11 May 2007

Degree of success for Fife artist

The buzz and colour and excitement of the annual Degree Show at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in Dundee is a long way from a council services office in Fife, but this is the journey that Vicki Todd will complete this week.

Vicki, who lives in Strathkinness, is a mature student who is set to graduate in Fine Art after this week’s Degree Show. Just a few years ago Vicki was a council services officer in Cupar, with no background in art - "I hadn’t even taken art at school" - but she took the leap to pursue her studies after the opportunity arose to enrol on an access course.

"Art wasn’t something I had any background in, but years ago I went to one of these `So You Think You Can’t Draw?’ kind of workshops, and I discovered that I could, so the seed was planted then," said Vicki.

"I was working for Fife Council when I had the chance to get on the art access course at Elmwood College, and the council were kind enough to let me fit in the time on the course around my job."

"I really enjoyed it, so from there I went on to do the portfolio course at Dundee College, packed in my job, and eventually I started on the full degree course here at Duncan of Jordanstone."

"I took a huge gamble coming to art school and it was terrifying at the time, but I’ve loved it and I’m glad I did it. It has been such a broadening, interesting experience that I would recommend it to anyone and in fact I think there’s possibly even more in it for people of my age than there is for teenagers."

Vicki’s Degree Show exhibition takes a close look at the changing world around us and aims to remind us how astonishing Mother Nature is, while reflecting the changes that we are seeing across our landscape. The scenes depicted are taken from around the Fife countryside.

"I wanted to show that landscape can embrace the turbines, towers and aerials of a changing world and that nature continues to be wonderful and strange at the same time," said Vicki.

Degree Show 2007 takes place at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design and the University of Dundee School of Architecture from May 19th to 26th. Opening times are 9.30 am to 8.30 pm Monday to Friday, 9.30 am to 4.30 pm at the weekend (closes 2 pm Saturday May 26th). Entrance is free and all are welcome to attend. http://www.dundee.ac.uk/pressoffice/degreeshow07/

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk