Home: Welcome

WELCOME,
TO YOUR STUDENT ASSOCIATION

We are different, together.

Allan O'Neill

When I decided I wanted to try to do something more creative with my life, OCA were really welcoming and offered the perfect blend of practice and academia with a friendly supportive culture - after 10 years with OCA, I’m still very grateful for this.

Jade Chaplin

All of my tutors have been incredible and I have learnt so much from their feedback and experience in their respective creative fields. That is probably one of the best parts of learning with OCA; I had never received such detailed feedback before, and at so many stages of my projects.

Catherine Levey

I came in to the degree barely able to draw so it's been a steep learning curve. I accepted I had a lot to learn and soaked it all up like a sponge. The experimentation has been fun and I found the failures were just as much about developing as the successes and this is one of the most important things I'll take away from this degree...progression not perfection.

“Hi, my name is Mars, AKA bad soup, I am a fibre artist and photographer working out of Hull. I am currently experimenting with methods of applying my photography to textiles with both permeant and semipermanent dye and printing methods.

Working within the city centre there are a plethora of spaces that we have taken from nature; some have been repurposed into green spaces, others into constructed waterways, and yet more into building and roads. There are small corners of these spaces where nature is trying to take back control and, given enough shelter from the public eye, it is succeeding. Locked in a delicate balance between discarded bottles, seekers of quiet spaces, and pollution, it is succeeding. This is the balance I have tried to capture, as fleeting as it may be. I have taken these images using half frame camera on budget film stock to embrace the imperfections of these places.”

Thanks to @opencollegearts student @bad.___.soup for submitting this work ‘The Reclamation Project’ for our Green edition of edge zine.

Find it via the link in our bio.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #Degree #Zine #edgezine #Green #Photography #Sustainability #Nature #Creativity #Interdisciplinary #Environment

November is National Care Leavers' Month. It exists for the public, professionals, carers, decision-makers and the media to come together, celebrate care leavers and raise awareness of the issues in the care system.

Those with care experience have significantly poorer educational and life outcomes than the general population on average, and are underrepresented in higher education. All universities and colleges must consider care leavers in their access and participation plans.

This image was submitted for our @opencollegearts EDI Calendar Callout. Nina's image "represents the feeling of home when it is temporary; when you do not know when your next move is."

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #Degree #ArtAndDesign #Creativity #EDICalendar #Equity #Diversity #Inclusion #NationalCareLeaversMonth #NCLM #CareExperienced #CareLeaver #Home

@opencollegearts Stage 3 (HE6) Painting student @artroger23 is aged 66 years and is working full time as a Project Engineer in Santiago, Chile.

"During my time as a building services engineer, contracts included the National Gallery and Wallace Collection which enabled me to steal time during the lunch hour looking at art. After studying an NVQ in Photography and taking painting classes in Valencia, Spain, I finally decided to embark on my dream of a Painting Degree in 2016, after settling in Chile."

Roger’s work uncovers histories from the past, present and future using repetition, series, and transparency; opening dusty boxes of nostalgia, happiness and character related to autobiographical history. Techniques such as layering, colour, scale, and opacity highlight elements of memory and abstract thought to represent recollections of past experiences.

Read more about Roger's learning journey on our blog - link in the bio. Thank you for sharing Roger!

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #Degree #OCAPainting #Painting #Creativity #SustainingPractice #Figurative #History #Memory

edge zine Issue 16: Nostalgia - Submissions are now open!

We welcome ideas, sketches, works-in progress, writing, images and music.

Released quarterly @opencollegearts students, alumni and staff are encouraged to submit work to be published in our digital zine.

Find the submission link in our bio.

#WeAreOCA #OnlineLearning #OCAStudentAssociation #Zine #Degree #edgezine #Creativity #DigitalMagazine #Painting #Drawing #Photography #CreativeWriting #Illustration #GraphicDesign #InteriorDesign #Music #CreativeArts #Textiles #Nostalgia

The @opencollegearts North group recently met up for a visit to OCA Alumna @helenruthjonesart studio and to hear her speak about 'Life After Art School'. Following this OCA tutor @bryaneccleshall led a practical workshop on 'Collecting and Using Source Material'.

A wonderful thought provoking and creative time was had by all!

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #StudyEvent #Degree #Creativity #OCAFriends #OCAAlumni #Workshop #ArtistTalk

We're delighted to announce the launch of our @opencollegearts and @thebigdraw 2025 activity. Our Big Draw initiative takes the form of a short online course which encourages participants to discover how drawing can bring us together, unite us and connect us in meaningful ways. We have a series of live events for OCA students and some for everyone and our main platform is open to the public for everyone to join it.

