Crown Paint

I have decided to take part in a very open live brief by Crown Paint, which involves reinventing their colour fan deck and colour palette. I have decided to participate in this project with another student who specialises in print, as she would like to redesign the colour palette as I concentrate on the fan deck. We have decided to work together as we will cover both aspects of the brief.
I began by researching how other companies present colour. I found that a variety of companies dedicated a whole page in their fan deck to one colour. As this was something Crown had mentioned they were considering doing, I devised a solution where by a fan deck would be made for each collection.

 

I then realised that as the fan deck was intended for trade use, it may be possible that they would want to combine colours from the colour palettes provided to form their own, or one for a client. This meant that the colour cards need to be detachable to the fan. 

I undertook further research on different fastenings that could be used instead of the current screw and ordered a temporary one from Amazon, to make sure that my idea was viable. 

I have also suggested that extra pages are added to the fan deck, providing sections where the customer can keep their own colour palette at the back. I thought this would be useful for trade's people who are working with more than one company to keep their colour palettes separate without getting lost. 

Another page I am suggesting is one that includes the range of finishes provided by Crown, as some paints are available in matte, gloss and floor paint, I feel it is important for the customer to see the differences. 

I have enjoyed the crown paint project because I feel that I have made realistic changes to the fan deck that could be put into practice. We will be presenting our ideas on Wednesday 13th May, but have a practice run through on the previous Monday. Even though I don't feel that this project has directly influenced my current practice, I feel that it has improved my presentation skills. I want my ideas to be displayed at a professional level, whilst keeping them simple and easy to understand. 

Making it Building it: Craft Your Future

On Thursday 5th March I took part in an emerging makers day at the Whitworth Art Gallery called Making it Building it: Craft Your Future. It consisted of a series of talks by artists and designers explaining how their careers started. We were also able to network and I managed to speak to a few people about volunteering opportunities and possible jobs within Manchester. I have taken note of a couple of email addresses of people I was introduced to, and I plan on contacting them again in the near future.
I was also asked to create a stitched response to the day, so I created a series of panels to represent certain aspects that stood out to me, these range from work shown during the artists talks to a cup of tea offered at the beginning.
I found the day to be a really positive experience as I was able to interact with a lot of makers, and people who took a keen interest in their final products. This has made me consider where myself and my work will fit in the industry. I have always enjoyed making, however as my photo shop and Ethos skills have improved I find myself more interested in design and sampling. I would consider working freelance, however when graduate my plan in to find a job within a fabric design company.

Stitched Response

It was after this I decided to create a professional online presents by making a website. I have displayed a range of my work with a small description about myself, however I intend to add more so that it is completely ready for when I visit New Designers in June. My web address is www.claireowens.co.uk  

Embroidery

As my intention has been to create a collection where embroidery is used to enhance the detail within print designs, I have gathered research on existing decorative embroidery for interiors.
I volunteered at the Textiles Society's Antiques fair and noted the different ways traditional embroidery was used to add tone. The image below is one that particularly interested me because tone is added through the use of a looser zigzag stitch over two closer together stitches. This technique will have been completed by hand, however I can create the same effect on the Ethos by using different stitch widths, below is my design using this technique.

Textiles Society Antiques Fair - Embroidered Silk 

My Tonal Design 

I have also taken into consideration current embroidery designers. Vaughan is a design company that create a range of embroidered fabrics intended for interior uses such as upholstery and curtains. One aspect of their designs I found interesting was the stitch width was very wide. This could be for a number of reasons, one being to save money by using less thread, and another being to avoid creating a raised surface on top of the fabric causing it to become unsuitable for upholstering furniture such as chairs, which are intended to be sat on. I found that opening my stitches out causes the least amount of change to the fabric and is therefore a technique I intend to use.

Vaughan Designs.com

Research for Unit X

During the practice unit I focused on translating imagery collected over my summer travels on to fabric through patterns aimed at interiors. I worked with a wide variety of imagery but I didn't focus enough time developing my drawing technique, instead I created a number of motifs in similar styles causing me to overcompensate by creating complicated designs. I also found that because I was working from a wide range of imagery with no consistency I found it difficult to keep my designs fluent.

Taking this into consideration I have decided for Unit X to investigate a nature Vs machine concept as I feel that this will keep my initial imagery and designs fluent, creating a refined interiors collection.

I will focus on only collecting imagery that features a natural (plants, rocks, shells, landscapes etc.) or mechanical form and I have started by collecting photographs from the Museum of Science and Industry and the Natural History Museum.

