Evaluation Of Origins Unit

I think that in this project I have made strong connections between my research (drawing etc.) and my final samples. I have studied the shapes and forms in my research and tried to translate them through knit and weave. I have translated the colours (tones and shades) and have also tried to keep the textures in my drawings, but through varied yarns. The research aspect of this project has also been strongly developed through this project with drawings, photographs and artist inspiration.

I created a range of drawings, including collages, in this particular drawing below I began looking at bark and the textures and shapes within it – I did a series of these drawings which I found to be successful in that it gave me inspiration on how to translate the shapes and textures through yarns and into knit and weave.

In this project I think that my drawings have developed more – I made a series of detailed drawings using a range of media, but I think that in future projects that I would like to push myself further and use a range of scale – push the boundaries and work out of my sketchbook. the possibilities of scale are endless.

 

In this project I have learnt that I have a ‘knack’ for the knitting machines and once the techniques were learnt I found it very easy to push these techniques further – mixing techniques, yarns, colours and translating my research into the knit samples. I enjoyed knit mor than weave as I found weave quite restricting.

 In this project, I have been greatly influenced through my contextualising practice research, throughout this project I have been thinking of ‘what is making?’ and is what I am doing making? Is the development process making? These questions have helped me push my work further.

This project I think that I have managed my time well in that I have met all my deadlines – with all work finished at what I believe to be a excellent standard, although I do think I could have put more time in to push my work further. I think that I used my workshop time very well as I was in the workshop – booked on a machine nearly every day.

 

Knit

 

When starting knit I was anxious. I had never used a knitting machine before and did not know what to expect.

On learning how to use the domestic knitting machines, I was excited to start to translate my ideas and research into the knit. I first decided that the colours on my Weave did not translate the colours on my mood board very well, therefore I began to search for yarns that I thought would suit my colour scheme and what would make my knit sample come alive.

 

The first process was to learn all the knit techniques, I learnt, plain knit, cast on/off, ladders, lace holes, partial knit, hook up and how to use the punch cards.

after reflecting on these techniques I have decided to use the plain knit, partial knit and hook up techniques as I feel they best reflect the shapes and forms in my research.

 

I can now begin to mix my chosen techniques and colours together.

 

 

 

In this sample I have used the partial knit and hook-up effects, using the browns and green as a base I added whispers of bright colours (to the right proportions on my yarn wrap), I think the techniques create a interesting textured surface and the bright colours lift the dark colours up. On reflection I would add more hook-ups and slightly more bright colours.

 

 

This sample is made of the hook-up and partial knit techniques. i have used a large variation of thick and fine yarns. Looking at this sample know, i feel that it needs more bright colours, maybe some pink? and the lighter green, as if the yellow wasn't there, the sample would look dull and have a muddy effect.

 

 

 

Yarn Bombing

 

After an introduction to knit, I became very interested in yarn bombing. Yarn bombing is a type of 'knitting grafitti'. People who are the yarn bombers knit around public objects - from a bus to a tree! I am particularly interested in the yarn bombing around trees and nature.

 

Below are examples of a typical yarn bombing on a tree.

 

 

 

 

I  find tree bombing particularly interesting to me as my knit will have a strong connection with trees/bark and it makes me wonder what possibilities there could be with yarn bombing, could it be a types of reflective textured knit wrapped round the tree? how would my knit look against the bark of a tree?

 

 

Weave

When starting weave I was eager to pour all of my drawings and research so far into it. I had to consider my choice of yarns, the colour of my yarns,what I would introduce through my weft, and what patterns I would use.

The first step was creating my warp, I used fine cottons in 4 different colours, repeated to create a 'stripey' warp. this idea sprouted from tree 'finelner' drawings, as the use of varied fineline's were a nice underlying effect.

For the weft, i varied yarns, from very fine cottons to thick wools, this gave a changing/varying effect which i could see in my research (drawings/photographs).

I started to work with the colours on my warp, but looking back I find that the colours do not work, for instance, the purple is to bold/strong next to the other colours.



At the start of my weave I experimented with varying the yarns to see what effect it would give, I found that the yarn and pattern changed to often, as you can't see the detailed pattern I used.

 I then started to look at different weave patterns that I could relate to. I came across the 'crater' pattern (as seen above) and found that the shapes and forms within the pattern were alike those in my drawings, with this in mind, I made the pattern using a green shetland wool. although this worked I felt a need to develop it further along, maybe vary the colours? vary yarns? I then proceeded to make the weave below.

 
Using the crater pattern I tried to blend colours together, to create a tonal effect, I feel it created its own drawing within the weave.

 

Although this is just a 'plain weave' I feel that it was of the most interesting pieces of weave that I have woven. as my warp is so detailed and interesting, with a thick brown woollen yarn I wove through, giving it a textured surface.

 

 

I feel that i have translated all my ideas, inspirations and research into my weave and will continue to do so throughout the rest of this unit (knit).

Catherine Libmann

Bois De Bouleaux

 

Catherine Libmann is a contemporary Tapestry/Weave Artist. when looking for inspiration on my chosen subject I came across her in a book I have 'Tapestry: A Woven Narrative'. Even though I have texture and surface in my drawings/samples I find her work to have an deceiving quality, as even though her work is a flat tapestry weave, it looks textured, like it has a moving surface , as if its ready to 'pop out' of the weave!

I also find her use of colour inspiring, although the colours a dominant in there own right, they mold/blend together well, and the whites/creams lift the weave.