Join via the link in our bio.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #BigDrawFestival2025 #TheBigDraw #DrawnTogether #Creativity #Degree #OpenLearning #Drawing

"I am Sarah, an artist and full time reader development librarian. I would describe myself as a curious artist using my art to connect with the world and as a way to tell personal stories . I am dyslexic so drawing is a way for me to communicate. My practice is concerned with recording my life, sometimes through memories and often with place and nature."

Read about @opencollegearts BA (Hons) Drawing Alumna @sarah_davis_art learning journey on our blog - link in the bio.

Congratulations Sarah and best wishes for your future creative endeavours!

This week is also Dyslexia Awareness Week - 6 - 12 October - and we think Sarah is an inspiration to all our students but in particular to those with dyslexia.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #Degree #OCADrawing #Drawing #Creativity #DAW25 #DyxlexiaAwareness #Collage #MixedMedia #Stories #Curiosity

Thanks to @opencollegearts Textiles student Karen Allen who submitted ‘Miss Textile Landfill Site’ for our Green edition of edge zine. Issue available via the link in our bio.

“I am a mature student currently studying for a degree in Textiles. I am interested in all things 'green' and my topic for my final year is based on textiles ending their days in landfill. For my final project I manipulated a wedding dress to show the decomposition rates of manmade and natural fabrics.

Following research for my degree I discovered a huge amount of data relating to textile landfill sites and the effect these are having on the environment. To try and inform the public and especially the younger generation, I used a wedding dress to show the decomposition rates of different materials. I chose a wedding dress as it attracts attention, is usually worn once and then discarded. I used cotton that I rotted in my garden contrasted against purple polyester and plastics. I hope my work will encourage others to consider how they can play their part in reducing the enormous amounts of waste garments ending their days in landfill. In this respect I contacted the local Brownie group and gave a talk on the dress. We had a long discussion on various ways they can help reduce garment waste. All this will be used as evidence for their Zero/Eco badge. I have since been approached by other organisations to exhibit the dress and currently it is being exhibited in our local library. It has produced a lot of interest and more importantly, discussions on green issues and what people can do to make a difference, however small.”

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #Degree #OCATextiles #Textiles #Zine #edgezine #StudentMagazine #Green #Environment #Sustainability #ClimateChange #Landfill #Recycle #Upcycle

@opencollegearts Creative Arts Student @brindusaf is exhibiting (H)Être - a body of worked conceived in dialogue with a 268-year old beech that was felled a year ago in her mountain village in alpine Switzerland.

“I was irresistibly drawn to the Tree when I learned it was going to disappear. Over the past year of working on this project, the Tree has taught me about memory, mourning, and continuity in a dimension larger than the human. Working with the Tree naturally became part of my practice. At the heart of my work lies a fascination with how the energy of the natural world — subtle, rhythmic, and often unnameable — can be made visible. Like the rings of a tree quietly recording time, I seek to transmit emotional, geological, and ecological echoes. Cracked surfaces, dense blacks, elemental lines don’t so much represent as they vibrate. My work is not symbolic: it is vibratory.”

The exhibition takes place at Chalet de la Treille, Troistorrents, Switzerland between 20 Sept - 12 Oct 2025, Thu-Sun 3-7pm but Brindusa is guiding an online visit on October 1st at 3pm CET. Registration is free. Find out more by visiting our blog - link in our bio.

Congratulations Brindusa!

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OCACreativeArts #CreativeArts #Exhibition #Installation #Sculpture #Audiovisual #Painting #Environment #Sustainability #ClimateCrisis #Trees #CoCreation

@opencollegearts Stage 3 Graphic Design student @everarddesign submitted this work for our Green edition of edge zine.

“I’m a graphic designer and illustrator currently completing the final unit of my degree with the Open College of the Arts. My work combines traditional and digital techniques, with a focus on communication, nostalgia, and everyday storytelling. I have a particular interest in print design, experimental typography, and tactile formats such as books, zines, and playing cards. Alongside my studies, I work in the automotive sector, where I’ve developed a strong appreciation for heritage, detail, and craftsmanship—qualities that often influence my creative practice.

This piece was originally created in response to the theme Movement, and features a green plastic army man toy. I chose this subject because of its strong association with animated movement in pop culture—particularly films like Toy Story, where these figures come to life and move. Although they are physically static in real life, they represent movement through posture, storytelling, and cultural memory.

The army man is almost always green, which made it an ideal subject to also explore the theme of Green. Rather than relating to nature or sustainability, this interpretation focuses on how colour can hold strong visual and cultural associations. The green plastic is instantly recognisable and symbolises play, childhood, and a kind of manufactured, nostalgic world.

