Through
my own personal interest, my practise has been driven by ideas and values of
traditions and ways of life that are perhaps no longer appreciated and
celebrated in society today.
In
this project I have looked at the following themes of 'All the Fun of the Fair' and 'Join the Circus'. To start me off, I took a trip down to the seaside to collect some imagery that I have taken my initial inspiration from.
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| Inspiration: Own Images taken at the local seaside town - interesting shape, colour and typography. |
In then began to explore the this theme future into my own sketchbook work. This has achieved by experimenting with composition of colour, shape, form and typography. In this project I have really enjoyed my sketchbook work, using a collages I have been able to explore all of the qualities mention above in a broad and open manner.
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| Collages - using shape, line and colour |
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| Typography: inspired by old circus and funfair signs |
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| Combining together: Using collage techniques and typography to create interesting compostions |
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| Carousel Pole: Drawings focusing of pattern and shape representing carousel poles |
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| Line Drawings : 'All the Fun of the Fair' - carousel and helter skelter line drawings |
When choosing what material I would like to work with for this project, I initial decided that I wanted to work in wood. I had never work with wood before, however I felt that this was probably the time to do it, so that I had the skills I required for my third year work. Still sticking with my love on screen printing, I began to explore how the material and process could be brought together to create interesting surface pattern.
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| Preparation: Setting the piece of wood out ready for printing onto. |
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| Printing: Using the vacuum tables to print with, securing the screen in the frame surrounding for extra support. |
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| Samples: Using acrylic mixed with printing medium to print directly onto the wood. |
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| Additional Samples: Explore different patterns and colours - printing onto veneer. |
Along side the wood workshops, I also undertook some textile/printing based workshops. Within the sessions we primary explore two types of processes; rust printing and indigo dying. I enjoyed both of these workshops and both processes I would like to explore further over the summer break.
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| Indigo Sample: Using folds and clamps to create interesting marks and patterns. |
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| Indigo Sample : Using tape to cause a resist against the dye. |
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| Indigo Sample: Using folds and clamps to create interesting marks and patterns. |
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| Rust Printing: Using rusted washer and nails to create patterns on the surface. |
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| Sampling: Laying natural fabrics onto steel rusted sheets allowing natural marks to be made. |
Still think of working with wood, I began to generate some idea for what my final product could be. I had the idea of taking the form of a usherette tray and making it into a piece that hung on the wall and acted as a storage unit. With intention of doing this I then began to explore what the front of the box may look like, as I hoped it would be printed with my own design. From shapes and marks that I had generated in my sketchbook I then began to explore how these could be translated as a print onto my box.
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| Front of Box: Generating ideas of how shapes and form could be translate onto wood |
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| Idea Generation : Overlaying colours, shape and form. |
On showing my tutor these idea, it was suggested that these could perhaps go into deckchair sleeves and knowing my love for textiles and fabric he suggested that is may be the route I go down with them. This however was the idea that before even speaking with my tutor, I had already had for my final year collection; a series of outdoor furniture including deckchairs, tents and hammock. The easter break allowed me time for reflection and on returning back to university, I had decided that I wanted to go back to working with fabric and textiles again. With the idea of creating deckchair sleeves in mind, I decided that I would focusing on covering an old director chair which I had at home, this also think about sustainable design.
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| Original Chair: Recreating the selves to fit this frame. |
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| Visualisations: Intial ideas of how my print could be transferred onto the sleeves. |
After deciding of what shape and patterns I wanted on my print, I then developed a screen and began exploring layering a printing onto fabric.
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| First Prints: Experimenting with colour, composition and layering. |
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| Sampling: Close up of initial print. |
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| Sampling: Close up of initial print. |
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| Sampling: Close up of initial print. |
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| Sampling: Close up of initial print. |
On showing my tutor these prints, she expressed how she felt that the idea needed pushing more which I totally agreed with. The work that I was producing was not yet translating on to the fabric and that I need to find a way of layering up the print and fabric more like I do in my sketchbook. Taking this on board I began to experiment with layering print with appliqué, embellished fabric and hand embroidery to create a tactile, interesting surface.
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| Sampling: Using appliqué, print and hand embroidery techniques. |
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| Sampling: Using embellished on fabrics and print together. |
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| Sampling: Using appliqué and print together. |
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| Sampling: Using embellished on fabrics and print together. |
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| Sampling: Using appliqué and print together. |
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| Sampling: Using appliqué, print and hand embroidery techniques. |
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| Sampling: Using embellished on fabrics, braiding, cording and print together. |
After producing a range of samples, I decided that my final director chair covers would bring all the components explore in my sampling together, that being printing embellishment, hand embroidery, braiding and cording. I then generated a number of new designs that I could have as potential cover and then decided on the one that I was going to make for my final piece.
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| Idea Development: Design for the bottom and bottom slings of the directors chair. |
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| Idea Development: Design for the bottom and bottom slings of the directors chair. |
I had chosen one of these design which was to be my final design, which I then went onto make in a week. Overall I was extremely pleased with my final outcome. I took my chair into an outdoor environment to photograph so I could get a true sense of whether it worked in the setting that it should be in.
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| Finishing Off: Adding the cord to my final piece. |
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| Finishing Touches: Adding in the hand embroidery. |
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| Final Piece: Finished sleeves on chair frame, photographed in local the park. |
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| Final Piece: Finished sleeves on chair frame, photographed in local the park. |
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Close Up: A close up of the finished hand embroidery.
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In preparation for third year I have also been working on some models and computer generated visualisation of other products that I can transfer the skills, ideas and techniques that I have explored in this project. I am really excited for third year and cannot wait to push these concepts and ideas even further in the year to come.
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| Model Making: A tent, deckchair and hammock with my print ideas transferred onto them. |
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| Visualisation: Creating additional visitations in a digital format. |
