Hopes, fears and opportunities...

Over the three years of my degree I have really enjoyed being able to paint, watercolours, silk screen, acrylics, inks, emulsion. I probably over indulge in this hobby of mine!  Especially at the start of a new brief and producing primary research, observational paintings of flowers have been a major focus in my work throughout! It’s always great at the start of a brief anticipating how it will turn out and what paths you take with your work which is exciting too. I’ve also found composing mood boards an enjoyable but also challenging aspect in briefs, as it requires a lot of thought and reasoning why you place a certain image in a place. Also I love finding things, even on travels to quirky second hand shops or an old ring at the back of my drawer I forgot about. Composing a mood board is a selective process of gathering and constructing an inspiring board which ultimately tells a story of your themes.

However, there have been many obstacles to overcome like Illustrator, which at first was daunting though really I just needed to invest time into practicing with it. Though I fear sometimes I find it easy to give up and take a break when things don’t work so I need to focus and get on with it.  I can be quite slow with my work too, (especially if I’m in one of my painting moods!) I must work faster in order to get more work done required for briefs and importantly meet the deadline. Also I think I should be more experimental and make full use of the equipment around me in the studios, such as the vinyl cutter and sewing machines and try and incorporate those into my work.

I’ve considered freelancing however after my talks with Sheila and Nicky (both freelance designers) earlier this year, it would be tricky and a bit of a gamble starting from scratch and trying to make money. Though something I will consider in the future. Ideally I’d like to work in a design studio designing, whether it is interiors or fashion. However finding work experience has been tough which (still keeping my eyes peeled) I hope to find and have studio experience, working on briefs with other designers.

I’m still in two minds whether to go down the interiors route or fashion route with my work. (Partly because I’m very bad at making decisions) Both have their pros and cons for instance, I’ve found when working on briefs that fashion is very free and liberal when it comes to designing a print or pattern. With an interiors print it’s a little more restricted with how you place your pattern. Like wallpaper for example, is often printed in repeat or half drop or even as a border design.


I find it fairly easy to go from designing a bed spread to designing a print for a dress and love the different contexts of design. Now I just need to make a definite decision!

Printing samples and experiments...

Silk screen print

Heatpress transfer

Heatpress transfer

Two Layered silk screen pieces

Two layered silk screened pieces

I’ve been busy in the print room the past couple of days! After spending much time painting and collecting various bits and bobs for primary research I felt ready to get on with some printing. I have been experimenting with various designs, motifs and colours using heat press transfer print and silk screen printing. I choose these two methods as I like the see through and trailing appearance and often ghostly effect the print can give. I also put the mirror effect techniques to good use and continued my theme into colour.

The transfer print of the roses motif worked considerably well and I think the strong red outlines are very bold, I’d like to pursue this one as a repeat print. Perhaps a nice silk scarf? Though the top image of the blue flowers could work better if it were to be repeated multiple times, thus giving a fading and disappearing effect.

Unfortunately, I feel that some of my transfer prints ended up a little too ghostly and quite transparent! I think that I probably didn’t use enough dye and mix it enough, however these ghoulish pieces compliment very well when layered on top of each other (like I have done in the photograph of the silk prints) as you can see subtle lines and colours peering underneath. Maybe this could be an idea to use when mounting work and presenting? I think to push these designs a little further I could do with repeating a motif several times as the blank white background is a little plain. I think I could see these prints working well on silk scarves as well as print for a dress, so looking into how print can be applied like border, repeat, motif are things to consider when designing a final outcome too.

Portfolio feedback - Nicky Sharp

Image 1

Image 2

Image 3

Image 4

Image 5

 

Recently I spoke to Nicky Sharp, a freelance designer (who I also met a few months back) about improving my portfolio and what kind of styles and themes my work is suited to.
I found her comments and advice extremely useful especially from a designer who has worked in the industry as well as freelance work. Below is a snippet of Nicky's comments about three pieces of my work (which I have posted above)

Image 2 - It is a bit stiff but I like the watery quality of the petals. Perhaps create more images and create an allover. I have attached a jpeg (idea 4 for image 2). I like the splashy flowers at the top and bottom of the image and like the way flowers overlap and flow into each other. Put new images on to separate transparent layers in Photoshop and try over lapping them see if it works.
Image 3 - "I like this and it has a lot of potential. It would be nice as a vertical trail repeating. See jpeg (layout 1). The simplicity is nice but it could also be developed further by building up the trails with the addition of leaves and maybe some outline imagery. Put new selected images on separate transparent layers to see how you could work them together."
Image 4 - "Could be nice developed as in jpeg (layout 3 for outline design). Could add background and texture for extra dimension and depth."
Image 5 - "This is nice. I found an image that is similar that you could use for a layout, jpeg (layout 2). It could also be developed as a vertical trail."
Nicky also emailed me a few images (below) as inspiration and ideas to help me form certain styles, also to visualize how patterns/motifs can be applied in garments or interiors.

