Returning to Fundamentals ... Repetition, Composition, and Learning in the Studio.

Over the festive break, I spent time working through a studio exercise adapted from an online workshop with painter Jenny Nelson. The task was simple: how organic or angular forms might interact, how scale (and contrast of scale) shifts a composition, and how the format of the ‘canvas’ itself can be explored. 

In my own practice, I don’t often soley explore geometric outcomes. Much of my work leans towards the decorative, the organic, or the patterned. But this kind of structured exercise definitely helps me to sharpen compositional awareness without the distraction of subject matter or narrative. 

Practice: Why this was useful:

Working through the repetition of simple forms allowed me to focus on: 

• How contrast of scale can create tension or rhythm 

• How repetition doesn’t necessarily produce uniformity 

• How the edges of a composition (I think this can also relate to repeat unit) are active, not neutral 

• How slight shifts in spacing or proportion can change the entire reading of a piece.

  
  

What became most apparent was how these formal decisions and structures/lack of structure have the potential to sit (quietly) underneath more complex, figurative or decorative work. Even when outcomes don’t directly resemble my usual practice, the learning transfers. 

Pedagogy: Why this matters in teaching 

I really value exercises like this in an educational context. 

When students are introduced to composition through reduction, limiting variables, repeating forms, working within constraints, confidence often grows. There is less pressure to ‘get it right’ and more space to notice what’s happening visually. 

I use and adapt exercises like this when teaching to: 

• Build visual awareness and compositional literacy 

• Encourage risk-taking without high stakes 

• Demonstrate that learning happens through iteration, not resolution 

• Show that fundamentals underpin all forms of image-making 

Crucially, these exercises help students understand (and equally remind me!) that not all studio work needs to lead to a finished outcome. Some work exists purely to develop seeing, thinking, and decision-making. 

Learning as a shared, ongoing process 

Returning to the fundamentals reminds me that learning isn't static. Whether in the design studio or the workshop, making time for structured exploration creates space for new perspectives to emerge - after all, "everyday is a school day!". 

As I move forward with my practice, I’m interested in continuing to share these intersections between making and teaching, where studio thinking becomes pedagogical, and pedagogy feeds back into practice - hope some of you enjoy folloiwng along :)