Growth and Decay

My chosen words for this project are growth and decay. Below are some photographs I have taken which will hopefully help kickstart my project.

 1. I really like these Chinese lantern plants, I think I could do some really interesting things within my weave creating pockets and see through textures.

 2. These could add tiny bursts of colour to my work.

 3.The veins in these leaves are really interesting and I should be able to produce some cool effects with this idea in mind.

4. The texture on the inside of this apple could be really well replicated with a mixed media piece in my book. I also think the colours are really interesting.

Project Review

I really struggled with this project at the begging, even considered choosing a different word other than afflecks palace but I decided to stick with it.

It all really took off when I visited afflecks for the second time and I found the crystal stall. I began to make colourful marks, similar to those I was in the drawing sessions but instead with colour.

As the first workshop I chose was felt I decided to focus mainly on the colours rather than the solid objects. I think this is why my felt samples turned out successfully cause they are very true to the colours of crystals.

I then visited the crystal exhibition at Manchester Museum and did quick sketches and took lots of photo's, this gave me plenty of visual references to work from. While I was at Manchester Museum I also took note of the way crystals were formed. I drew from this information in the same kind of way we were taught to in the drawing sessions. The phrase 'water that is trapped' really brought my work on. I edited the drawing in photoshop and then stitched back into it.

Weave was a lengthy process but I was really happy with my results in the end. To begin with I struggled getting to grips with it but as I started to mix threads and use different weave structures to create interesting colours and textures I began to enjoy it alot more. I started to work from the photo's I had taken as inspiration and this gave good results.

Weave

Weave took a long time to get into. It takes a long time to set up the loom and then a while to get to grips with weaving. However I really began to enjoy it towards the end of the 4 weeks. I experimented with different weave structures and and learnt which ones created the best affect for my project. I preferred the more weft based structures as these made the weave more textured like crystals. In the posts below are some examples of the pieces of weave I created and the photograph I used as inspiration to create it.

Example One.

Example Two.

Example Three.

Example Four.

Deconstruct

In this drawing task we had so start with our original drawing (image one) and deconstruct it to make something different as shown in images 2 and 3.

I added tin foil to be shiny like crystals and I also ripped into the drawing. I traced parts of the drawing with tracing paper and would then place them somewhere else to repeat them. Finally I cut it into pieces and pieced it back together to make a more interesting shape as shown in image 3. 

Image One

 Image Two.

Image 3

Photoshop

I began to manipulate images in photoshop to see what I would discover. Image one is the original image which I drew from the words 'water that is trapped'. I found 2 edits that I liked and printed them off. I then began to sew into image three on my sewing machine also trapping random threads along the way. I took a different approach with image two. Rather than sew into the image I wanted the thread to sit on top so I only attached the thread in certain places. I feel that image two was more successful than image three as the threads are alot more visible, which makes it overall more interesting. I think I would like to take this technique forward, maybe using both the sewing machine and attaching thread on top. Its really interesting how doing something as simple as editing an image in photoshop can spark off a completely new idea.

One.

 Two.

Three.

Large Scale Mixed Media

Another comment I received through feedback was to do more mixed media/3D pieces of work outside of my book on a bigger scale.
As the tin foil had been so successful before I decided to use the same media for this piece. I used a photograph I took myself (image two) as colour inspiration. However I don't feel this technique was as successful this time. When using this technique I couldn't really use the lighter pastel colours which I needed to use when reproducing image two because the tin foil overpowered it.

One.

Two.

Experimenting with tin foil

In the sketchbook exhibition I was given many idea's and opinions. Since then I have began experimenting with more mixed media to give a 3D effect. In the example below (image two) I have used tinfoil and paint. I feel this worked very well for this specific piece because as you can see from the original image, that I took myself and the Manchester Museum, there are spots of shiny silver, for these spots I just left the tin foil as it was and it gave a really nice effect. I will definitely use this technique again as aswel as being shiny like crystals you can also create a really nice 3D effect with it.

One.

Two.

