Movin' On

Hello there, I have some exciting news...

Whilst I have enthusiastically blogged about my university years here, I have relocated to a new blog space where I will continue to share my design ideas and processes. You can join me here whilst I find my way through the world following my passion for design as a textiles graduate. I feel it makes sense for me to create a new blog whilst I move through the next chapter in my life. I am particularly excited because now my blogging can exist in the same place as everything else to include my portfolio and shop. 

 Come and visit me at April's Studio to help me unpack my boxes.

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Limbo

The last few months at university were rather intense to put it lightly. I basically lived my final major project. My goal as always was to 'do the very best I can' (without sounding like a Brownie). Of course I got through it and knowing I had tried my best was comforting.

The very next morning I woke up and immediately felt lost. My mind was still switched on and I felt it was important to take a step back and recover. However, I like keeping busy therefore taking this step back wasn't so easy. I remember walking into the centre of Bath and returning home with paint and a sketchbook. I just couldn't help myself!

Last week I was fortunate to have been selected to show my work at New Designers. This is a show specifically for the most talented design graduates. For this reason I was pinching myself. I thoroughly enjoyed the show but it was hard work. It involved lots of standing around but this didn't matter to me because I was there, instead of someone else and I didn't want to miss anything or anyone.

At this point I am assessing the experience and unfortunately I didn't feel confident about the work that was selected to go on the stand. This made the experience less enjoyable and I would have liked to have been able to make this decision myself. The work on the stand was described as brave and bold but I didn't feel like it was a great representation of all the skills I have developed. My other work included a selection of boards that I had stitched into and demonstrated a repeat pattern although these were described as unresolved. For this reason I would really like to show my work myself.

I don't want to spend my time worrying about somebody copying my work or receiving negative feedback (all feedback is good feedback). The fact is design is subjective and detaching yourself from your work is hard when making is so personal, but I feel like I don't want to keep my work to myself. I want to share my ideas. They're no good packaged up in the loft and any suggestions would be much appreciated.

I am very pleased I had this little book made with a selection of my work to share.

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Hello I'm Here

This week I showed my work at New Designers. This is such an exciting time for me and a great stepping stone into the real world. The great thing was I got to share this opportunity with lots of my friends as there were 25 of us on the stand representing Bath School of Art and Design. I was prepared with my portfolio and feel that I managed to make the most of this brilliant opportunity. Getting your work 'out there' is scary but exciting and I think my first year will be difficult but I'm ready to accept the challenge!

Degree Show

At the moment my degree show is taking place which is an exciting time.  We have created a site showing snippets of work by the textiles graduates of 2013 from Bath School of Art and Design to include my profile here. The show is a reflection of all that I have achieved throughout my three years at university but also a chapter to hopefully mark the beginning of my career in the textiles industry. Gavin Turk and Cedric Christie gave really inspiring talks at the industry night, which has enabled me to feel proud of myself and everyone else in my year.

Above I had the opportunity to paint the glass doors inside the reception area.  I really enjoyed doing this and took the motif from one of the designs I have on show.

My show consists of a mixture of materials that I have managed to have my designs printed onto, this includes wood, plastic and glass. I have had the materials cnc routed to enable me to stitch into them and laser etched. All these applications match up perfectly with my prints.  

I am really pleased and wish all the graduates of 2013 lots of luck.

Sketchbook

It has been so sunny today, I decided to do some painting in the garden. I love our wild garden and my painting is rather wild too! (Well it's not really my garden, it belongs to the little flat my boyfriend rents, this is why it's so wild!) It has however enabled me to start a sketchbook filled with paint drips and brush marks and mixtures of colour. I usually have to tone bits down when I transform my paintings into digital prints. 

Wherever you are, whether it's winter or summer I hope the weather is kind!

Time Out

This week I took a step back from designing. I went away to Mallorca for a mini break and enjoyed the sun along with good food and holiday reading. 

When I got back I had a list of emails awaiting me, hinting I should get back into the swing of things. My business cards have arrived and I have created an ARTSTHREAD Portfolio.

Has anyone else been enjoying the sun?

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Abstract DIY

I saw this DIY on Pinterest the other day and thought it would be fun to try myself.

All you have to do is put blobs of paint on a page and then paint them in together. Anyone can do it!

Choose any colour you like

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Deadline Day

Today we handed in our final major projects. I am celebrating with the girls this evening and we excitedly popped champagne this morning. I walked around the city of Bath with an ice cream, like a tourist and whatever happens I feel happy knowing I tried my best. Who knows what will happen?! I would love to join a studio and to continue designing prints.  But for this evening I will let my hair down...

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This Week

I have been dabbling in a bit of everything in order to make my final project come together.

 Glazing Tiles in the ceramics department.

 Hand Painting Puff Binder.

 Flocking onto plastic.

 Exposing screens in the print room.

Handing in files to the plastics department.

As you can see I have been a busy body but I am happy this week because my mum is here. She has been helping to paint my space and she is very handy with her drill, I think the technicians want to hire her!

I will miss the facilities at university.

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Floating Textiles

I have less than two weeks left at university and I will be moving all my belongings out of the studio  tomorrow morning. I have bagged everything up ready to go but I have no idea where I will fit it all. My space has lost it's personality and all that's left is my name tag. I will miss the creative environment at Bath School of Art and Design. I have really appreciated my time there as a student. I noticed these textiles pieces in the reception area and thought they looked really pretty hanging from the ceiling and grouped together like a family. 

