My first project brief on my degree (Eeek!)

My first few weeks on my degree course have included; intensive drawing, basic dye related textile techniques, some research tasks to get to know the resources available and lectures on various topics- it's been a really diverse few weeks. 

We have been given a project to complete over the first term that will incorporate all our drawing, research, lectures and samples, and I think for this reason the brief given is quite broad and open to interpretation. Its titled;

'Re-inventing the Ordinary'

Ideas;
We have focused a lot on plants/botanical drawings at uni.

Found objects, weeds, plants, roots, nature, seeds, botanical studies, The Eden Project, hand embroidery, natural colours, autumnal colours, cataloguing, compose, cook up, form, discover, pressing flowers/plants, leafs, textures, floral, print, exploring techniques, process, drawing, garden, folk, handmade, ecological, environment, everyday, conventional, traditional, undistinguished, routine, walking, making, thinking, meditation...

...Meanwhile Cardiff train station was particularly atmospheric on my way home tonight;

(no effects applied!)

Dye Workshops Week

I have just completed my first two weeks in the dye workshop. So far in class we learnt the following techniques and processes;

Stretching and colouring papers

Shibori

Transfer Dyeing with the Heat Press

Reactive dyes

Direct dyes

Acid dyes

Disperse dyes

Cold Water Dyeing

Batik

We also experimented with each process exploring the many different variations that can be achieved through each one.

Here are some of my samples;

These are all processes that I have done before. In fact these first two weeks have been a little surreal as we are doing almost identically what I did during my first term on A level Textiles. 

This can feel a little frustrating and like a step backwards. I think I've let this lack of enthusiasm affect the quality and creativity I have brought to the tasks so far.

Obviously it is important to go through all the processes so that everyone starts with a with a fairly equal understanding of the basics, and we learn how things are done at CSAD*- where things are kept etc. So it is practical and worthwhile especially as many of the girls have not done the processes before.

I also realise that I am not an expert at these processes and, especially after a long summer break its a great opportunity to get back into the swing of things. Therefore this week I aim to bring a more positive attitude. (I have also had a lovely weekend off work so I'm considerably less grumpy than usual at the prospect of the week ahead) I plan to push myself in terms of quantity and quality and try to really absorb and incorporate all the sources of inspiration, lectures, and experiences at uni so far, to make this first project a good'un.

*Cardiff School of Art and Design

A Wednesday morning task

The task; Choose an image from your artist research.

( I choose a piece of work by Michael Brennand-Wood)

Tear a piece of A3 paper into 6 squares.

Recreate the image by drawing in mixed media on each square separately.

Work in monochrome.

Spend 10 minutes on each square.

Tape back the squares.

I used a fine liner, marker pen, pencil, charcoal,ink and stitch. I tried to capture pattern and texture.  

The National Museum of Wales

During my first week at uni we spent the day drawing at the National Museum of Wales. We had a list of drawing tasks as follows;

Create a negative space drawing of a chair with a pencil and rubber.

  Draw an item from the ceramics display to practise perfecting ellipses.

Draw a landscape from a painting, use pencil and draw only in shades to create tone and depth.

Blind Contour Drawing. Using a pencil draw a statue but without looking at the paper, so only looking at the statue throughout.

I really enjoyed the day and the variety of drawing techniques kept it interesting. Trying to get ellipses accurate was a challenge, but I felt I had really improved as a result of the exercise. It was a good way to begin the course and start filling my sketchbook with evidence of varied studies in drawing.     

My Lexicon of Marks

Throughout Foundation and now on Degree lecturer's always put lots of emphasis on mark making. We did lots of exercises to develop and explore mark making during foundation and this week at uni we made a Lexicon of marks.

The the task was to create a "language" of marks using a variety of mediums. I used pencil, ink,fine liner, charcoal and a rubber. I aimed to explore as wide a range of possibilities for making a mark, a line or building texture as I could.

I think this was a really useful and successful task, I will be able to look back over this exercise in future when stuck for inspiration or when looking for a new approach to drawing.

BBC Work Experience

This Summer I had the opportunity to do two weeks work experience with the BBC. I worked within the art department and costume & Props department on a drama called Da Vinci's Demons. 

The experience was truly valuable, It was a fantastic opportunity to gain insight of what its like to work creatively for TV  Just walking around the sets and being able to spend time watching the props teams in their workshops and the members of the art department at work was a real privilege. 

Straight away I was given tasks to complete and was put to work on various tasks as part the existing teams. At times I felt a little out of my comfort zone by what was expected of me. However, I think I completed tasks successfully and was making a useful contribution and not getting in the way!

Throughout my time I tried to be proactive, to say yes, look for more jobs as soon as Id finished what I'd been asked, and ask for advice if I needed it. I think at the end of my time I was left feeling far more confident in myself and my skills, and words of appreciation and thanks from staff I'd been working with helped confirm this.

During the two weeks I got to put to use many techniques and skills I have developed so far from using a sewing machine, to dyeing, to painting. I kept a diary of tasks;

Day one

• Read Script, introduction to staff and their roles.
• Tour of Sets
• First task; cut 20m strips of fabric, and dye black.
• Hang fabric to dry.

Day Two

• Continue cutting and dyeing fabric strips.
• Task two; follow Props manager on meetings with Carpentry/workshop team to decide on the design and creation of "the Pope's Chair." Source and buy fringing for the chair.

Day Three

• Task three; Make a 10" Cushion out of red velvet with a rope and tassel edging.
• Continue with cutting and dyeing fabric strips.

Day Four

• Task four; The next day the Pope's chair had been made from MDF. I worked as part of a team to decorate it. I measured out sections that needed to be covered in leather. I glued on decorative panelling and fringing. 
• I also decorated the top panel again with the decorative embroidery ribbons, and the top by pleating gold silk.

( This was my favourite day, the workshop team were lovely to work with and although we were under pressure to complete on time the atmosphere and mood was really positive. The Olympics was on in the background on the radio. It turned out to be a very successful day for team GB resulting in numerous outbursts of Spandau Ballet's Gold!)

I would love to put photo's up of the chair as it was rather impressive in completion, but I'm not too sure about copyright, maybe I'll put some stills up after the Drama's aired.

Day Five

• Sew all the fabric strips I'd cut and dyed together.
• Sew crest on the back Military jacket, edge with gold rope.
• Hand stitch ties on pinny's.

Week Two

Day One

• Tea stain sketch book pages (props)
• Ink over computer printed drawings to make them look hand drawn (props)

Day Two

• More printing, cutting and inking over sketchbook pages that would be actors props.

Day Three

• Some tea staining of various letters and diagram props. 
• Sewed together more of the dyed fabric.

Day Four

• Cut out a building that was in a tapestry being used that was too modern for the era (continuity is key!)and repaired.

Day Five

• Making book spines look old and dusty with walnut powder, talc and fixative (magic!)

Architecture

Its my first week on my Degree Course. So far so good! For the first few weeks we're going to be doing lots of drawing (yay!) and then workshops to learn the techniques and processes and how to use the equipment and resources available. 

We spent the first day drawing and photographing the business management building. Its a fairly new building and the architecture is really clean, crisp and modern.

From our initial drawings we were then given the task of making drawings with just a scalpel and white paper.

I enjoyed this task and the medium used really suited the subject. Through my drawings I played with line, geometric shapes and perspective.