Mixed Media Week 1

For the start of the sampling unit I have been placed in the rotation mixed media. So far we have mostly been using A4 printing paper to create 3D forms. At the moment I do not feel like I am really engaging with the rotation, I have never really been inspired my 3D work but am trying to keep an open mind. 

Using illustrator on the apple Mac computers was an exciting and useful process, I found that I got the hang of it quite quickly though I was struggling to come up with ideas in which to then develop to the laser cutter.

Independent Week Activity



During this week we were asked to undertake independent activities that will help prepare us for the sampling unit, and one group activity that took place on Friday. We were asked to gather visual research in a range of different ways from these three places: Visual Resources at MMU, The Holden Gallery and The Manchester Museum.  During these tasks we where to take into mind Data, Collections and lists. Visiting the Visual Resources was interesting, this was a collection of slides collected over many years, in draw containers, liking to many different topics like fashion, architecture and many more. these were lovely and the way they were presented in the plastic sleeves could be classed as list all part of a collection.

The Manchester Museum was very exciting, we were asked to document our journey there. I chose to do this by taking photos of the street name signs I saw on the way there. This didn't mount up to a large list, but documented my journey well, I then went on to sketching a few. Whilst at the museum I took many photos, and when looking through my photos and the museum I decided to focus on pattern, I was particularly inspired by the collection of shells and their patterns. I have documented these in my sketch book in a range of media.

On Friday we had a group activity which involved getting in small groups of about 5 and discussing our work and struggles during the time so far. I didn't think this was the best way for the group to join together but still I found this nice to see other peoples work and what they had been up to in their own areas.



Artist Research for Construct

When researching textiles artists, Nanna van Blaaderen really caught my eye. Nanna van Blaaderen is a Knit designer, fashion designer located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Nanna's latest knitwear collection 'More or Less' is inspired by organic form, animal and nature. Using thick woollen yarns in off-white colours and experimented in combining knitting techniques with braiding techniques. I am really inspired by Nanna's work, I find it very beautiful in the way they sit on the body, and the scale of the work looks very playful yet sophisticated.

"Fashion is so much more than a piece of fabric and a sil-houette. Hard, soft, furry, smooth, rough, fine, open, closed, warm or cold, even the finest layer of textile can change the human figure from being naked and vulnerable, into being protected, strong or seductive."- Nanna van Blaaderen.

Her work, in my opinion, looks elegant on the human body, although alone as an object looks very structured. I love the way the work is displayed and photographed I feel it is subtle but effective.

Origins Evaluation

During my time on the origins unit, I have found it to be very exciting and experimental. I have loved being able to have the opportunity to try out a lot of new techniques. Firstly placed in Embroidery learning and working with machine and hand embroidery. I enjoyed this area and I feel that I have learnt many new techniques, and found myself getting better at it the more I do and practice. During the embroidery I found that I much preferred machine embroidery as opposed to hand, as hand for me was too slow and time consuming. I enjoyed machine embroidery much more because it was more fulfilling, as it feels as though you are making more progress, which I think is more important to me.

On Friday drawing days, which take place every week, we were focusing on positives/ negatives, narrative and drawing surfaces. Focusing on these areas is something I have never really done before, so I found it quite tricky, especially when doing the blind drawing exercise. I found it hard not to control what I was doing, but after a while of practising it, I believe that I got more into it, and loosened up. When we started the week on narrative I found it very hard to get inspired and come up with ideas, even now I don't feel as though I truly understand it. After these drawing sessions, I found that I could make the connection between drawing and embroidery and mark making.

I really like the way the groups for the different areas were organised, as they were small. This I found was really nice as it made it a lot easier to get to know everybody and settle in. When we changed over to construct we reassembled in different groups,which allowed me to get to know the group better. This makes me feel more comfortable in the working environment and overall more productive.

Most recently I have been in the area construct on the knitting machines. I have really enjoyed this. I feel that I enjoy this much more than embroidery,because the knitting machines work at a much faster pace and make the work look very professional when complete. During the lessons, we have been taught many varieties of techniques to manipulate the knitting, also learning more about different yarns and what effects they have to knit with. I am finding it harder to relate to my drawings when I use knit than I did in embroidery. However, the more techniques I learn the easier it is becoming. During the drawing days, we have been focusing on colour, using our objects as a starting point. Using the drawings, we removed the direct colours and turned them into yarn wraps. The colour has been the focus when creating samples. I feel that my samples are a good representation of my drawings as they all utilize neutral coloured yarns, which are the colours that emphasised through in my work.