 

Mood Board

 

Using my body of drawings I have created a colour way, made up of 8 colours. I have explored with different tones and shades of colours - my enitial work on 'the colour way' helped a great deal when it came to mixing colours to get the correct shade/tone. i also had a look at the quantity of each colour I felt I came through the most/least in my body of drawings.

 

 

 

As seen on my mood board there is an example of the various yarn Wrapping i created - using the same colours, but in different compostions and of different quantitys.

With the 'tree bark' idea in mind I have began a series of drawings, exploring the textures and surfaces of bark using charcoal (as seen to the right) and fine liner (as seen below). I found that the fine liner drawings took longer, but they made a more detailed textured effect and I think that it created an unusual use of line. charcoal I feel is not a good use of material as it does not create a nice shape, their is no contrasting lines  - no tones, it does not have the correct characteristics for the shapes/forms that i am trying to create in my body of drawing work.

As i have chosen construct as subject for this unit I now realise i need to bring these shapes forward and create/develop them through knit and weave. I first need to establish a colour way, looking at my body of drawings I find that a mix of dark and light shades give an interesting contrast/balance to my form.

              



After using the leaflets, and other bits and bobs collected at Liverpool Biennial, I started to create and construct drawings to generate ideas and further develop my work, this drawing is a silhouette of a tree, but not everyone just see's a silhouette do they? We see shape, form, detail, texture!
I need to look further into the shapes and textures within the tree, and look at the different 'bark' and 'growth' on the tree.

Looking at this drawing in paticular, I think the colours in the background of the picture work well together, especially with the white oil pastel scratched over which gives it a pastel/pale colour scheme - perhaps i could use these colours along with the colours in the image of bark below to create some interesting compostitions.
As I have chosen to construct for this unit, I Know intend to look at what yarns and threads match my colour way and develop my drawings further to create shapes and textures.


Looking at the bark I feel i could create this
through drawing through contrasting materials
such as charcoal, graphite and fineliners -
this would create a textured surface - alike
 the shapes and forms on the tree bark.

Developments From The Liverpool Biennial

After my trip to the Liverpool Biennial, I looked back through the body of drawings and items I had collected along my journey, as there was a vast amount I Began to look for inspirations for my journey, what did I see on my Journey? how did I feel? And what were my surroundings? thinking of the last question, i looked through my photographs and found the photograph below. without really thinking about my actual surrounding on my Journey, i had a large amount of photographs containing Nature. This I feel is the start of my Journey.

 

 

 

 

 Origins - Journeys - Nature - Tree of Life - Trees - Bark. 

 

with these words in my head I now must explore the 'nature - tree - bark' meaning further. thinking of what is nature? what does it symbolise? what does it mean in different countries? to different people? I need to explore its different shapes, forms and textures.

Liverpool Biennial

On tuesday (25th september) I went on a trip to liverpool with my university, to see the Liverpool Biennial Art Festival. My Purpose on the trip was to explore the word 'Journey', this word to me has a wide range of meanings so I planned to explore this word on my travels. When exploring Liverpool I came across a small building named 'The Liverpool Arts Centre' although not part of the Biennial i found this quaint place to hold amazing art pieces, i especially had an interest in a exhibition that made jelly fish figures with old plastic milk cartons - i found this to be a very inventive way of creating such sculptures.

At the exhibition we were not strictly allowed to take photographs, but the designers were kin and let us take a few snaps!

Next I visited area 2 of the Biennial, here I found some small drawings of trees and growth - this started my brain going and thinking again about the word 'Journey' and that the link between plants and Journeys is 'the life cycle' or 'the Journey of life' and how i could interprete that into my work - there are endless possibilities to this and i seek to carry it further along on Journey!

I also visited the 'tate' museum, here I was amazed with the amount of spectacular modern art.

I thoroughly enjoyed my 'Journey' through Liverpool and found the Biennial to be Inspiring to me as an undergraduate and aspiring Designer.

Kite

Textiles has always been an interest of mine, I express myself through the work I produce and I enjoy the sequence of developing and sampling with a range of processes, techniques and materials, which results in endless combinations and possibilities. When I am not in college I voluntarily assist in making costumes for a local dance school, which I feel immensely improves my making skills. I currently work at a card and gift shop, I enjoy working here as I gain ideas and inspiration from the card designs. This job also enables me to achieve excellent communication and time management skills.

I was first drawn to the “Textiles in Practice” course because it allows me to further develop skills in the areas of Print, Weave, Knit, Embroidery and Fashion and then specialise selected areas in years 2 and 3. I have also been impressed by the quality of work produced by the Textiles students on the degree course when I have attended the yearly Final Degree Shows. The work is impressive not only in its creativity but in its professional presentation and it is also clearly evident through talking to the students and closely observing their work that the teaching is of a very high standard, which I feel is crucial at Higher Education Level.

The work that I am presenting in my Digital Portfolio shows some of the skills, techniques and processes that I have acquired during the 2 years I have studied on the BTEC level 3 course in Art and Design.
Through specialising in Textiles in my 2^nd year I have been able to further develop skills in hand and machine Embroidery, Print, Weave and Knit. What I have found throughout this specialist year is how in applying combinations of these techniques, the possibilities are endless and thought provoking, resulting in innovative design ideas.

The images show how I have experimented with techniques and processes to meet project briefs that are both Textiles and Fashion related.

I now look forward to be given the opportunity to discuss this work further at interview.