Introducing Christian

Hello, my name is Christian Lloyd, OCA course author and tutor, and I’ve been invited to contribute illustration and graphic design related posts to WeAreOCA. Having eclectic personal tastes the postings may well stray into many other wonderful inter-connected areas which I hope will also be of interest.
I think this might be a good place to say a few words about my own learning journey and tell you something about myself. I studied Illustration, printmaking and drawing at Cambridge Art College followed by a degree in Graphic Design and Illustration from Chelsea College of Art. In 2003 I completed a Masters degree in Contemporary Fine Art Practice at Leeds Metropolitan University. More recently I completed a PGCE in Online and Distance Education through the Open University, my first experience of being a distance learner and a very enjoyable one.

For the past 20 years I have been a practicing graphic designer working mostly within the arts, education and community sectors designing books, publicity, websites and exhibitions for a wide range of clients. For the last 10 years I have worked with Swansea based Locws International creating all their publicity and publications for their international ‘Art Across The City’ events.
As an educator I have worked for over ten years in adult, further and higher education. Alongside being a tutor at OCA I am a part-time Course Leader at Leeds College of Art on the BA (Hons) Visual Communication course, supporting students across a broad range of disciplines, including graphic design, illustration, documentary filmmaking and community arts. I believe art education is a very empowering, enjoyable and rewarding experience and I think people from all different walks of life and at various points along the way should have the opportunity to participate, which is why I enjoy working for the OCA.

For the last couple of years I have been using the Digital Flâneur blog as my online visual diary to share work, ideas and reference points. It should give you a taste of my own interests in visual culture. Over the years I have spent a lot of time painting, drawing and printmaking with exhibitions in Yorkshire, Wales and Canada and screenings of some of my animations in Holland and Germany. I am currently working collaboratively as Bristow Lloyd playfully bringing together creative writing and typography.

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