When I made the decision to return to school for a master’s degree in illustration there were a few programs to which I applied, most of them in London and all in the UK. Being from the US I wasn’t all too familiar with the Universities. Some of the names sounded familiar, but regarding general reputation I was pretty unversed. After reading what I could and speaking to some current students, I made the choice of Middlesex University in London, and I can say I feel incredibly fortunate for having been accepted. The other day in class a few of my fellow students in the program were talking about some of the other Universities I had considered. While my programme at Middlesex contains only 10 master’s students, other Universities’ programmes can have as many as 50! My lecturers are so supportive and eager to give each one of us the personal attention we deserve. I can’t imagine how lost I would feel in a large group of 50 students. One reason I am thankful for where I’ve landed.

Another reason I feel incredibly lucky is because of the facilities I have at my fingertips. Last week we were able to take a class on silkscreening in our printmaking studios. One of the instructors dedicated almost her entire day to teaching us the process and allowing us to all try it out. In addition, we are greatly encouraged to continue to use the printmaking studio for our projects, whether it be in silkscreen, intaglio, etching, engraving, or letterpress (and if they don’t have a font you like, you’re able to design your own and have the 3D studio create the lettering for you!)

Also at our disposal are open life drawing classes every Monday evening. Current and former students, as well as even a few staff members, are all welcome to come and draw. Although the class runs rather late, it’s a nice way to start off a week. Plus as a bonus we have tea and biscuits about half way through, because of course why wouldn’t we.

Beyond the classroom, London in general has a lot to offer artists. A number of the museums are free entry and there is even a card called the Art Pass which gives students free or discounted entry to museums or exhibits that do have a cost. The V&A (Victoria and Albert) Museum is a great place to spend the day sketching as it has a wide range of exhibits. The Cartoon Museum is compact but offers a good variety of political cartoons and comics through the ages. It took walking into The British Museum and bumping into a mass of people to realize that in addition to quite a number of Egyptian and Greek pieces, the museum also houses the Rosetta Stone (yes, the actual Rosetta Stone). Also while there I discovered an old boardgame played by ancient Egyptians, which had been etched into the stone of a gate by guards (as in ancient Egyptian guards, not your modern day museum night shift). Personally I found the clocks exhibit to be one of the most interesting in the museum. Highly recommend if anyone visits!

^this is a clock and the photo doesn’t even begin to illustration how cool it is!!

There are still so many museums I am hoping to explore, such as the V&A Children’s Museum, the Museum of Natural History, the National Gallery… fellow museum explorers are always welcome to pop over to London to join me on my adventures!

A little something about art