Another aspect I felt needed more focus was artist/designer research. Collecting this type of research is important when understanding where my work will be in the market, and bettering my understanding of high end interiors. I have recently visited the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre to gather research regarding current high end designs. I liked the contemporary wallpaper designed by Cole & Son because it creates an environment by displaying scenes of rough seas, marine life and forests in repeat. It was useful to see how the different colour ways could vary for a design, and demonstrate a subtle or dramatic vibe. As some of the designs were produced in up to five colour ways, I feel that this variation is important when targeting different audiences. When designing I will need to consider what vibe I want to demonstrate throughout my designs, and make sure it is suitable for my target audience.
I also found it interesting how a motif can be reused, for example the leaves featured in their design Secret Garden are also present in the underwater scene Nautilus. The subtle reusing of motifs in other designs can save time whilst creating fluency with in the collection.

Brunschwig & Fils was another company that interested me, as their designs feature a vintage/ retro theme. It appears that the drawing style differs greatly within a collection. Below are four deigns from the Le Jardin Chinois collection, inspired by the West's artistic fascination with the Chinese lifestyle, this collection celebrates the fantasy and timelessness of Chinoiserie. Each design is displayed in a number of colour ways, and easy motif and imagery differs from each design. The idea of stripes or florals is present, however each design is completely different. I found that the only similarity between the designs in this collection is the colour palette, which sticks to red, blue, green, yellow and brown with some white. It's interesting to see the difference in design techniques between Brunschwig & Fils and Cole and Son, however it could be possible that as one is a wallpaper company their aim is to create fluency within a home, whilst a fabric collection creates differences in the rooms.




I have started to research different mark making techniques and drawing styles and I found that when it comes to composition I am drawn to collections of motifs. This is something I have reflected throughout other projects and is something I wish to revisit as I feel it is appropriate for this project. I have mostly been inspired by Eduardo Paolozzi's machine prints. The fluidity in his work appeals to me as it reflects the moving parts of a machine. This is something I aim to reflect within my own work, however I wish to also combine imagery from natural forms. I feel that the complexity of the prints would work well in repeat, as the contrast between the straight edges and curves give the impression of movement.

Patternity Project

I decided to enter the Patternity project because the brief was to enter photographs of the everyday that displayed patterns. The winning images would be displayed in an exploration of pattern look book. I felt that this coincided with the work I had completed over the summer because I was looking for patterns in everyday forms, some of which included nature. Below are the images I entered in the competition. I took into consideration the different qualities each image offered, including the use of shape, colour, texture and symmetry. I felt that each could be used as a repeat, and they are all images that have inspired my own project.

Collaborative Project

I thought that it was be a positive and informative decision to take part in a live brief with fellow students. The group was evenly matched with two embroidery/ print students (including myself) and two sole print students. I found it useful to see the different ways people worked. I found this process to be more positive than other group projects I had taken part in before because we all wanted the same outcome.

 

After researching possible competitions, we decided to enter Feather's Make Wallpaper that's Art competition and decided to focus on a beach / seaside theme. We also decided to work from the same colour palette so that out designs could be seen as a collection at the end.

I decided to base the idea for my designs on David Attenborough's The Blue Planet documentary because I hadn't completed any previous research regarding the sea to work from. I decided that I would focus on my illustrative style of drawing, in order to incorporate a skill from my current project. Below are the collection of motifs I developed through the images of marine life displayed during a range of programs throughout the series. Most are derived from jellyfish and shells.

 

 

I found it interesting to work in repeat as this is what I am practising in my own project, having never done it before I found this a useful skill to acquire.

I enjoyed the fast pace of this project the most, because there were four of us in the group everything progressed faster than an individual project. I also enjoyed working will people who wanted to work and overall found this to be a positive process. I feel that this process has confirmed that I prefer working in collaboration with others. We kept up to date with each other via email so our work could still progress even when we weren’t together.
My designs incorporated an illustrative effect and using motifs made by other members of the group enabled me to feel more free. I liked working in repeat, and I will apply this to my work during the Practice Unit.

I submitted three designs to feathr.com. Each of them displayed all over patterns, resembling a landscape effect we had discussed at one of the group meetings. I felt that the designs were the most commercial and fulfilled the brief by suitable for statement wallpaper, intended to be seen as art instead of decoration.

Under the Sea 1

Live Brief: Alice Kettle

Throughout the year, a fellow student and I have been participating in a project with Alice Kettle, both commission based and collaborative. Alice Kettle was asked to create a large-scale textiles piece in order to portray the company Lloyd's Register. They plan to display the work in their new offices as they are relocating from Central London to Southampton. We visited the original site last year in order to collect visual research and have created fabric samples from this. I feel that this opportunity is beneficial because it enables me to work with a successful artist in order to create art intended for an interiors setting, to work in an external setting and to learn new skills concerning print and embroidery. 

