken by a mature individual with no formal art background but a desire to create visually. As a Type 1 (T1) with insulin-dependent diabetes, I am a member of a crevice community that creates large amounts of medical waste, including test strips and needles. I wanted to use them to make art and express the T1 experience. I kept a reflective journal to examine the process of creating art and expressing emotions about living with T1 for 47 years. The piece was titled Revealing hidden crevices. The presentation explores the process of written reflection throughout the initial art making and when I return after six months to reflect critically on the completed work. I return to the artwork and the reflective process months after the process and will share insights into changes and revelations gained through reflection.
I ask the question myself and report on how a beginner artist can use formal reflective writing to examine the process and use this to inform a new creation on the same topic. I critically review the work again after time away from it and use the learned information to influence new work. This presentation will look backwards to learn and forward to suggest ways of approaching future practice.
Sandra Stewart is sessional lecturer in education at Charles Sturt University. She is currently a PhD candidate conducting research into Australian children’s literature.