The creative process involved photographing the toy in various poses, then exploring ways to exaggerate or suggest movement through drawing, layering, and sequencing. I was interested in how a still object could appear animated—how the illusion of movement could be created through composition.

While the piece wasn’t originally created for the Green theme, its subject, colour, and concept are strongly connected, showing how one idea can naturally lead into another.”

Thanks for sharing Emily! View and download the latest zine issue via the link in our bio.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #Degree #Zine #StudentMagazine #edgezine #Green #Creativity #Movement #PopularCulture #GraphicDesign #Design

We're excited to announce our Green issue of edge zine is now live! View and download it via the link in our bio.

This edition explores the word "Green" through a variety of creative lenses.

Our contributors used this prompt to delve into the concepts of narrative, roots, and growth, while also examining the cultural and literary associations of the colour.

You'll find work that interrogates broader issues like sustainability, environmentalism, and climate change, alongside pieces that represent the literal colour and more abstract ideas around science, harm, and dystopia.

Some of the featured artists even collaborated directly with nature, using organic and recycled materials in their
work.

This issue features photography, creative writing, photomontage, textiles, painting, and collage—each a unique interpretation of the word that started it all.

Thank you too to our student selection team for volunteering their time.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #Degree #Zine #edgezine #Green #Creativity #Painting #Photography #CreativeWriting #Textiles #Collage #ArtsAndEnvironment #Sustainability #Abstract

Some of the wonderful work created by @opencollegearts students at our Abstract Landscape Collage Workshop over the weekend. Thank you to OCA Alumna @arlenesharp.art for facilitating!

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #Degree #Creativity #Abstract #Workshop #Landscape #Collage #OCAPainting #OCAAlumni #Alumni #Painting

Congrats to @opencollegearts Painting Tutor Joanna Whittle who was one of the final four shortlisted for the John Moores painting Prize 2025 and is currently taking part in the winners exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery.

Find out more about the prize and Joanna's work from the Painting Department on WeAreOCA - link in our bio. Well done Joanna!

Image: Darkened Heart (a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth) by Joanna Whittle. Photograph: © Joanna Whittle

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #Degree #OCAPainting #Painting #Prize #Exhibition #JohnMooresPaintingPrize

“Hi, I’m Evie. I’m a queer freelance illustrator and creative living in South Yorkshire. My areas of work are primarily digital illustration and graphic design. Key themes in my personal work often include life through an LGBTQIA+ lens, nature and the environment, and social justice. I’m currently studying BA Visual Communications with OCA and have recently been enjoying creating process-led work and experimenting with line and digital textures.

I was inspired by the theme of encounters and started thinking about unexpected experiences. For me, this relates to a health issue that began suddenly and causes dizziness and a lack of balance. I wanted to portray this through the distortion of the landscape and vertical symmetry of objects, as well as the bendiness of the characters who feel to be falling. This theme also got me thinking about unexpected meetings/ events and being faced with challenges along our paths of life. I liked playing with the idea of balance and symmetry, which to me feel safer, to almost negate the unexpected nature of the theme.”

Thanks to @opencollegearts Student @art_byeves for submitting this work ‘Vertigo’ for our Encounters edition of edge zine. Our latest issue Green will be out soon, find the link in our bio to view all editions.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #Creativity #Degree #OCAFriends #Illustration #Encounters #Vertigo #edgezine #Zine #Artist #ArtAndDesign #GraphicDesign

Join us tonight Wednesday 27 August for our @opencollegearts x @pencils4tea collaboration with the wonderful @kirsty.a.lockhart. An hour of speed portrait drawing to music - the most fun you'll have on hump day! Link in our bio.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #OCAFriends #Degree #Creativity #Drawing #Portrait #Music #Collaboration

Despite never having met in person, @opencollegearts students Eleanora Alis and John are now collaborating on their fourth project together.

John studies Photography, while E.A. is pursuing Fine Art. Their decision to create a film together emerged organically from a conversation following their first group project.

As E.A. approached her final show, she struggled to connect the pieces of her recordings from the past two years. She reached out to John, who had already started to explore film making and inviting him to collaborate - not just to bridge those gaps, but also to explore how their artistic practices could merge.

Over time, they discovered numerous connections between their creative approaches. Most importantly, they shared a deep understanding of each other’s work and developed a strong, structured work ethic.

When they first met, neither had much experience with creative collaboration. But the timing was right, their ideas aligned, and their process evolved into a natural rhythm. Their first joint piece, Transient, can be seen in this video.

Find out more about their collaboration on our blog - link in our bio.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OCAFriends #OCAPhotography #OCAFineArt #Photography #FineArt #Collaboration #Video #Multimedia #Installation

@opencollegearts Alumna Nina Cruse-Vallard is an administrator based in Yorkshire currently studying to be a librarian. In her free time she blogs and makes zines. She writes often about mental health and navigating postgraduate life.

