Developing the project

To develop my work further I have chosen to look into Found Patterns. I want to explore found and natural patterns, which are in natural places, and natural forms. I want to identify colours, patterns and textures within these forms.  I also want to further my samples by combining the workshops I have done to create interesting and exciting experiments. I am looking forward to starting dye as I feel it gives me an opportunity to experiment with colour pallets and patterns. I also feel it will help me explore and interpret my own ideas and thoughts into the workshop.

I began looking into artists and designers who base their work around natural forms and natural materials. I found some of these artists inspiring and exciting. I did some experimenting relating to their work including simple mark making techniques. I was interested in the colour pallets used in the pieces of work which were natural, earthy colours.

I have taken several photographs exploring interesting and textural natural forms that I found exciting.  I have thought a lot about the colours and patterns within these images and pulled out shapes which I have then tried to create within my dye samples using a variety of techniques such as, binding and wrapping. I have been trying to get the colours to match, however I found this slightly challenging as I wanted specific colours. 

I like the way the patterns in the natural forms are random and chaotic bringing back the words used in the first half of the project.

I feel this sample works well and I like the way it creates a sense of light coming through the cloth. I also find the texture very interesting as it represents something very earthy and natural.

I have tried to combine my workshops together using hand processes creating French knots; I feel these relate well to the texture of the natural forms.

Blogging Task

Initially I thought this brief would be slightly difficult. Choosing the opposing words was easy it was just applying them to an appropriate subject matter which I found challenging. Instead of looking for a subject, I decided to start with the words and let the subject fit in once I had something to work with. I chose the words Chaotic and Order.

As the project developed my expectations changed from the brief, I started to feel more comfortable with my work and found a subject matter I am interested in, Indian textiles and Indian slums. This brief was going to become very interesting. I feel I have developed my subject in this brief much better than my previous one. I have shown how I have interpreted ideas throughout my practice, however I still feel I need to pay more attention to my drawings and paintings and how they are showing development as my work progresses.

 For my third workshop I chose machine embroidery I was very pleased that I got an opportunity to do this workshop as I wanted to do it from the start. I love working with machines and the many things they do, you can be very experimental with them if you allow yourself to be. I have linked this workshop to my practical work by creating experimental samples and using colour combinations, however after having a tutorial with Nigel I realised I was almost copying patterns from the Indian textiles and not really relating them that well to my work, I also felt I was working with the wrong materials. From this I decided to take on the advice and start looking more at the colours and patterns within the research I have done and make development from there.

During this project I have worked a lot outside my sketchbook, experimenting with different papers and qualities. I have 2 sketchbooks on the go as I enjoy working on different scales. You can see my development throughout my sketchbooks as my ideas have developed as the brief has proceeded. With this brief I have really enjoyed exploring colour, I feel work develops better using colour. Meanings and emotions are created through colour. I’ve learnt that using a variety of skills within a project creates a stronger pack of work, mixing skills makes samples much more exciting and helps to push ideas further. Choosing samples to represent my work is slightly challenging, I want the samples to show a real reflection of my work and not be just skills learnt. I want to incorporate other skills into my work to make my work appealing and unique.

If starting this project again I would probably think less about what subject I am going to work with and let the subject blend in. Pay more attention to my initial ideas and let the subject flow naturally. Having a subject matter that inspires me greatly has helped me in thinking about materials and Medias I used in this project, once started it was exciting to see how the project unfolded. I feel I have achieved a lot during this project, showing development and interpretations throughout my work relating to my words and chosen subject represent this.

Monday 9th Jan

In our taught session today we were asked to bring along a variety of recent samples and samples from the origins unit along with large pieces of white paper. I had no idea what this session was going to be about.

We started to arrange four samples on one page seeing which ones related together, some shared the same colour, some the same technique and some just worked well together. We were told that samples from across units can relate even if they are totally different, they almost tell a “sample story”. If there is content then they can work.  Mixing samples together helps develop and progress ideas.

Here are the ideas I came up with, with my own work. I think they work well...

Own Patterns...

I started investigating my own patterns making the project more exciting. I found several patterns within objects that are very interesting. They have a lot of colour and some are pretty unusual.

I love the use of colour and detail in these patterns. The camera position makes them look more interesting and exciting. They look unusual.
I realised how much pattern there is around us we just don't take notice of it.
Pattern can be found everywhere some purposeful and some not. Natural patterns can be formed and found from everyday objects.
From these photographs I taken I started to do some observational drawings trying to manipulate the photographs and create my own patterns.

Sampling Brief

The sampling brief is very exciting, ordered opposites. Immediately I was drawn to the words chaos and order. I love being expressive and felt these words fit my style. My initial idea was to think of a subject matter that reflects these words. Rush hour, train stations, crowds of people and most public places can be very chaotic at times, however they can be very ordered at the same time.

The image above I feel is very interesting, you can just see strips of lights running through it, the colour really stands out against the dark background..

I then did some experiments using colour and line drawings to interpret the words in to my work..

I didn't feel comfortable with my initial ideas of a subject matter so I thought hard about a subject matter I would be really interested in. I love working with colour and on this unit we have the chance to use a lot of colour in our work, that’s when I came up with the idea of looking into Indian textiles. They are bright, colourful, patterned and they link in to my chosen words, some are very chaotic with a lot of different colours and some are pretty ordered.

I started looking at Indian slums as they too are chaotic and also include the words populated: unpopulated. I started looking at colour pallets with in these slums using designer Gouache, which was introduced during a taught session on colour. I found it very useful...

It was slightly difficult at the start as I wasn't sure how to match the colours, mixing them and finding the exact tone of the colour, After I had done a few I started to feel more confident.

From this starting point I started looking at colour pallets reflecting Indian textiles and what types of threads relate.

Drawings..

I have done observational drawings from the patterns in the images I have collected on Indian textiles.

Drawing session- Monday 14th November

We were taken to the Holden gallery to see The “Drawing the Line” exhibition. I thought this was very interesting and some of the work was really inspirational. I loved the use of mark makings relating to my own work as I enjoy using mark making techniques in my drawings. I also loved the use of pattern and scale. I saw there were a lot of aboriginal patterns which were interesting. When we got back to the studio we had to create a collage drawing. It could be something that we developed from our sketchbook or something that relates to something we had already drawn. It was all about having a starting point and following through on it in development. I chose to draw a map as I have done drawings and samples of maps and journeys in my sketchbook. I liked the 3D style I have used, creating texture. I started cutting segments out and building on top of them to build up a surface.