BA Textiles - Preparing for Year 3 Submission

I haven’t posted much for a few months and that’s quite simply because I’ve been absolutely snowed under with work. Switching from Illustration to Textiles and Surface Design for the Final Year of my degree has been such a massive learning curve, it’s utterly wonderful to learn something new, but at times it has also felt overwhelming. I’m now in my last week before having to submit the entire body of work I’ve created in the last few months. Our module has been all about Innovation and Experimentation. Quite honestly, each and every new process I’ve learnt… and there have been quite a number of them, has for me been experimental in itself. There are so many new skills to learn and get up to speed with, from seemingly simple things such as how to make a collection cohesive to different dye techniques and fabric surfaces and a huge variety of different technical processes. Gradually, very gradually I am getting there, although I still have a huge amount to learn.

For now though, I thought I would leave you with a development on my New Year design which has sparked so many new creative ideas of its own.

Happy New Year 2019!

There is something so cathartic about this time of year. It always feels to me like the opportunity for new beginnings, a fresh start. There’s a lot of change ahead in this crazy world of ours, but may the coming year be full of joy, love, friendship and many blessings. Happy New Year!

BA Textiles: Experiments With Geometrics

With the year nearly over and the first term of the final part of my degree complete, I have a great deal to reflect upon. Choosing to take this final year in Surface Pattern Design has been an enormous undertaking, as I get my head around different processes and industry terminology. My actual ‘hand-in’ date isn’t until the end of January, so over the next month I’m hoping that all my work since September will start to come together. It feels as though I’m a long way off realising the briefs requirements at the moment.

Ultimately, it will all culminate in two very different collections of 10 pieces, a sketchbook, a fabric swatch book, a customer board and inspiration board and among other things, 2 final visualisation boards . The module is all about experimentation and for me virtually each and every process in the workshop spaces has been an utterly new experience. I’ll share some of those pieces over the coming weeks. But for now, I thought I’d begin by showing you some of the simple geometric collection I’ve been working on. Geometrics are quite a departure from my normal work and I’m not entirely comfortable with them. Some are created by hand and some I’ve learnt to create digitally in Photoshop. It’s made me realise how much I miss my trusty old paintbrush and watercolour paints though and I’m looking forward to reacquainting myself with them in the New Year!

Etsy On the Horizon ...

It has been absolutely sweltering hot in my little studio and since my windows don't actually open I have been slowly melting, add children's school holidays into the mix and the result is not a lot has been getting created!  However, I have been managing to rework some of my existing images in the cooler evenings while mulling over the idea of preparing to open an Etsy shop in the near future.  For now, here's my little folk tin with an update all of its own, including a new background!

Under The Sea

I've been getting a little bit carried away with my underwater themes of late... perhaps it's all this hot weather we're having!  I've just been taking a class with Stephanie Fizer Coleman over on Atly on Texture and Pattern in Photoshop.  It's opened a whole new world of texture in my illustrations and in this piece I've been trying to incorporate some of what I've learned.  I really like the depth that the textures add to my layers when I'm digitally collaging hand rendered pieces.  In the meantime, my workload is piling up while I've been getting so absorbed and I've really got to get back to finishing that mermaid journal!

Here's A Little Fishy...

Ok so now I've got that tune on slow repeat in my head, although I only remember the first two lines! Anyway, I'm joining in with the Folio Focus Summer Reboot over at Rise Design and Shine.  It's giving me a chance to revisit some old work which was previously quite rushed and unfinished.  This project is based around nautical theme and needs to end up as a journal cover design.  I've reworked the mermaid completely and found the time to paint some of the hand drawn motifs I'd previously created.  Taking my time really with this one as it's giving me the opportunity to really think about building layers and texture when I collage the hand rendered pieces together in photoshop.  There'll be more to come, but this is where I've got to so far!