“I often use free writing, in my practice, as a way to share my thoughts unfiltered. Although this may be seen as unpolished by some, I find free writing a cathartic way to process my ideas. When I think of encounters I cannot help but recall the meeting that changed my life; it set off a chain reaction that led me to where I am now. Similar to my writing style this event was incredibly chaotic... but I went with it.

At one point I thought I should make this poem more structured and sophisticated, like the great romance poems. But I am neither of those things. So the poem stayed uncertain, cautious and uncouth. Like I was at the time.”

This piece ‘Union’ was submitted for our Encounters edition of edge. Link in our bio. Thanks for sharing Nina.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OCAAlumni #CreativeArts #OnlineLearning #Degree #Creativity #ArtAndDesign #Interdisciplinary#Poetry #Writing #FreeWriting #Alumna

“My education, in France, was quite traditional, but inside me was someone who wanted to experiment and express herself creatively. Questioning this, I realised that it was in my day-to-day proximity to textiles that I saw a medium to achieving this.What OCA brought was an intellectual and imaginative framework to help me develop my thinking and push the boundaries of my (at the time) early emerging practice.

As a full-time worker the flexibility and approach to study of OCA was an ideal way to structure this learning and to come into contact with like-minded students and great tutors. It’s only once I started the course that the world of textiles really opened up to me. I now feel fully vindicated in choosing OCA as my gateway to achieving that early ambition.”

Read about @opencollegearts Textiles student sophie_textiles01 learning journey on our blog - link in our bio. Thanks for sharing Sophie!

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OCATextiles #Textiles #OnlineLearning #Degree #Creativity #ArtAndDesign #Intangible

Creative Arts in Conversation: Rachel Smith and Trine Wade-

“As an artist of Place, my process-led practice is centered around an exploration of embodied experience, the ‘being-in-place’. With an auto-ethnographic focus and a phenomenological methodology, I respond materially to thoughts, feelings, and experiences that emerge from both fleeting encounters and more long-term emplacements.

I prefer to work with long term projects as it allows my ideas and intentions to develop over time. As a project evolves I explore a range of methods to determine which ones are most suited to convey my ideas and aesthetic. My interdisciplinary practice includes photography, printmaking, collage, sculpture, text, installation, and video.”

Read @opencollegearts Creative Arts Student Trine Wade in conversation with Program Tutor Rachel Smith on the WeAreOCA blog.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OCACreativeArts #CreativeArts #OnlineLearning #Degree #Creativity #ArtAndDesign #Interdisciplinary #Place #Photography #Text #Printmaking #Collage #Installation #Video

Tricia Burton - Wind Eathbound

“What if understanding contemporary art practice plays hide and seek, not in academic theory but in the muddy adventures of a six-year-old, wandering the semi-industrial and wild fringes of North-east England? As a BA Creative Arts student currently working in assemblage and installation, the connection between 1980s childhood freedom and my current posthumanist practice reveals some fascinating insights about how we develop our relationship with the material world!

This relationship manifests in works like Wind Earthbound—a recent piece I created during our BA Creative Arts ‘JUST DO IT!’ make and discussion session. Where I collaborated with wire already sculpted by wind from my fringe environment installation, anchored by a lichen-covered log left behind from forest management. The wind’s curls, twirls and bends became the primary creative force, while I simply responded to what was already there. As one insightful peer observed, these sculptures ‘symbolize the chaotic and often fraught relationship between industrial societies and the natural world’—exactly the kind of edge-land dialogue I navigated as a child.”

Read about @opencollegearts student Tricia’s work Wind Earthbound on our blog - link in our bio.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OCACreativeArts #CreativeArts #OnlineLearning #Degree #Creativity #ArtAndDesign #Interdisciplinary #Place #Sculpture #Text #Childhood #Assemblage #Installation

@opencollegearts Fine Art student Rita Lisnevskyte reflects on her recent course with Fine Art Programme Tutor, Hayley Lock.

"I’ve considered myself an artist for as long as I can remember. I studied academic art during my school years, which laid the foundations for my creative journey. Currently, I work with children with special needs, an experience that has deeply shaped how I see the world and the potential art holds as a tool for communication and healing.

I’m especially interested in how art can be used to support others emotionally and psychologically. For me, obtaining this degree isn’t just about academic achievement, it’s a personal journey to expand my creative voice and hopefully use it to help others."

Read more on our WeAreOCA blog, thanks for sharing Rita.

