How the Turing Scheme helped BA (Hons) Painting, Drawing & Printmaking graduate Toby Sheldon reset his creative practice in Sweden

<p dir="ltr">“On behalf of Arts University Plymouth and the Turing placement programme, at the end of my three-year degree I found myself on a residency in Björkö, Sweden.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Following three years of intense work, the culmination of our studies were displayed at the <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/posts/from-fashion-to-film-arts-university-plymouth-unveils-2025-graduate-shows">Graduate Shows 2025</a>. Within four days of this climax I was on a new journey into the Stockholm archipelago.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Amongst the Scandinavian forests and Nordic seas I found myself away from the urban demands of society and within a space that allowed me to turn inward.” - Toby Sheldon</p> <p>Hosted by <a href="https://bjorkokonstnod.se/en">Björkö Konstnod</a>, the residency brought together artists from around the world to live and work on the island, giving Toby time and space to reflect on what comes after graduating from a full-time studio-based degree.</p>

<p dir="ltr">“The initial plan upon embarking on this residency was to use this as an opportunity to create more work, but the purpose this residency served turned out to be very different from my expectations.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Instead, I found myself using the solitude of the archipelago island as a space to subconsciously reset. Deep rest, long hikes into the wilderness and finding community within fleeting groups of fellow residents was how time was spent.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“At first, I didn’t know how much I needed to slow down and process the previous three years, but as soon as I realised, I stopped feeling guilty about my lack of artistic output and instead gave myself permission to reflect, relax and rest.”</p> <p dir="ltr">For Toby, stepping away from the studio did not mean stepping away from his practice. Conversations with other artists helped him see that rest, reflection and recovery are essential parts of a sustainable creative life.<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">“Many discussions with fellow residents centred around the importance of reflective periods in driving forward artistic action. Being around artists two to three decades older than me gave me matured insights about how to thrive while living a creative lifestyle.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Burnout was a hot topic and avoiding overworking was something I was heavily advised to prioritise. Many residents remarked how external pressures that rush production can be a huge impediment to naturally occurring artistic expression, with noteworthy mention that just like the earth, we as humans have seasons, and during some seasons, creativity isn’t going to flow through us as vigorously as others.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“In order to sustain at a high level and thrive as professionals, this approach to going with the flow of organic creative impulse is necessary.”</p> <p dir="ltr">One story in particular stayed with Toby.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The most prominent anecdote I recall came from <strong>Ulrica Lundberg</strong>, who lived and sustained herself by selling her art for a while but said she soon burnt out as this way of earning demanded inorganic artistic output. This burnout came with a high price and she ended up renouncing her craft for many years due to her passion fading as a result of turning it into a lifeline.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Fortunately, she managed to re-obtain her affinity for art as a way of channelling feeling, returning in summer 2025 with her exhibition <em>Epiphanies</em>, hosted by Galleri Flach, following her decade-long hiatus from the art world.”</p> <p dir="ltr">You can read more about Ulrica’s work via her website and details of <em>Epiphanies</em> on<a href="https://ulricalundberg.wordpress.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAad9C90mKR_dmXtq8AiCPGekQU01VG9DasSscGFYHIA1SOvImJIk5P9Gzsv4Jw_aem_1huxxor"> her blog</a> and<a href="https://www.galleriflach.com/ulrica-lundberg-21-8-20-9-2025/"> Galleri Flach</a>.<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">“As the residency progressed, many other discussions with fellow artists followed about the necessity of rest as a form of enhancing practice.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I concluded that our subconscious uses downtime to process the data we have previously collected but not yet had the time to render.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“This deep processing of past inputs shifts us into a receptive state, and this shift from activity to reflection is vital for propelling future practice, as it gives us space to re-orient, putting direction into perspective.”</p> <p dir="ltr">For students and graduates thinking about careers in the creative industries, Toby’s experience is a reminder that international opportunities can be as valuable for wellbeing, confidence and long-term sustainability as they are for building a portfolio.<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">Alongside his residency, Toby credits the structure and environment of BA (Hons) Painting, Drawing &amp; Printmaking at Arts University Plymouth for helping him develop an ambitious, self-directed studio practice.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Open access to the studio space was a big influencing factor for me. This open schedule for accessing the studio space attracted me because it allowed me to operate according to my own schedule, and capitalise on creative urges as they came.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Asked to pick just one project he loved, Toby refused to narrow it down.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I can’t restrict this answer to one particular piece or project. I loved all the different experiences and ways of working I’ve been introduced to throughout my time at university. The teachers’ expertise and guidance has prompted me to explore many new processes which I would never have tried if I was maintaining a solitary practice.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Two experiences that have influenced his practice are:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Grounding canvases and boards with thick oil paint made from pigment</strong><br />“This way of preparing a canvas causes two interesting responses, one is visual, as each new layer of colour responds and interacts with the saturated ground, while the other is material, where each new layer of oil creates a material reaction as it’s placed upon a thick layer of (wet or hardened) oil paint.”</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Life drawing using line only</strong><br />“Life drawing classes where we were encouraged to capture the model through the visual modality of line only. This technique aims to reduce the way we visually process so that only one of the six aspects of our visual brain are included. The other five, form, colour, tone, shape and space, are excluded from being used in the session. This exercise simplifies our focus to only one aspect of the visual world so that we can concentrate on the complexities within that specific element of vision.”</p></li></ul>