Inspiration Boards

My first tutorial was helpful in regards to discussing how to develop my photographs further. Drawing exercises were suggested to experiment with different drawing styles. I was set the task of finding a new drawing style before the next week.

I decided to create mood boards to visualise the research I'd completed, keeping myself inspired. Being a visual person, images are very useful to me. Below are examples of Ella Doran’s work, a designer I completed work experience with over the summer. She translates photographic images into repeat patterns. Her images are of everyday things such as Bikes of Hackney, which is where she lives, and the Letterpress pattern inspired by a letterpress in her studio. I thought this was an interesting way of working and it was after this that I decided to document what I saw through photography.   

Another artist that I have researched is Tilleke Schwarz whose main context of work is embroidery. Her process consists of embroidering what she's thinking at that time, which is an interesting process because passing thoughts are quick but completing embroidery is a slow process. I find that her style of work is similar to the graffiti I have seen because it consists of a lot of overlapping random imagery.

I have researched two new artists that I wish to bring to next week's tutorial and that is the work of Harriet Popham, who's work consists of watercolours and illustrative quality. I think that her combinations between foreground and background are very interesting because she presents them in different styles of drawing, eg The circular image below consists of a water coloured background and black and while illustrative detail over the top, playing with background and foreground effects adding more depth to a piece. She also creates designs for interiors, such as wallpaper. 

The other artist I wish to discuss is Abigail Ahern. She incorporates graffiti in the backgrounds of her painting and also designs wall paper of a photographic quality, which is very much like Ella Doran. She photographs walls and rustic tiles, taking into account the range of textured surfaces and uses them to create repeat patterns. I found it interesting how Abigail Ahern reflected the different textures through the patchwork dog cushion covers, enabling me to see how one pattern can influence another in order to create a collection.

From researching these artists I have come to understand that I am interested in foreground and background combinations, and creating visuals from the everyday. Another aspect I like about the work is the busy appearance and use of repeat patterns. I wrote in my learning agreement that my original inspiration was from graffiti and I have come to understand that I was interested in the same concept of foreground and background combinations. Regarding Graffiti, there can be a wide range of text and imagery that is joined together by the brick pattern in the wall underneath.

  

Abigail Ahern's wallpaper in centre

new designers report

I have created a report on three students who exhibited at New Designers 2014 as I was unable to attend the degree show, due to undertaking work experience with Ella Doran. 

ALISHA FALLON 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

A Nation of Shopkeepers

Tin openers, Kettles and Toothbrushes, these seemingly mundane objects don’t scream the

basis for a textile design project, but why not? The complexity of modern life overshadows

everyday commodities such as these but can’t things just be simple? A Nation of

Shopkeepers derives from an interest in daily life, concentrating on the monotonous objects

we’re surrounded by. Illustrated in a bold and vibrant way, creating juxtaposition with reality.

Alisha Fallon’s space featured a wide range of prints and weave samples. It was interesting seeing the designs presented in two mediums as this added more depth to the pieces. Her work consisted of all over repeat patterns, derived from everyday objects. I think that the composition of the designs work well because the area around each motif is filled with a textured quality.

JING ZHOU 

Jing Zhou has created a range of embroidery samples by using digital embroidery, layering and stitching leather shapes onto fabric. Below her fabric samples are her initial designs, made from paper. It was interesting to see her thought process through developing her designs from paper onto fabric. She has concentrated on repetitive forms to create her samples and by layering the pieces of leather she has created a range of interesting surfaces and textural patterns.

She presented an effective colour palette; consisting of soft pastel colours with

a mixture of black, white and grey. The pastel colours stood out as they looked bold, but not garish against the black and white.

I really like the use of block colour with the digital embroidery machine because it doesn’t

warp the fabric and Jing Zhou has used this setting to stitch a variety of patterns where the

shapes are interlocking. I like this effect because the stitching created a slightly raised area

and as some of the black fabric from underneath was visible through the gaps in between the

shapes, it created a subtle 3D effect. 

FRANKIE BLAIR

Frankie Blair’s print designs have been inspired by architecture around Europe. Her space featured a wide variety of prints for fashion, and she has also created a selection of male shirts and T-shirts with her designs.I thought that her work was displayed in a professional way, and it was clear where her inspiration had come from.
She has created a wide range of prints, most of which featuring windows. I think that the reflection of the sky in the windows is really interesting, and I also like the layered buildings because they include a lot of architectural detail.