Walking on Sunshine!

Yesterday the weather was beautiful and sunny which makes a change from the otherwise constant rainy, misty and dark days of late. 

So I went for a quick walk behind my back garden and took some photos...

First Term Project Completion

The first term at uni flew by, just as I was really starting to settle in I found myself mounting my work ready for the deadline. The deliverables for the project were;

Drawing Sketchbook

A Research file

A Dye Technical File 

A stitch Technical File

Loose Sheet Drawings (life drawing etc)

Six Best Samples edged and mounted

A Collection of next best samples mounted

200 word statement

It wasn't a particularly large amount of work for a term in comparison to foundation. However, we did also have constellation and lots of introductions, health and safety talks and general first year things to do that took up a lot of the time.

Overall I was pleased when handing in my work. I felt my response to the brief was strong and unique to me. I think I was quite successfull in identifying quite early on what techniques were working best and so focused on perfecting and experimenting with them.

I think the links between my research, drawing and then the translation into textiles were a strength. I created drawings in a style personal to me that I developed whilst on foundation. I have discovered I really enjoy working in this fluid, abstract way, focusing on creating a rich language of marks in each drawing.

However, as always there were a number of things I felt I could have done better or explored further. Again balancing my time and workload was difficult particularly with moving to a new place. Perhaps I should set myself weekly goals or some improved kind of  scheduling in future.

Anyway here's my work;

The Field

At uni a big part of the course is dedicated to "Constellation" and "The Field" these sections involve the whole of the art school joining together for seminars, lectures, short projects etc.

So this is a field week. All art and design students have been put into groups of 6/7 to complete a project.

The groups are made up of roughly a student from every course. The brief is to make a short (2min) film about cardiff.

My group decided to focus on the people of Cardiff, making sketches of people on the streets and new people we have met since moving here. We also decided to interview people to gather opinions on Cardiff and why people choose to live here. 

Here are a few portrait sketches I have made;

I kept them quite abstract and tried to illustrate some personality in the patterns i incorporated. I also wanted to use stitch as I am the student representing textiles in my group.

Mid Project Mood boards

I'm probably more than half way into my current project (Re-inventing the Ordinary) now. Here are a few 'moodboards' thrown together representing my project so far.

Ive included stitch & dye samples, key drawings and pieces of artist reasearch in order to visually get a handle on where its all going.

Ideas so far;

Strengths; 

Colour palette

Links between free machinery technique and drawings.

Free drawing style 

a new found drawing style, re-inventing flowers/botanical studies.

Heat press samples.

Weaknesses;

Generally need more of everything

Need to write/ annotate more.

Need to push samples forward & experiment.

Some images in the above moodboards are that of my artist research and so do not belong to me and are not by me. All sourced from pinterest, click on the pinterest link for more info.

Hhmm Pinteresting.....

My top ten most inspirational "Pins" of the month;

1.‘Falling Garden’ by Gerda Steiner & Jorg Lenzlinger in the San Staë church on the Canale Grande, 50th Biennial of Venice, 2003 http://media-cache-ec3.pinterest.com/upload/53339576807296824_dNgO3gkC_c.jpg 2.ANA SENDER http://pinterest.com/pin/81064862013844469/ 
3.Michael Brennand-Wood http://media-cache-ec2.pinterest.com/upload/238831586459146385_0FtAJhy7_c.jpg 4.Olaf Hajek http://media-cache0.pinterest.com/upload/112449321915393079_0A2npIY4_c.jpg
5.liberty jungle print http://media-cache-ec5.pinterest.com/upload/151996556144501884_u0FDqcr7_b.jpg
6.http://media-cache-ec3.pinterest.com/upload/422281184558656_kWdfFVuE_c.jpg
7."Dutch Sky" Wallpaper. Dusk-Violet http://media-cache-lt0.pinterest.com/upload/51791464435936196_gkMvazxQ_b.jpg 
8.La Vie En Rose http://media-cache-lt0.pinterest.com/upload/133911788890262171_hvq98otS_c.jpg 
9.Britt Hermann http://media-cache-ec5.pinterest.com/upload/229613280971242907_lAc8g8K3_c.jpg 
10.Moroccan Tea Set http://media-cache-ec6.pinterest.com/upload/196469602463546202_JGDQzw61_b.jpg

Images all sourced from Pinterest none of the above are work of my own or belong to me.

Free Machine & Dissoluble fabric

This week in the stitch workshop we experimented with dissoluble fabric and free machine embroidery. A technique I had done before both on foundation and during A level Textiles. Its a technique I've never really been interested in before however, I feel it really suits my project and allows me to translate my drawings in to textiles really effectively;

Floral Sketching

After weeks of doing very precise botanical studies of plants, I decided to experiment with a looser way of drawing. I used Ink, water, an inky fine-liner and a black felt tip.

I think the outcomes were successful. I really enjoy experimenting like this, I think they work well because of the mix of media and the free style.