Last week I went to see the degree show at Sheffield Hallam University. It was great to see a degree show one year on from my own. One of the most striking things about it was the way in which many students’ work seems to culminate in the same results as the work made by students at other institutions. It highlighted the importance of striving to make something different in your own work, in order to stand out from the crowd. Of course, I knew this as a student myself, but when I was in that situation myself it was harder to comprehend. I can only really fully appreciate the importance looking in from the outside, as a graduate myself.

At the moment I’m continuing work on my two current painting projects which are progressing frustratingly slowly. I have also started experimenting with the concept sculptural cross-stitch. I want to manipulate the materials in such a way as to force to fabric to take on a 3D form, while still using traditional cross-stitch techniques. I’m still in the early stages but I’m excited by the possibilities presented by the medium.