Hi Danni! What's your name?

Hi, I'm Danni Ruth Skelding and I completed my Arts Award at Chester Lane Library, St Helens.

What levels of Arts Award did you do?

I studied and took part in the Silver Arts Award.

What art forms did you take part in?

I focused on increasing my skills as an artist and taking my previous sketching and drawing skills further by learning to work with new media and paint. I also broadened my knowledge of the arts industry.

What events did you go? 

I had the opportunity to visit many art galleries and exhibitions. I visited the wonderful St Helens World of Glass - here I was able to learn about a beautiful art form. I discovered the town's heritage of glass blowing and experienced a live show of a glass smith creating some magnificent pieces of glass art.

 Also in St Helens, I saw the Godfree Pilkington art gallery. On display was the John Charles Exhibition. A range of artwork was created to share the artist's inspiring life story of how he came to find positivity through art and to capture the journey of his ups and downs.

You can find photos of the trips here.

Who were your art inspirations, and did you interview any arts professionals?

I was definitely inspired by the artist John Charles. John is a new upcoming artist from Kirby Liverpool, who I also had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing. John captivated me so much as he came from leading a life of poor decision making, struggling with drugs and alcohol, and then come to find light and positivity by achieving sobriety and gained a new addiction - art! 

This is an artist who turned his life around dramatically through art and is now achieving greatly by collaborating with superstars and having his artwork featured in exhibitions all over the UK. 

How did you share skills or lead projects?

I had the opportunity to plan, organise and run my own arts event. This was held in my local library and consisted of a pebble painting arts & crafts event aimed at young children. The event was a success and a great contribution to my Arts Award. I was able to develop my skills in the art industry as a leader and gained feedback from the children and parents who attended the event.

What kind of portfolio did you create? 

I created my own personal style of portfolio and opted for a mixed range of methods, since my goal was to improve my art skills and broaden them by learning to work with paint. All artwork produced was displayed via scrapbook. My action plans and evaluations were documented in a clip folder. I also uploaded to three different social media platforms to gain as much exposure possible for my work. I used my own personal blog to upload my progress and my work, I posted work to Instagram and also shared my progress on voicemag.uk.

What was most valuable to you personally?

I took so much from this Arts Award. I gained heaps of confidence, leadership skills, new art forms and communication skills. It was a huge sense of achievement by taking part in this award. 

What did you find inspiring?

I was inspired by visiting exhibitions and galleries. I learnt about various artists' background stories and viewed the beautiful pieces of art that are being displayed in the art industry today. 

What was challenging?

I found it challenging to stick to my planned diary of work and the order in which to complete it. I found myself planning ahead a lot and trying to complete higher units before completing previous units. I think the workload and completing my portfolio caused quite a lot of pressure, leading me to worry and rush ahead to ensure units were complete.  

What are you going to do next, has arts award helped you?

I am going to continue to broaden my skills in the art sector. I shall keep studying and stay consistent in my engagement in arts events. Arts Award has given me the confidence to continue to pursue my art passion and to continue expanding my knowledge in the subject. 

How did you get involved with Arts Award?

I spend a lot of my free time just doodling, sketching and drawing. I wanted to put the skills I had to good use, then I discovered Arts Award by searching online what I could participate in. Luckily my local library had staff who were qualified to mentor me throughout my award and the rest is history. 

Who gave you the most help and inspiration?

My mentor Carole helped me immensely throughout my Arts Award. She was always there to help me and guide me through the units. I couldn't have done it without her.

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