#WeAreOCA #OCAFineArt #OCAStudentAssociation #FineArt #StudentStories #Degree #OnlineLearning #Creativity #ArtTherapy #Wellbeing #Interdisciplinary

OCA students Catherine Smith and John Burns have been collaborating on a project entitled Everydays since 28 February 2024, when they decided to take a photo every day (of anything at all!), and use it as a way of sustaining and growing their practice as well as flexing their artistic muscle daily.

"We wondered if anyone else from the wider OCA community would like to join in as well? All you need to do is take one photograph that day - of absolutely anything - and share it to that day's post on the @everydayscollective Threads account. You don’t need to be a photographer or be studying photography, for example you could take a photo of your work using your phone, or share some of the things which are influencing your work!"

Find out more about the collaborative project on our blog - link in our bio - and get involved!

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OCAFriends #Collaboration #Photography #EverydaysCollective #Creativity #Everydays #Community

We're delighted to announce our Cabinet of Curiosity is now live. Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far and we look forward to receiving more submissions.

The Cabinet is part of our new virtual 'Museum of People', a space that celebrates our vibrant community of creative folk and highlights our collaborative projects. This is a new space, in development, launched at the culmination of our Student Voice Festival July 2025.

Find it via the link in our bio.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OCAFriends #OnlineLearning #Degree #Creativity #Objects #Museum #Gallery #CabinetOfCuriostity #ArtAndDesign #Stories #Community

Read about @opencollegearts Stage 3 Photography student @peterhungerford1954 learning journey on our blog - link in the bio.

Self described as "a journey man", retired former scientist, and IT Architect. He enjoys the outdoors, travelling and the intersection of art, science and technology. Loves living in Switzerland where he can pursue all his hobbies in an international environment.

Thanks for sharing Peter.

Peter is also hosting an event for our Student Voice Festival around navigating support in creative study. Find the info in our bio.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OCAFriends #OnlineLearning #Degree #Creativity #OCAPhotography #Photography #Arts #Digital #Science #Technology #JourneyMan

Today, 14 July, is Non-Binary People's Day. This work was submitted to our EDI Calendar callout by OCA Student Konstantinos.

Stonewall define non-binary as a term for people whose gender doesn’t sit comfortably with ‘man’ or ‘woman’. Non-binary identities are varied and can include people who identify with some aspects of binary identities, while others reject them entirely.

Did you know the day was first celebrated in 2012 and was chosen for being precisely between International Men’s Day and International Women’s Day?

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OCAFriends #OnlineLearning #Creativity #Equity #Diversity #Inclusion #NonBinaryPeoplesDay #LGBTQIA #Community #EDICalendar #Degree #ArtAndDesign

"I don’t think we can consider the concept of ‘environment’ without acknowledging the fact and effect of ‘time’ upon it. It’s clear, however we view an environment – whether it be personal, local, global, natural, or manmade, that it is altered by time. It is in a state of constant flux. When we think creatively or make art in any form we have to remember that everything is in a fluid state…whether it be fast and mercurial or lumbering and seemingly unmoving. Everything is heading somewhere and nothing is unchanging regardless of how we perceive its pace.

The world is a dynamic space and we’d do well to keep up with it."

Read @opencollegearts Creative Arts student @tims.oca blog post on WeAreOCA - link in our bio.

Images: Caged chalk drawing Tim Harbridge 1.3 and
Caged materials Tim Harbridge 1.3

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OCACreativeArts #OnlineLearning #Degree #CreativeArts #Time #Place #Environment #Drawing #location #space #creativity #art

1. We had a fabulous start to our @opencollegearts Student Voice Festival 2025 with OCA Alumna Liz Woodger in conversation with tutor Andrew Conroy.

2. Tonight we have Director of Learning Christian Lloyd hosting an open forum session.

3. Tuesday we have Creative Zine Making with OCA's Rachel Smith.

4. And an introduction to the Library with OCA Librarian Richard Cleverley.

5. Finishing with The Art of Escapism, Writing and Role Play for Mental Health with OCA's Emma Jackson.

6. Wednesday we have a Summer of Sustainability event - Climate Fiction for Young People with OCA tutor Rab Ferguson

7. And a very special workshop with OCA Illustration student Jade Chaplin - Making a Collaged Pop Up Scene

8. The Photography Social Group also has Photographer David O'Mara with them on Wednesday.

9. Thursday starts with another Summer of Sustainability event, with Programme Leader Catherine Byrne Exploring Ideas of a Circular Economy.

10. MA Student Murray Hamilton will present his fascinating work and practice over lunch time, be sure to join in.

11. And OCA Librarian Richard will be back to give an Introduction to Harvard Referencing.

12. Friday there will be an Open Forum event with the Assessment Team's Edward Smith.

13. Followed by Photography Student Michael Green's Presentation 'Tales from the Polar Regions' - you won't want to miss it!

