Reflection

Overall I feel that I have really engaged well with this project and have created a good, strong body of work, drawing ideas and inspiration from a wealth of different sources. I have contributed well to all group sessions this project and have attended every tutorial, which in turn proved helpful in aiding and shaping the direction my project would come to take. I find interacting with peers and tutors a really helpful aid to me, and especially enjoy taking on the feedback I receive about my work.

The professional lecture series was nothing short of inspirational. With the talks from Ismini Samanidou and Susie MacMurray standing out to me especially. Learning that your practice doesn’t always have to be about a final context was something that I took on board and found myself applying to my work. Instead the work created was more about an idea and a vision, with focus being held on the materials used and the way in which the work feels playing key roles in the making process. The Studio crawl was also a very successful day, talking to practitioners about their work and achievements made for a very interesting, fun filled day. Joe Hartley’s studio was for me the highlight of the morning, seeing the space and his partners was enlightening and opened my eyes to the world of designing/making after university.  

Susie MacMurray & Joe Hartley.

I think the most challenging aspect of the unit was narrowing down my ideas and just running with one line of enquiry. With so many talks, visits and things to look at it was tempting to just merge all I had seen together and create a jumble of ideas. Obviously it became apparent that this couldn’t work and so mid-way through I began to channel my ideas down to just one key thing. This being the digital print side of my work.

sucesses of the project. Working fro my woven sample, creating digital prints and finally finished product

The most important practical skills and the area that I feel developed the highest level of good practice were the digital manipulation and subsequent digital prints I produced. Before this project I had never really worked on a digital level, but I found that I was able to express my ideas more fluently on the screen, with the option to change and alter something merely a click away. This without doubt is a skill that I hope to transfer into my third year work, and develop to create some really exciting visuals and imagery.

My key strengths within this project would have to be my dedication and perseverance. Setting myself such ambitious ideas at the start of the project, I knew there would be hurdles to overcome. This became apparent with my first 2 week weaving block. Having to program 40 picks manually every time I wanted to change the pattern was a horrific prospect, but with patience and a positive attitude I overcame the problem and was left with a set of vibrantly stunning samples.

Improvements could be made to my willingness to change and alter my ideas. Being open to new concepts and being able to absorb them into my work quickly will help me In the future to move at a quicker pace and develop my practice faster and more effectively.

In regards to the self-assessment I feel that I have engaged fully with all aspects of this project, not only looking at one source of inspiration but taking it across the board and delving into new territories and unfamiliar grounds. Glitch art being a particular risk taken. I have looked at a variety of different contexts within my sketchbook research and feel that I have made an informed decision when it came to placing my work into context. The great northern being the best place for my work to sit. Due to the interactive element and diversity to bold designs.

The experiences gained from this project have really made me aware of how context doesnt really affect a piece of work, with Ann-Marie complimenting my colour choices and explaining how it is colour not always product that sells. Something that really excites me. The direction for me to take now will continue to be home ware and soft furnishings, as my practice lies well within these fields. I hope to continue with some of the ideas I have been working with and am keen to keep pushing my digital skills in new directions.

collage image that sums up the project

At the end of this project I have arranged with the weave technician to return to the studio, in order to create a new body of work. This time exploring ways of creating my own coloured yarns, with the hope of being able to create any desired colour by the time third year comes around.

Refinements and conclusions

In the final stages of the project I feel I have really found my own in the way in which I am working. I decided it would be in my best interests to create a second set of weave samples, as the look and feel of the work had so drastically altered in the last week alone. Moving on from looking at just the pixilation side of things, I found the way in which I began to think had altered after I researched into the glitch movement in more detail. I began working on a number of digital experiments, playing around with the idea of layering, multiplication of imagery and hues. From these experiments I found that my palette of colours were moving away from the oranges and greens and were instead picking out a number of purple, red and pink accents.

Having the freedom to experiment at this point was something that I think I needed in order to fully understand where it was I wanted to take the project and give myself a new sense of direction and ownership of the work.

Upon creation of my second weave samples I found that I was able to broaden my mind to a vast number of new experiments that could be undertaken, arguably the last 2 weeks of the project were not the best time to start more work, but I felt the ideas I had needed to be fulfilled.

Having a wide range of different samples was something that I found myself growing to love; I moved away from the sole idea of just weaving and began to think about the prospect of potentially using my digital images and college work to develop a range of digital prints.

