Colours for my project

The colours i plan to use for this project are very much based on the images i have taken around Manchester. 

Looking at alleys - Black, Brown, Navy

Rubbish - Red, Yellow, purple

Rust - Orange, Brown, beige

Arrivals Task, Manchester Christmas Markets

It was a cold, blustery day in the city centre of Manchester. As i bustled my way through the Christmas crowds i knew what awaited me was something spectacular. I, along with my Mum, Sister and Grandma was on my way to the prestigious Manchester Christmas Markets. It was around early december time in 2009, i had lived in the city for my entire life but this was to be the first time i visited the markets.

I was filled with hopes and anticipation. Unsure of what to expect my family and i weaved our way to Albert square. It was dark and gloomy but as we approached the atmosphere seemed to instantly change. What stood before us was a lively square, filled with christmas lights, soft music and the sweet smell home cooked food.

The haze of christmas lights lit up the air and with just once glance an image of christmas joy filled my mind.

The entire square was packed to the seems with wooden huts, stalls and seating areas. Looking on through the crowds i remember thinking to myself how magical everything looked, i had never seen such a scene of warmth and happiness within the city and it filled my whole body with joy. Desperate to see everything we hurriedly made our way into the market and began browsing the huts. The cobbles underfoot and the old fashioned clothes the stall owners wore made me feel as if id just stepped out of a movie. Each wooden stall held within it a different array of goodies, sweets, jewelry, bags, candles. Every way you looked you were greeted with a different image. 

Hundreds of people were packed within the confines of the square, the noise of laughter and chatter was unmissable and it made the whole place light up. Smiles graced the faces of every single person, each taking from the experience their own personal memories. For me, the one thing i cannot forget is the christmas tree hut. As i walked over to the small wooden hut at the very edge of the market my eyes were filled with the sight of hundreds of small, real fur christmas tress. Each under 5ft tall, they looked so delicate with their thin branches filled with delicate needles. The smell was just incredible, its something that cant be described. You know yourself if you have had the pleasure of having a real christmas tree how beautiful and soothing that aroma is. As i wound my way around each tree i felt like a child in a sweet shop, it was just something about them that i loved.

Continuing around the market a group of german men were stood in a huddle, each playing a different instrument. The songs they played were familiar, christmas carols with a slight german twist on them. A captive audience stood around, admiring and taking in the music. Despite the cold temperatures, the men never once looked like quitting, instead they played their music all through the evening and made the experience for the visitors magical.

Right on the door step of the large stately town hall, it seemed only right that centre stage was a huge inflatable Father Christmas, yes some might have called it tacky but to me it was a perfect addition to the winter wonderland the city had so marvelously created. Seated about 30 feet high on at arch that lead right into the town hall, it was a grand and spectacular sight to be seen. With lights, glitter and sparkle on every edge it was without a doubt the main attraction. (as well as the singing reindeer head).

Before i knew it the evening was drawing to a close, i had eaten great food, seen some wonderful sights and spoken to some of the most warm hearted people i had ever met. For me, this visit to the market was not to be a one of thing, after the great arrival i had been shown i knew this was a place i would continue to visit for a long time to come!

 

Evaluation

For me the 'ordered opposites' project has been one of mixed feelings. To begin with i was excited about starting a new project, new ideas and new concepts, but i found that my choice of workshop didnt really help me to understand my work. I firstly chose hand processes, mainly because i wanted to learn a couple of new hand stitches. It quickly became apparent that the workshop wasn't aimed at 'teaching me new skills' but in fact about developing existing skills, this to be honest bored me slightly. Kate, the workshop leader, was always very much aware of my dislike for the workshop and tried to help me narrow down my ideas and get rid of the hatred i had towards the 4 week session.

I found myself eventually beginning to enjoy it and over time began to produce a solid body of work that reflected my ideas rather well. Looking at texture and pattern, the hand process session really did help me to broaden my horizons with materials and scope. I began to use glue as a key factor in my work, and began to create my own 'glue fabric' to work into. Using, paint, glue, bleach and ink i experimented with different layout and mixtures, and adding the element of french knots over the top gave the work a new dimension.

For the second half of the project i entered back into the world of weave, something i was tremendously excited about! I had from the onset, a clear idea about what i wanted to create. Not a full length weave, but more a body of samples in which i can learn from in the future. I started the weave workshop with a very strong image of the colours i wanted to use, this stayed the same throughout the entire workshop. My colours were taken from a painting i had done a few weeks previously in my sketchbook, an observational study from a mineral rock at the Manchester Museum.

I found myself lost in a world of weaving for 4 wholes weeks and everything about the sessions excited me! I this time around, was working on a much larger 24 shaft loom, giving me the opportunity to work with 2 warps instead of just one. I was able to work with warp floats, seer sucker and add a selvage to my weave. All these processes have confirmed for me that i want to carry on with weave, as it is something i feel i will become good at with more time and skills.

As for my weaknesses in this project, i would have to say i have somewhat neglected my drawing skills. I found that juggling drawing, sampling and my workshop work was a little over bearing and through my own sillyness i kept putting off my sketchbook work, saying that tomorrow would be different. It has become apparent to me that i seem to work better with an element of stress on my shoulders and in the last 4 weeks or so of the project i kick myself into gear and really put in the effort, maybe not the best idea. 

To conclude, i think i have tried my best within this project. My ideas have really come to life and i believe that i have done the samples to the best of my abilities, despite having a rough patch with illness. 

Weave, Round 2!

Intermediate weave was something i couldnt wait to get my teeth into! From the first time i did the weave workshop i knew in my mind that i wanted to be a weaver, the buzz i got from working on the loom was incredible! 

I knew going back to weave that i would have to up my game, try some new things and most importantly, use a BIG loom! I couldnt think of anything more daunting! The 24 shaft looms were a wonder to behold, not only did they do the work for you using a chip, they enabled you to create a much wider, longer weave. I started by making a range of colour wraps, i knew from the onset that i had a particular colour scheme in mind, as i would be working from one specific painting from my sketch book.

The initial making of the warp was easy, over in 2 hours. Next i had to transfer my warp onto the loom itself, this process took about 2 days, on and off. The most challenging thing was by far threading the 500 headles! i hadnt made it easy for myself, using 500 ends i knew i was in for a long task, but the back breaking, never ending threading was beginning to test my patience.

Finally after threading, pulling through the raddle and tieing on, i was ready to start weaving. Oh, wait,  first i had to master the art of programming the loom cartridge, again something that sounds easier than it is. After messing around for a while, working out different pegplans and patterns i began weaving. 

Initially i began with plain weave, then satin, twill and honeycomb (my favourite). With my colour palette already confirmed i began creating patterns, textures and imagery with my weave. Looking at small areas of my painting i was able to create a few different effects, each of which i think work really well. 

Three in particular that i love, are the plain weave sample, the warp float and the seer sucker!

Below, images taken during the weave process.

Museum of science and industry

Mid project my boyfriend decided he wanted to take a trip to the MOSI, so reluctantly i went along too. Thinking that all id be looking at would be engines and planes i wasnt too excited. But to my excitement i found a whole section of the museum dedicated to the cotton industry and in particular, weave! I listened in awe as a representative of the MOSI gave a talk about the industry in the 1800's and found the stories of how young children used to rick their lives to clean the looms fascinating. Here are my snaps from the day.

Rocks & Minerals

Below are a selection of images i collected during a brief visit to the Manchester Museum. I found myself particularly fascinated by the variety of colours and textures of the rocks and knew instantly that i wanted to base my project around that idea. Looking in depth at the images i collected i began to create a range of drawing, using different medias.

Hand Processes (continued)

French knots, so simply yet so effective. I first fell in love with the french knot at college and when i started the hand processes workshop i was delighted to find my favourite stitch on the agenda! I started by using the french knot simply onto plain fabric, experimenting with colour of yarn and thickness. This soon got boring and i found my self challenging myself, i asked the question 'what would be great with a french knot on?'. Many ideas came to mind, yarns, wood, glue! 

I played around with a couple of ideas and found that glue and french knots was a lovely combination.

Here are a selection of my works.