14. Saturday another Summer of Sustainability event with OCA's Liz Cashdan - Where I am: Exploring a Site or Place.

Do join in and try something new and look ahead to Week 2 as we continue the amazing line up! Link in our bio to events and the Student Voice Festival Programme.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #OCAFriends #Creativity #Degree #StudentVoice #StudentVoiceFestival #Presentation #Workshop #OpenForum #Q&A

Thanks to @opencollegearts Fine Art student @felicitytalmanart who submitted this work as part of our Encounters edge zine callout.

“My current practice explores vegetal subjects, primarily found within my home or garden. I often come across my subjects unexpectedly, rather than actively searching for them. I might suddenly notice interesting shapes formed by wilting roses outside my kitchen window, or the dynamic shadows cast by houseplants on my bathroom shelf. It is in these moments that I encounter the subjects anew, and I feel compelled to capture them through drawing.

I predominantly work with soft pastels on sanded pastel paper and my process involves significant investments of time, ranging from days to weeks. Therefore, as my subject may transform or deteriorate too quickly to work solely from life, I combine this with my own photographic references. I am interested in capturing a suspended moment in time through my work, which evidence both the encounter I had with the subject, and the time spent observing it during the drawing process.

“Vivid Remains” was inspired by an Indian Shot plant which I observed during a visit to Killarney House and Garden with my children. I instantly felt drawn to the vibrancy and interesting forms created by this plant which was just starting to show subtle signs of deterioration. I began drawing the plant on my return home a couple of weeks later. This was the first vegetal subject that was not sourced from my own garden. I realised that having a personal connection or encounter with each subject was more significant, each drawing reflecting a small fragment of my personal life.“

Catch up with the zine via the link on our bio and submit for our next issue ‘Green’.

Thanks for sharing Felicity!

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OCAFriends #edgezine #Zine #Creativity #OCAFineArt #FineArt #Encounters #Nature #Pastels

Join @opencollegearts Katrina Whitehead in this workshop to make your own mini ecosystem.

There will be a brief history of the terrarium, followed by inspiration and research for making terrariums including photography and narrative.

The workshop centres around practice-based research. The making during the workshop is optional depending on whether you have some, or all of the necessary materials to make a terrarium.

If you do not have any of the necessary materials at this stage, you can still attend! Use the workshop to make notes and sketch out design ideas from photographs or memory.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #Degree #Creativity #Terrarium #Environment #Sustainability #SummerOfSustainability #ClimateCrisis

@opencollegearts Photography As Language Short Course Student @clivewatkinsphotography submitted this work for our Encounters edition of edge zine.

“I am an associate of the RPS looking to expand my photography beyond pictorial into something more meaningful. I live and work on the west coast of bonnie Scotland which makes it difficult to evade pictorial images!

This photograph was taken in the Hunterian in Glasgow. The man looking at the picture bares more than a passing resemblance of the The Patriot (1977, David Pugh Evans). Capturing the image, including the reflection in the display cabinet, plays with ideas of juxtaposition and abstracts a visual encounter in the viewer's mind, as well as perhaps in the mind of the subject himself. I am thinking of building on this concept for an ongoing photographic project where gallery visitors are captured encountering facsimiles of themselves in works of art.”

Thanks for sharing Clive! You can now submit to our next edge edition - Green and read Encounters ;link in our bio.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #ShortCourse #Degree #OCAPhotography #Photography #Zine #edgezine #Encounters #Creativity #Museum #Gallery #Visitors

Pride Month has its roots in the Stonewall Uprising, which occurred in New York City in June 1969. The uprising was a turning point in the LGBTQ+ rights movement, sparked by a series of protests against police harassment and discrimination. The following year, the first Pride marches were organized to commemorate the anniversary of the uprising.

Let us embrace the spirit of Pride Month, stand alongside our LGBTQ+ community, and work towards a world where love, acceptance, and equal rights are celebrated by all.

This wonderful work was submitted by @opencollegearts student Konstantinos for our EDI Calendar Callout.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OCAFriends #OnlineLearning #Degree #Drawing #Creativity #Equity #Inclusion #pridemonth #Pride #LGBTQIA #OCADrawing

It's the Great Big Green Week and we're excited to announce our Summer of Sustainability 2025 event series. Join in and try something new!

From workshops in Tataki-zomé, book making, climate fiction and more - find the link in our bio to find out more.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OCAFriends #SummerOfSustainability #Sustainability #ClimateChange #Creativity #ArtsAndEnvironment
#OnlineLearning #Degree #Workshop

We continue to celebrate and support our LGBTQIA+ OCA Community this Pride Month - these images were submitted by @opencollegearts student Kerry as part of our EDI Calendar callout. Let's acknowledge the challenges faced by this community and stand in solidarity with their fight for equality, acceptance, and human rights.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OCAFriends #OnlineLearning #PrideMonth #Inclusion #HumanRights #Equity #Degree #Creativity #Photography

Let's try this again 🙃@opencollegearts Fine Art student @juliegayle.balliu image that was submitted for our Encounters issue of edge zine.