Idea 4

Layout 3

Idea 2

Layout 2

       

London Fashion Week - Mary Katrantzou

                                                     Mary Katrantzou, Spring/Summer 2012

I came across a new fashion designer whilst having a peek at shots of London Fashion Week, Mary Katrantzou. She Studied at Rhode Island School of Design and recieved a BA and MA at Central Saint Martins. Her all time design heroes are Coco Chanel, Balenciaga and Miuccia Prada, which these influences can be seen in her rich and elegant garments.
What I love about her clothes, (especially from the spring/summer 2012 collection!) are the shots of bright colours and combinations of different patterns in her garments. Whilst these designs look very scattered and busy there is an elegance and beauty to the eclectic colour combinations and varied shapes and patterns, lots of sheer and delicate detailing. She is very daring and experimental not just with her kooky patterns but where she applies them to, jackets, mini dresses, maxi dresses, trousers, mini skirts; which may seem a little extreme. However these wild patterns speak for themselves and are what make the garment(s).
There are many floral and nature themes within some of her designs and very feminine prints, though it seems like such a different and abstract like take on the floral trend with the mish mash of contemporary colours and opposing patterns.
Her kooky, unique style of colours and patterns has helped me to be more daring with colours and combining different images or motifs, in my designing for my fashion print.
Also what is so beautiful about Mary Katrantzou’s garments, are the luxurious and flowing, sheer fabrics which give her edgy and colourful designs a gorgeous, flowing and exuberant feel. I just find myself staring at them for ages! I think I’d really like to start experimenting with some silk screen printing and transfer printing after seeing such free and amazing, colourful designs!http://www.londonfashionweek.com/marykatrantzou

Gallery Visits, Tate and the Walker Art Gallery

                                             Diana Dias-Leão', glass dresses

I took a trip to the Walker Art Gallery and Tate Liverpool over the weekend, (which was nice to have a break from my own work and look at some great artists and designers!) where I found a mixture of unique art works from different aspects of art and design. Which ranged from sculpture, paint, textile and print.

I enjoyed looking at the ceramics at the Walker Art Gallery and seeing how pattern design is applied in that context, though I was really attracted to a collection of glass dresses.

These glass dresses are by artist called Diana Dias-Leão' and deal with the issues of body image. I found these glass dresses very pretty and unique pieces, though I like the concept of using a sharp yet breakable material; which is a good metaphor for describing someone with low self esteem.

At the Tate Gallery was an exhibition called Smoke Signals, by Robert Therrien which had an overwhelmingly large set of table and chairs! Another piece invlolved a towering stack of enormous plates, which had a dizzying effect after walking around them! I liked the parody of such boring and simple everyday objects we use, becoming larger than life and in which defeated their main function and purpose.

The exhibition upstairs of great contemporaries and modern artists, including the likes of the infamous Marcel Duchamp Urinal, Mondrian, Warhol and Bacon.  One of my favourites is The Lobster Telephone Dali, 1936 just because it’s so iconic for its strangeness and witty Chindogu idea, the lobster replacing the telephone speaker which like Therrien could be seen as a Chindogu idea as it lacks its real function and use. I felt thoroughly inspired by the abstract themes and colours in this room and thought how making these abstract textures, prints and patterns could be applied in my own works and onto fabric.

Opposites Attract...

                                Butterfly Wallpaper, Damien Hirst, 1994

                                          Colin Self, Nude, 1971

I took a trip to The Whitworth Art Gallery for some much needed inspiration, although I'm looking at fashion prints I was rather intrigued by some of the old floral wallpaper patterns on display. I really liked the elegance and minute detailing which I thought could just as easily work on fabric for a couture dress or repeated several times on a silk scarf.

There was an exhibition on called, Dark Matters. A collection of artist's works including Paula Rego and Colin Self (top) using tones and textures to reveal darkness and light. This I thought was relevant to my research into my glamour theme. Using black and white photographs and mediums for light and dark effects. It was interesting to look at a different perspective of art and design to gather ideas for a fashion print. The two images are of postcards I picked up in the shop, which I liked and felt fitted in with each of my themes. I have a penchant for colourful, pretty things (!) which is why I choose Damien Hirst’s Butterfly Wallpaper. The symmetrical and kaleidoscopic pattern looks so precise, perfect and immaculate and the various butterfly colours are beautiful. I’ve currently been experimenting with symmetry and colours for my colour theme of my brief. Painting one side of the paper and folding it over (much like the painting activities you would do at Primary School) to create a mirror image effect which is very fun too! From this I have developed a fair few patterns and sometimes I have shuffled the paper around to make the paint drip and create its own travels and tones. Though now, I want to apply this in my heat press printing as it could have a striking effect on sheer , translucent fabrics.

Negotiated Brief

Bright Colours

Old Glamour My Studio Space

I decided to take a different route with my design work and will be focusing on the fashion side of surface pattern design. I've been inspired by bright colours, jewels, paints, insects, florals, Madame Gres dresses, P. Horst and old glamour! My brief is to design a pattern to be printed onto fabric, suited for a runway dress. So far I have collated my drawings, photographs and scans from books/magazines to create two moodboards. One moodboard theme is Old Glamour where I have gone for black and white colours only, to reflect the idea of old fashion and P. Horst's photography. My second moodboard is Bright Colours, which is about fun fashion, bright paints, paint experiments and florals.

My next step is to experiment with silk screen printing and hopefully combine my two themes together to create patterns.