Weronika Zareba Student story

Where are you based?

I’m currently based between Warsaw, Poland, where I’m from, and Bansko, Bulgaria, where I’ve been living with my husband for about a year. 

What were you doing before joining the Online Drawing Development Year?

I studied architecture in Glasgow and Singapore and worked in architectural and set design offices in Riga and London. Later, however, I transitioned into becoming a self-employed freelance visual storyteller, focusing on editorial illustration, selling my own art, and collaborating on design projects. 

What appealed to you about the course?

I realised that not having a proper training in art was weighing on me. After a few years of working, I found that yes, I had my own way of approaching projects and delivering them, but I was not happy with the fact that out of fear of making a mistake and destroying this ‘perfect’ formula I started relying too much on my graphic tablet. I needed a place that would push me to question what, why and how I do things and help me find joy in creating things by hand again! I knew that getting another bachelor degree at that time was out of question and few courses that I did online were not enough. That’s why, when I found out about the programme, it felt like a perfect opportunity, as it would allow me to acquire a UK standard of education, while living anywhere in the world!

Moreover, I found it really appealing that it’s a year (a comfortable amount of time to commit) of part-time studying, about 18h of classes a week, the ability to choose my own schedule and fit it around my work, but also to treat the program as a ‘buffet’ where I can choose the classes that interest me, while being (digitally) surrounded by a community of like-minded people. I was also drawn to the fact that it provides one to one mentoring and tutoring sessions.

After working alone in my home without any guidance for many years, I was looking forward to having a mentor, someone who can oversee my progress, give feedback and a sense of direction. It all seemed like everything I was looking for, packed in one place. 

Which courses did you most enjoy or learn most from?

It’s a tricky question, because I think I’ve learnt a lot from all the courses I’ve taken so far.  

If I had to choose just a few, I would say that Drawing: The Artist’s Narrative with Sam Marshall and Geraint Ross Evans helped me to learn how to use my stories and characters to build bigger and richer immersive worlds. Animals in Art with Meg Buick and Chris Wallbank taught me how to capture animals in drawings and that not every animal has to be a character in my story, no matter how much I want to dress them up! Drawing the Graphic Novel 1 & 2 with Emily Haworth-Booth showed me different ways of telling my story, what to do when I feel stuck, where to take ideas from. Abstract Qualities in Landscape, Gardens and Natural Forms with Clare Newbolt and Sara Lee Roberts, allowed me to be more free, playful and exploratory in my mark making. 

How has the course impacted your practice?

The course has allowed me to be more free, experimental and playful with how I make work. Before joining, it was difficult for me to let go of planning my work. Everything had to be ‘designed’ before I could begin creating. The program allowed me to accept that not everything has to be resolved before I put my first mark on the paper. That it’s okay to let the work guide me. I have continued to learn a lot about the importance of mark making. When I look back at my work before the course I can see how flat and alike my work was. 

I have definitely been drawing much more from observation, which helped me see things differently. It has given me many ideas and let Bansko, the city I live in, inspire me. Lastly, it taught me that there is no ‘perfect way’ to approach art, that you can be free and playful and not everything has to come from an idea or have a story or meaning, that sometimes the fact that you just want to do it, is reason enough! 

Is there anything that surprised you about the course?

I was not expecting to learn as much from other students as I’ve been learning from the tutors. It's been amazing seeing how other people approach their work and how much I’ve been able to pull out of it. The community I gained has been extremely nice, supportive and encouraging. I didn’t realise how much I was missing being a part of a group of like-minded people working towards the same goal of improvement. And lastly, how little I know - in a good way! Because I’m constantly finding new things I want to learn, new books I want to read, new concepts, materials, that I want to explore. 

What are the benefits of learning online?

There are many! For one, It’s definitely more affordable. I’m also surrounded by my own art supplies, my own space. Everyone comes from a different place in the world and that informs the way they create or what they create, which is mostly seen in the courses where we go outside to draw. When I create, I don’t compare myself to others, as I’m comfortable in my own space and immersed in what I do. It makes me feel relaxed, but also supported, because I know that I can reach out to our tutors at any moment in the class and ask for help.

How has the School supported you?

The team has been very supportive and they’ve also been sharing exhibition and competition opportunities with us. All the tutors have been knowledgeable, kind and supportive, with their comments, feedback and the reading lists they recommend.

Tutor and mentoring one on one sessions have been helping me artistically by making me think about what I want to explore, where I want to go, and how I might get there. Honestly, it’s been amazing to talk to established artists and ask them questions that have been nudging me.

It's also been helpful that the tuition fee for the school is divided into 3 instalments, which are spread out, so it’s easier to pay, as you can always save up in between. 

What advice would you give to someone thinking of applying?

Go for it!

Let yourself be inspired, surprised, and changed by the program. Before I started the course I thought I had a plan or list of things that I want to improve and places I want my art to go but that has constantly shifted. I find myself drawn to things I didn’t let myself be drawn to before. 

It’s been a surprising journey! 

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