"This particular photo was taken whilst visiting my husband's home town in Albania, one which is emptying every year due to people emigrating for economic reasons. This shot appealed to me as the protesting & political graffiti seemed a fitting backdrop to the young boys sitting by the roadside, awaiting their own futures."

You can spot Julia on our insta a couple of squares to the right and find out more! The edge zine issue can be found in our bio.

Thanks again for sharing Julia!

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #Degree #OCAFineArt #FineArt #OCAFriends #Creativity #LifelongLearning #Encounters #Zine #edgezin

Pride Month is an annual celebration of the many contributions made by the LGBTQIA+ community to history, society and cultures worldwide. In most places, Pride is celebrated throughout the month of June each year in commemoration of its roots in the Stonewall Riots of June 1969.

This artwork was submitted as part of our EDI Calendar 2025 by @opencollegearts student Evie. Thanks for sharing! Find the calendar in our bio.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #Pride #LGBTQIA+ #Equity #Diversity #Inclusion #OnlineLearning #Safety #Creativity #PrideMonth #Allyship #OCAFriends

As a mature student of a BA Fine Art, I'm enjoying every moment of the journey. With a graphic design background and an evolving artistic future, I observe my surroundings every day. This includes taking photos, especially of everyday life here and abroad.

This particular photo was taken whilst visiting my husband's home town in Albania, one which is emptying every year due to people emigrating for economic reasons. This shot appealed to me as the protesting & political graffiti seemed a fitting backdrop to the young boys sitting by the roadside, awaiting their own futures.

My husband is Albanian and we have been married for 25 years. My first visit to the country was in 2002, and although the essence of the country was visible, it was clear that the revolution had ripped it apart. Over the years, I watched the people reclaiming their lands from the government (in Communism it was confiscated), businesses start up, infrastructure put in place and the slow road to tourism. Unfortunately, after many years, the opposite has happened, half the population has emigrated, the elderly have passed away taking traditions and skills with them. There is little interest in working the land and most families are moving to countries for economic progress and education.

As I walked through the town of Burrel, the nearest town for supplies to my husband's rural village, this photographic opportunity appealed to me. Young boys from the town, sat together on a Saturday afternoon talking, precariously perched on the kerb way underneath political graffiti. Were they to stay and force the country's future or were they going to leave looking for a better life further away and leave their country in the hands of organisations who want to rip it apart for the wealth of natural resources?

Thanks to @opencollegearts student @juliegayle.balliu for submitting this work for our Encounters edge zine edition - link in our bio.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #Degree #OCAFineArt #FineArt #OCAFriends #Creativity #LifelongLearning #Encounters #Zine #edgezine #Photography #Travel

Rab Ferguson

@opencollegearts Creative Writing Tutor Rab Ferguson talks to us about his journey to publication, finding an audience, and receiving a national award for his children’s writing.

“Make a decision around what your aims are, who you’re trying to reach, and what you’re trying to achieve.

For everyone reading this and thinking about getting their own books out into the world, I’d encourage you to think about these three questions for your own work – and let that direction drive you!”

Read the post on the WeAreOCA blog, link in our bio.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #Degree #OCACreativeWriting #Writing #OCAFriends #Creativity #LifelongLearning #Publishing #Book

OCA Student Stories

“Music was an important part of my life growing up. I initially played the piano, then the oboe and my school and the local authority provided plenty of opportunities to play in bands and orchestras. After school I studied French and Russian at Leeds University, and subsequently qualified as an accountant. Having achieved grade 8 on the oboe at school, I took a break for some 30 years before returning to playing the oboe 10 years ago and I now play regularly with a number of ensembles in the area. When I entered semi-retirement I decided to explore my passion for music further through the OCA Foundation course before starting on the degree course in 2024.”

Read @opencollegearts Music Student Helen’s learning journey on our blog - link in our bio.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #Degree #OCAMusic #Music #OCAFriends #Creativity #LifelongLearning

Thanks to @opencollegearts student @annapikestudio for sharing her work with us for our Encounters edition of edge zine. Find it in our bio.

“I am currently a level 3 painting student. A biologist by training, much of my art practice has grown out of my interest in biological materials and the processes by which they change. I am a self-confessed natural history hoarder and I often work with found forms I encounter in my surroundings. Throughout level 3 I have been closely examining my relationship with this natural history collection and my desire to use them in my work.

My current practice is an inquiry into my relationship with my collection of found natural history objects and my desire to use them in my work. My studio is full of 'natural stuff' that has, usually through form or texture, caught my attention in some way and compelled me to carry it home. This includes a large collection of animal skulls found in my surroundings. Sometimes I happen across a life-less form yet to decay, allowing me to photograph it before collecting it, placing it in a secluded spot, returning to collect the skull at a later point.

Throughout my work there is a sense of a deep, intimate connection with the natural environment and its never-ending cycle of life, death and rebirth. I paint dead things and present them to the living, examining the thin line between the two and inviting conversations around such material transformations. The intimate views and fragile nature of my subjects create contemplative works instigating mediation between presence and absence; between the known and the unknown; between beauty and aversion. My choice of subjects reflects my desire to challenge our disconnect with the physical natural world and to show life as it really is: decay, entropy and chaos are quotidian but there is a hidden beauty, revealed to those prepared to stop and look. However, in painting these close encounters I reveal something of my own vulnerability, an uncomfortableness of being in my own skin, and yet, I continue to do it anyway.”

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #Degree #OCAPainting #OCAFriends #Painting #Encounters #Zine #edgezine #NaturalHistory

"I live and work between Estonia and the Cayman Islands. I'm a mother, a wife, and a visual artist. I like sculpture, sculptural painting, working with found objects and large installations. I also volunteer at the local community theatre as a creative director. I am deeply passionate about environmentalism and promote sustainability through my daily life and artwork. I believe in the interconnectedness of our shared home, planet Earth, and am curious about the socio-cultural shifts taking place around the world."

Read about Stage 3 @opencollegearts Fine Art student @e.a.tofte learning journey on out blog, link in our bio.

Thanks for sharing E.A!

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #Degree #Creativity #FineArt #StudentStories #Environment #ClimateChange #Sustainability #Social #Cultural

It's Mental Health Awareness Week: 12 - 18 May 2025.

As a student, supporting your health and wellbeing is important to ensure that you are able to study effectively.

OCA students have access to a support network of tutors, and staff who are there to look out for your wellbeing. All OCA staff are trained in Mental Health First Aid, and the Learner Support team have additional specialist training. Don't forget OCA also have a Wellbeing App which you can access.

Thank you to @opencollegearts student Maya who submitted this digital collage for our EDI calendar callout.

"It symbolises the path to overcoming hardship finding purpose and meaning in one’s life."

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #Degree #MentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #Mind #Wellbeing #Collage #Equity #Diversity #Inclusion

“I’m rediscovering my creative side as I pursue a photography degree. I’m passionate about capturing light, emotion, and stories through my work and I’m interested in finding my creative vision.

I’ve always been drawn to film, art, and music—they fuel my imagination and influence how I see the world. I love David Lynch, Italian and 1970’s Horror and everything vintage. As a mum of two, I’m constantly balancing family life with my artistic journey, and my experiences often shape the way I create. For me, creativity is about growth, connection, and embracing the beauty in everyday life.

I feel these ‘untitled encounters’ invite the viewer into a dialogue between the fleeting and the permanent, the natural and the human-made, and the external world and inner emotions.”

Thanks to @opencollegearts student @_sarah_louisa for submitting this work for our Encounters edition of edge - check it out via the link in our bio.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #Degree #Photography #OCAPhotography #Creativity #Encounters #Zine #edgezine

“My paintings feature everyday objects chosen for their personal significance and nostalgic value. These items hold layers of meaning that go beyond their practical use, evoking memories of people, places, and events, while also helping to preserve a cognitive sense of self. By repeatedly engaging with the same objects, I am able to explore the relationship between objects and the act of painting and how each informs the other. This can uncover new perspectives and meanings over time, allowing these items to evolve within the context of my work and deepen my understanding of the object’s emotional resonance.”

Work submitted by @rogerrowleyart for our Home edition of edge zine. Do check out this issue and out latest release - Encounters - via the link in our bio.

Thanks for sharing Roger!

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #Degree #Zine #Home #Encounters #Creativity #Nostalgia #Painting

We are very pleased to launch issue 14 of edge zine - Encounters!

An Encounter is a multi-layered concept. It is a moment of dynamic interplay that sparks something new, shifts perspective, or deepens understanding within the creative process itself.

Thank you to everyone who submitted their work for this edition of edge. We love the variety of responses to the theme and the range of work submitted; from painting, drawing, photography, video, illustration, music and creative writing.

Our gratitude also extends to our selection team of @opencollegearts student volunteers.

Check it out via the link in our bio.

#WeAreOCA #OCAStudentAssociation #OnlineLearning #Degree #Zine #edgezine #Encounters #Creativity #Arts #Design

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