S I X T E E N - Exhibition

Since changing jobs in February, and now being someone who works from home, I have found myself becoming a bit of a hermit and as a result my anxiety becoming increasingly worse. It's not all been bad as during March, in which I became 30, I took it upon myself to make the most of my birthday celebrations so spent about 3 weeks having a jolly good time. This included a trip to Dawlish, Devon where I spent time with my parents, my birthday party in Southampton, which was a fun-filled evening of fancy dress and dancing, and finally a trip to London to spend time with my sister who treated me with a trip to Madame Tussauds, Baker Street to see 221B and a delightful cocktail in Selfridges.

Things have been a bit rocky since and I have been struggling with my mood and finding the energy/motivation to do anything. So, when I saw that a friend of mine was putting together an exhibition for her Fine Art course, I thought I would meet up with her to see what it was all about and use it as an opportunity to get out, get active and get back in to taking some photos.

I met Ashleigh a year ago and although we haven't seen each other since then, meeting up felt completely normal.

The exhibition Ashleigh is involved in is called Sixteen and will be showcasing the work of the second year Fine Art students from Southampton Solent University. I have seen snippets of Ashleigh's piece online as she has been going through the process, but finally seeing it all together was something else. The exhibition isn't officially open to the public until Saturday 14th April (running until the 18th) but I was lucky enough today to get a sneak peek at some of the fantastic work involved. The exhibiting artists include: Allison Farley, Annabel Avison, Annabelle Thomas, Ashleigh Turner, Caitlin Dawber, Effy Jones, Ellie Trowbridge, Gwen Datyner, Hannah Trewren, Jasmine Wyeth, Laura Challis, Lucy Marshall, Maria Jenssen and Melanie Ffitch-Mitchell.

Below are a few images I took today and a little interview I did with Ashleigh, however, I will be going to the official opening on Friday 13th and getting more images and reporting back on it. I am really, very excited.

Sometimes it's hard to find the beauty in each day and it's hard to remember that there are things outside of your comfort zone which can make you feel uplifted and give you the motivation you need. Today, Ashleigh and other art students helped me get the motivation and positivity I so desperately needed and helped me to remember my passion for art, photography and film.

If your'e looking for something new and exciting to do this weekend/next week, then I strongly recommend coming down to the exhibition. SIXTEEN will run from the 14th-18th of April, 12pm-6pm at Guildhall Square. The art pieces are displayed in cargo containers and include some incredible interactive pieces. Ashleigh's work invites you to add your own touch with pens that are provided, just pick one up and doodle away.