I will miss my textiles family.

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In the print room

Today I got to work in the the print room. At the beginning of the week I had selected some available screens but they were blocked. As a result I worked hard trying to get them cleaned up which took me two days. I had to use a bleach like solution and leave it on for several hours at a time and this pushed the dirt out. 

I was very pleased with the end result and from here I exposed my designs onto the screens ready to start printing.

I bought some linen and some raw silk and mixed up lots of colours. 

I am sad to say I will be moving out of my studio space this weekend with only 18 days left until we hand in our final major projects. But of course this is just the beginning of a hopeful textiles career!

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Preparing to Print

Today I spent some time sat at the light box matching up my designs on sheets of acetate. I will use these pieces to expose the designs onto my screens tomorrow, ready for screen printing. I plan to print on heavy cloths and linens.

 I have mostly been designing digital prints in recent times and so I am looking forward to putting on my wellingtons along with my dads old shirt and hitting the print room!

XOXO

Narrowing Down

Last week I worked on narrowing down the prints I have designed to create a collection. This collection will be based around mark making. It is important I can demonstrate lovely colour, a range of techniques, varied scales and I will also print the designs onto different fabrics. Our digital print deadline is at the end of this week. Time has flown by and we only have 4 weeks left all together. At times I feel fine and under control and then I'll have a random panic in my head! 

Fingers crossed all will go well. After all we're not saving lives here, it's just textiles...

Colour Control

My latest designs have been put through colour control camp. I felt like the colours were letting them down and as a result my mark making was loosing its strength. I also found the complexity of each design meant I was able to extract several designs from one. I have really enjoyed this process of simplifying and although adjusting the colours can take a long time, I am finding the appeal of this latest collection worth while.

I turned some of the designs into a very dark aubergine colour and the rest into a very neutral palette. This week I will be looking at materials to print onto.

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Colour Matching

Today I spent some time adjusting the colours of my prints to match a specific colour palette. This took a while, I mostly used the colour reduction tool on photoshop. Now I feel confident I can change the feel of my designs simply by altering the colour. Designs can also be dramatically changed by changing the scale. Colour Collective is a good source for selected colourways to work from.

Have a nice week

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Leisurely Painting

Yesterday I travelled back to Bath. On Monday I will resume work again after the easter break. I met up with my wonderful boyfriend in Reading on my way to do a spot of shopping. I had never been before and so it felt quite spontaneous. Matt bought me some funky printed trousers from one of my favourite shops called Mango followed by dinner. I also got a dress and some shoes courtesy of my mum for a birthday treat as I'm going to a wedding today. This week I had a break from textiles but this didn't stop me from painting. I enjoyed being creative without having the pressure of making a so called masterpiece, as well as trying to work out how the design could potentially repeat across a length of fabric.

Home

I have really enjoyed being at home this week and I am excited to say I can finally eat chocolate again after giving it up for lent! Yesterday I went riding and I fell off my horse which wasn't so great, but I also went for a walk in the woods with my dad. We took the dogs which was nice and I took my camera with me. I practiced taking some action shots and I was pleased with the results. Let me introduce you to the pack...

Minnie doesn't have a lot to say because she's a fairly shy springer and running in the woods is her favourite activity!

Happy Easter

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A Life in Colour

I recently went to a fabulous exhibition at the Fashion and Textile museum. I was lured in by the beautiful colours used to advertise the displays. The exhibition celebrates Kaffe Fassett's career in textiles, which has spanned an incredible 50 years. 

There are examples of his influence in quilting, knitting, needlepoint and mosaic and all of these categories are linked together via Kaffe's extraordinary use of colour.

'Textiles with their rich depths of colour, gave me a motivation far beyond my painting.'

'Quilts would give me a grand sense of scale to dramatise my use of colour, which my knitted garments could only hint at'

There was also this fabulous wall which you could touch! Well I had my hands all over these wonderful fabric swatches. The colours and patterns were fascinating. I thought the exhibition was really well put together.

This morning I plan to take my horse for a ride through the fields and this afternoon I am going to do some baking with my mum. Only one more sleep to go until I can eat chocolate!

XO

Social Fabric

I stopped by in London yesterday on my way home for Easter break. I went to the British Museum as I was keen to see the African Textiles. There is currently a free exhibition displaying printed cloth (Kanga). In Africa men sometimes dress in the same pattern of cloth as women to show unity and friendship. I think this is a fun idea but the colours and patterns of textiles also communicate other important information such as belief and social status to include inscriptions that often link to the choice of pattern.

The Kanga design consists of a continuous border with a central image; a development from sewing together printed handkerchiefs. The cotton and wool Kanga on display had been printed by hand using stencils or hand stamped with carved wooden blocks. I found this exhibition really interesting and felt the display had been thoughtfully chosen. This has given me lots of inspiration for my next collection as I am hopeful I will have time to squeeze in one more before the degree show! 

And I leave you with this Kanga inscription:

"I may be quiet but there's a lot in my heart"

Happy Easter

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Printing Methods

It has been really quiet at university this week because most people have gone home for easter break and I am looking forward to going home this Thursday for a long weekend. In the meantime the print room has been fairly quiet and so I have been making the most of it...  

I have managed to develop a technique that has allowed me to print my designs onto wood without it warping which is great. I have also introduced other methods to include vinyl, painted flock (above) and puff binder (below).

I always enjoy the experimental stages within my projects. 

Have you made any exciting discoveries lately?

P.s. I would like to welcome my latest member Miss Val!

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