<p dir="ltr">Within the Painting, Drawing &amp; Printmaking studio, Toby was supported by lecturers and technicians including <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/people/richard-kenton-webb"><strong>Richard Kenton Webb</strong></a> (now a Visiting Professor in Painting), <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/people/robert-manners1"><strong>Robert Manners</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/people/monika-rycerz"><strong>Monika Rycerz</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/people/claire-gladstone"><strong>Claire Gladstone</strong></a> and <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/people/josephine-birch"><strong>Josephine Birch</strong></a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As you can see from their websites, each practitioner has a very different way of seeing and processing the world and delivering their art. This variation creates a healthy environment as students don’t feel they have to conform to a particular style.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“At the start of my degree, I only had experience with painting and had never dabbled with etching, but after being guided and instructed through the basics of the process I’m now confident enough to experiment and get technical.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Collaboration across courses and disciplines is also a key part of studying at Arts University Plymouth.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Working with photographers has been a vital part of me being able to properly position my practice professionally. Our university offers open engagement between courses that makes these sorts of exchanges easy to orchestrate.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He highlights the wood workshop as one of the most valuable facilities for his practice, building canvases from start to finish.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Ever since our introduction in first year this has been my go-to place to make frames and stretch the canvas over the frame, so I’m involved in every part of the creative process. This way of working has afforded me an autonomy over exact sizes of canvas, how I want my frame to look, feel and function that is harder to attain from store-bought.”<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">All BA (Hons) Painting, Drawing &amp; Printmaking students take part in externally facing exhibitions during their studies, something that Toby found eye-opening:</p> <p dir="ltr">“This experience showed me the unexpected logistics behind curating and putting on an exhibition, providing valuable experience for any practising artist who is aiming to exhibit.”</p> <p dir="ltr">When he looks back on his time at Arts University Plymouth, it is the sense of community that stands out.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My time at Arts University Plymouth is filled with moments of inspiration that have arrived from conversations, memories, discussions and time spent with peers. The community style set up of Painting, Drawing &amp; Printmaking is unique, and cherished by many, due to the environment facilitating personal transformation as well as rapid artistic development.”<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr"><strong>BA (Hons) Painting, Drawing &amp; Printmaking</strong> at Arts University Plymouth is a three-year degree with an optional four-year extended route for students who would benefit from a preparatory year. This course provides a unique opportunity to learn through imaginative questioning and skilled invention across the three interconnected disciplines of painting, drawing and printmaking. It is the only undergraduate degree in the UK that brings these disciplines together in this holistic way, building on their rich history of nourishing and challenging each other.</p> <p dir="ltr">You will:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Experiment</strong> with a wide range of materials and processes, from intaglio printmaking to making your own paints from raw pigments</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Study</strong> in light and airy dedicated studios, with access to world-class workshops and facilities across Arts University Plymouth</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Learn</strong> from professional artists and experienced lecturers who understand the challenges and rewards of sustaining a creative practice</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Exhibit</strong> and visit exhibitions in the South West, London and European cities such as Berlin and Barcelona, developing your understanding of the wider landscape of contemporary art</p></li></ul> <p dir="ltr">Seminars, lectures and group discussions will help you to identify relevant contexts for your work, looking at diverse histories and current debates. Regular tutorials will support you to synthesise your experiences of painting, drawing and printmaking processes to craft an ambitious art practice shaped by your research and the things you care about.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the National Student Survey (NSS) 2025, <strong>100% of BA (Hons) Painting, Drawing &amp; Printmaking respondents</strong> gave positive answers to questions about how engaging the teaching is, how much the course challenges them to achieve their best work, and how well it prepares them with the knowledge and skills they need for the future.</p> <p dir="ltr">Graduates go on to careers as exhibiting artists, teachers, lecturers, art therapists, illustrators, curators, producers, gallery managers, arts administrators, community arts organisers and creative entrepreneurs. Many continue to postgraduate study at Arts University Plymouth and at institutions such as The Royal Drawing School and the Royal College of Art.</p> <p dir="ltr">Arts University Plymouth is the <strong>top-scoring specialist arts university in the UK for student satisfaction in the National Student Survey for four consecutive years (2022–2025)</strong>, and <strong>#2 in the UK for Teaching Excellence</strong> in the Daily Mail University Guide 2025.</p> <p dir="ltr">Toby’s experience in Sweden builds on this approach, using international opportunities, reflective practice and exhibition experience to shape a sustainable career as an artist.</p> <p dir="ltr">If you are interested in combining deep studio practice with international experiences like Toby’s residency in Sweden, <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/undefined/ba-hons-painting-drawing-printmaking">BA (Hons) Painting, Drawing &amp; Printmaking</a> at Arts University Plymouth offers a supportive, ambitious environment to develop your voice as an artist and build a sustainable creative future.</p>