Sketchbook Review

I started with Affleck’s Palace as my starting point for my project but it soon progressed into crystals as I spotted an interesting little crystal shop within Affleck’s Palace. The crystals have been my main inspiration for a colour palate. I began to make marks in my sketchbook using the techniques I had been taught in the drawing classes but instead of using only black and white media I injected some colour to my marks. I love how within one crystal you can have really bright eye catching colours and then neutral colours at the same time. However, I think crystals may have limited me with what I can draw, I feel I need more references to draw from. To try and overcome this problem I visited a crystal exhibition at the Manchester Museum, they had many different types of crystals and information on how they are formed. I wrote all of this information down and when I got back I began to draw from this information. For example "water that is trapped" - I drew water really energetically as if it was trying to escape.

I have a wide range of both visual and textual research in my research diary. However I think I lack artist research and feel I would really benefit from seeing other artists work who are also interested in crystals.

I found the recent sketchbook exhibition really useful. It gave me a chance to share my idea’s with others and for them to give me feedback. The main things people commented on were to gather more artist research and to do more mixed media pieces of work but on a larger scale outside of my sketchbook. These are both really useful comments and I will pursue both.
Below are a selection of images taken from my sketchbook showing examples of mark making, mixed media, drawing from words and a felt sample.

                

Second Visit

I went with a fresh mind this time and began to look at it in a different way. In my tutorial I had been given ideas to:
- Find rubbish off the floor that i could trap in felt
- Look for things that are hidden or on show and not for sale
- Patterns and colours
- Interesting marks on the floors and ceilings
- Things I didn't notice on the first visit

I took many pictures of different marks and patterns until I came across a crystal store that I hadn't noticed on my first visit. I was drawn the the colours, the way all those colours can blend together in one rock/crystal. I would like to look into how crystals are formed.

Visit to Affecks Palace

After trying to research afflecks palace online and in books i felt restricted so i visited it.
I took some photo's but I found it quite an overwhelming place, I was trying to look for something not obvious to fit the 'sleuth's, spies and lies' brief but everything seemed so obvious
I came away feeling unsure and decided that I would return soon with a fresh mind.

Summer Dog Project

A portfolio of my most recent work that contains a range of  drawing techniques incorporating life drawings, continuous line, rule of thumb and analytical drawings. It also includes a fashion piece and several textiles pieces where I used a range of techniques; hand embroidery; free hand machine embroidery; print; inks and buff binder.

I take pleasure in working on current projects outside of college and enjoy looking though magazines, books and Textile View for inspiration and to keep up with current trends. I am dedicated to my work and would love the opportunity to develop my skills further at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Collector

Collector is my most recent project. I based it on things that gather on your dressing table. This is the reverse of a floral piece that I found more interesting than the front because it has a raw naivety and was less controlled.

Abstract Construct

A project based on geometric shapes. I made a top using triangles as my inspiration.

Household Objects

This project required me to look at ordinary household object in a more abstract and interesting way. I looked at a superman mug and used inks and hand embroidery to create this innovative textile piece.

Incidental Signatures

I based this project on war time propaganda aimed at women. I screen printed onto various cotton fabrics and then stitched them together in a 'make-do and mend' style.

Alter Ego

For this project I took my own photographs and then edited them in Photoshop in a comic book style to fit the theme.

2 and a half D

2 and a half D, for this piece of work I cut out the same shape on different coloured and patterned paper and then mounted it on the wall.

Irrational Instructions

Instructions on how to make a cup of tea made irritational by; mixing up numbers; messy writing; things not in the correct order and over complicating instructions.

Meta Drawing

Drawings created using various techniques; different papers; different pens; timed; blind contour and left handed.

Painted Perspectives

This painting was created by starting with a base colour made out of paint and PVA glue and then using PVA glue to move the existing colour to create light patches where needed.

Mr Thrifty

Firstly, I drew a technical study of a skeleton using rule of thumb. I then used that drawing to create a selection of monoprints.

A Letter vs. A Phone Call

A Letter vs. A Phone Call, a series of images within the campaign I created to support the letter.

Paper Construction

A paper constructed maquette of a toy. Held together with masking tape. The drawing was produced using wax and pencil.