Art Life - University for the Creative Arts

PROFILEMartina SmithNational Diploma In Art and Design Year 1 - 2005-06Martina was born in Mainz,Germany and moved toEngland when she was seven.From childhood Martina hasalways enjoyed drawing andpainting, she was alwaysencouraged by her parents topursue her dreams of beingan artist.Martina went to DaneCourt Grammar School inBroadstairs, throughout schoolshe excelled academicallyachieving top grades in herGCSEs and A-levels. StudyingFine Art was something thatMartina always wanted todo, and although she enjoyedother subjects in school, artalways came first. ‘For as longas I can remember I reallyenjoyed drawing and painting,I have memories of paintingin my dad’s studio fromwhen I was at kindergarten inGermany.’There was never any doubtthat Martina would go on tostudy Fine Art. ‘If I look backnow the National Diplomawere two of the best yearsof my education, I have suchMartina Smith at the Private View of Chairs at Margate.fond memories of the people, on producing mixed mediatutors and the things I learnt. collages. Her work exploresI also really appreciated the the way we experience naturefrankness of the tutors and their and how this is tied to theability to draw all your artistic cultural practice of constructingskills out of you and encourage landscapes as idealised images,you to push your strengths.’ she is also very interested inComing from the area she found the places where the humanthe Margate project helped her hand encroaches on the naturalto look more objectively at her landscapes.surroundings. ‘The Margate In the future Martina hopes toproject gave us an opportunity continue her art practice, andvery early on in our art education wishes to promote herself asto understand what it would an artist. She also hopes to gobe like to receive a brief from on to study for a MA in eitheran organisation such as Turner Brighton or London.Contemporary.’‘I have enjoyed the coursesMartina went on to study for which I have done. But I am alsoa BA Hons in Fine Art at UCA, really excited about the future,She has been developing and hopefully, I will be able toher art practice through her achieve my goals and fulfil mydegree and has mainly focused dream of selling my artwork.’16