Choosing designs to be printed was a difficult choice, but I feel the pieces I have settled on really show the essence of what my project is about and show the development of my work, from initial ideas to a final outcome.

The next step was to develop my samples into finished context pieces. For me the context of my work has always been clear, home interiors. Having the added challenge of working for two companies has made finding different contexts for either project slightly more intense. Although I am happy that for both aspects I will be creating a soft furnishings range. Cushions and bedspreads being my main focus. I want my work to have an element of surprise; therefore I am proposing reversible cushion covers. One side woven and one side digitally printed. To compliment this I am particularly interested in the idea of DIY bedding. Working on a white bed linen I propose that a set of say 6 panel pieces can be bought and then, according to mood, style or just curiosity can be changed as and when required. Drawing reference from the Glitch work, the way in which the pixels are always changing and never remain the same for an extended period of time influenced this idea enormously. I quickly explored how the work would look as different home ware objects, kitchen appliances. I looked at placemats, chopping boards and designed an inventive cutlery holder.

example of pattern making and repeats to be used in kitchen ware products

showing different contexts to my work. i like the diversity of each product.

Next to other work in the field I know my outcome is something inventive and striking, the work that wallce#sewelle do is enough to show that bright colours and bold designs can take you far.

Comparing my work to similar pieces in the field was always going to be a tricky task, as I don’t necessarily feel my work slots into one lone category. The interactive side of my work is something that I feel is a unique selling point, with nothing really similar to it available on the market at the moment.

Ideas for the 'changeable panel bedding' and potential idea for diffirent cushion backs

The Final presentation to the group today was, to say the least daunting. Although I myself am confident and energetic about what I have achieved I still find it hard to convey my ideas to a panel of people. With the aids of my boards and samples I feel I was able to project my ideas in a clear manner and feel the group understood clearly what it was I had created. Feedback was in general good, comments were pleasing and the general consensus was that the cushions and bed linen were great ideas. The reversible element to the small cushions seemed to spark a lot of attention and fascination as to where the pattern came from.

Ideas Development

Over the last few weeks the project for me has taken a new direction and has really moved forward in terms of design development and ideas regarding possible new work. A peer suggested to me that I should investigate something known as ‘Glitch art’ (year of the glitch). This was something that I explored quite hesitantly, as the ideas behind the work seemed quite crazy and unfamiliar. Never the less I began to delve into the glitch portfolio online and found that I actually could really relate my work and my visions with what I was seeing. The work is all about the movement and distortion of pixels, and how a still image of a set of pixels can be changed and altered to create an ever changing piece of art. This is a concept that I really like the idea of.

Glitch art collage, Looking inot 4 different elements of the movement

Taking the new research into account I began to experiment with different techniques of getting my ideas onto paper, using different mediums such as paint, pens collage and even fabric. It became apparent quite quickly that the collage style of working was the best way to fully communicate my ideas, I began to collage hand painted coloured squares (taken from the flowerpiece) but found this was too long a process and found myself getting bored easily. I took my own flower images as a way of getting first hand evidence too. This worked well to help to develop a colour pallette and strengthen the link back to my painting.

As a way to continue collage without the gluing and sticking I moved on to digital collage. Scanning paintings and drawings into Photoshop and trialling different techniques. Due to the ease of this process I was able to generate a number of different outcomes extremely quickly.

Around the same time I managed to complete my Wallace #Sewell 5 yard warp. Working on a Texel 24 shaft loom wasn’t great for this project; due to the complexity of the pattern I wanted to create it meant a pain staking effort to program the loom on a daily basis. But the samples that came as a result were pleasant and I feel they work well as a direct step down from my initial research. There were certain samples that work better than others, I feel the ones with solid lines and blocks have the most impact as they are the most relevant to the work. I am especially pleased with the colours I have chosen for my 8 weft options and hope to further develop over the duration of the project.

Images of my inital 5 weave samples, using strong vibrant colour for a bold finish.

wallace # Sewell cushion. Ideas for context

As well as sampling with yarn I have also been working with plastic wallets and small squares. Sealing the squares within the plastic and setting them in different ways to create different types of pixelation. I also tried this idea with laminating sheets, something that worked really well.

From there I moved back into the digital side of things, taking my collages and working into them on Photoshop to give another layer to my work. The initial outcomes are shown below. I find they are working really well and I like the sense of depth that is created.

 

Three stages of my digital process. firstly pixelating an image. Then creating a drawn overlay and finally merging the two

As far as my ideas go I think up to now I am working with a solid group of key ideas. Pixelation, structure and repeats. It would be good for me to challenge myself slightly more and possibly add a new element of risk taking to the work, but I feel this will come in time, as progression is made and things become clearer.

This week’s interim crit was massively useful as a way of narrowing down ideas and looking at just one avenue. The making of the 3 required boards helped me enormously in picking a line of enquiry and sticking to it. The feedback from Ann-Marie was positive and she seemed to like the direction in which the work was heading. It was said that my context elements needed a tad more work to them, but at this stage I feel it is unnecessary to tie down to one idea. This will come within the next week.

sketchbook development

Ismini Samanidou's work. Inspired after her lecture this week. Looking at the translation between digital images and woven process to create an interdisciplinary piece.

Research and ideas generation

The start of this project came with a trip to Textile designers Wallace # Sewell’s shop down in London. The design duo creates a body of work that is beautifully executed and finished to the highest of standards, with scarfs, cushions throws and bags as part of their collection. As part of the initial investigation into the project we were asked, as a group of weavers to explore the national trusts archive and choose a single image or painting to work from for inspiration. The way the company works is to select a painting and then after design work and deliberation choose a set of only 8 weft colours to compliment the warp. We too were asked to follow these constraints. Achieving a body of samples and presentation boards to present at the projects end.

Wallace # Sewell scarf collection

Alongside the Wallace # Sewell aspect it was asked that we also generate ideas that could be used for the Great northern contempary craft fair, a show that runs annually to showcase new designers practice. The work housed here is of very much a unique and individual light, with only certain pieces being selected to be shown.

Working to both briefs in unison I came across a painting ‘Flowerpiece’ by Jan Evert Morel, housed at East Riddleston hall, a NT property. Upon first glance the painting doesn’t look particularly striking, but I found myself drawn to the work and chose to stick with it regardless. Aware that I needed a strong set of colours to work from I set about enhancing the painting. With some careful manipulation I was able to apply a pixilation effect to the work that despite taking away detail and lines somehow seems to make the work more readable as a set of colours.

Development of original image, pixelation and colour tests

Around the same time that the editing work was taking place, I also took a trip with the university to Dunham Massey, a national trust property on the outskirts of Manchester. I found the trip extremely inspiring and was able to gather a wealth of first hand imagery and drawings.  I made a conscious effort to take note of and observe the structural elements to the property. I was aware that structure and line would play a vital role in the weaving process that was to follow and so I found that I was drawn instantly to the patterns emerging from the tiled floors, the window panels and the shelves upon shelves of books piled within the library.

Whilst within Dunham I found that the bedding and upholstered furniture were catching my eye, perhaps this could be a context that I can explore further as the project moves forward?

Images collated at Dunham Massey. Looking at line, structure and shape predominantly

With the research I have collated up to now i think that best way for me to progress will be to continue weaving, drawing and playing around with ideas. Structure and colour will be vital to my project so this will be an avenue I will concentrate on most over the coming weeks.

I am finding that shape can come in any form, the talk Susie MacMurray gave on her site specific work was particularly enlightening and she explained how she often has to work within the constraints of a building. This got me thinking about how i could possibly use the research from Dunham Massey and try to translate this into my work, focusing on the structural elements as key areas. The talk gave me the confidence to be bold with the choice of material and concept used. Overall a very useful talk indeed.

Initial sketchbook work. Collage, Colour wraps for weave and weft paintings

Group tutorial this week was extremely helpful, it was suggested that I stick with the idea of pixelation and distortion but move this forward, working more in a physical manner to create paint samples and ‘real work’ as opposed to just the digital side. Over the weekend I plan to explore the idea of collaging together pixelated designs and work with this to develop weave structures. 

Developments

Photoshop developments from my previous works. Looking at creating my own repeats, patterns and colour palettes. The work shows to some extend the way in which my work is heading, very formal, structured and precise. The colours and hues are exactly what i was working towards, rich warm and bold. Taken from my source images from london, i have fine tuned the palette to best suit what i am looking at achieving.

Pitti fillati (Italy 23/01/13)

University trip to visit renowned yarn fair - Pitti Fillati. 23/01/13

Selection of key images from the trip.

Hounds tooth