Evaluation of unit Intentions

Evaluating Practice 

 

I have developed my way of working in this project by making connections between practice, practical work and visual research. I mainly gather inspiration from my sketchbook drawings and looked for related artists. I also got inspiration from my surroundings, for example buildings that I see and people of my everyday life. 

 

Whenever I run out of ideas, I look back my samples, it opens my mind to ideas and seeing ways of making them differently. With introduction on both Embellisher and Irish embroidery machine, I was able to break away from using only one technique.  I am happy to run straight into stitching after my initial sketched because I am confident in my abilities with different stitches.

Figure 1: Embellisher and Irish embroidery machine

Over this unit, I have been exploring how to draw in response to earlier study where I was told what to draw. This unit develops ‘still life’ drawing and allows me to use these skills into imaginary drawings. These Drawings have become my blueprint, which makes me feel more confident using the machine to draw free stitch. I know feel as one with the machine to create these pieces.  This is more fluent and allows my creativity with sketches be reflected within the fabric. The samples are now equally as good as the sketches.

 

One of my strengths is composition and how I can transfer that into drawings. 

In terms of composition, in this units I did not forced myself to experiment more with different approaches. I did not had enough risk taking, I want to explore more new techniques, but at the same time I knew what is my strengths and I practice on it.

Figure 2: Sketchbook Drawing

Figure 3: Machine and hand stitch

This unit forced me not only to experiment but also to put more time into the making and designing.

However, I realised that I have not done enough new research using my own interests, and this is something I need to improve.

 

Even though my embroidery are figurative more like a drawing, like Alice Kettle’s, the similarity of the elements within the composition makes me think about the marketing area and both private and public commissions that I could be involved with.

Figure 4: My email to Ms Kettle

Dear Ms Kettle,

My name is Kelly, I am studying at MMU Textiles in Practices, second year.
After my tutorial with my special tutor, Lynn Setterington she reccommended that I contact you personally for your advice on my practical work.

 

I would be interested in discussing the development of my work into a career based on your experiences as an MMU graduate and your successful commissions.

 

Please find attached a sample of my work.  I would greatly appreciate your advice.  

www.kellychun.blogspot.co.uk

 

Kind regards,

 

Kelly

 

 

 

Furthermore, the relationship of my colour mood, designs and process could be displayed as a series of works in an art gallery as I related my project with urban influences and adopted Tilleke Schwarz’s way of thinking by making connections between my drawings.

My designs are flexible in relation to different types of audience, but I would focus on illustration, as objective drawing and observational are my strong point. I want to be able to use my print, illustration and embroidery passion within this work. I have used inspirations from Kettle and Schwarz to influence the direction of my work. I wish to work as an independent artist and illustrator so have used these artists as my research base.

 

I would place myself as an exhibition artist, specialising in textiles, print and embroidery. I also see myself as an illustrator for both hand-made and digital work.  I am currently working with Sandra Johnson on a project that overlaps print and embroidery and patchwork. This project develops the company profile to work with textiles.  The charity will benefit from sales of goods and in return, I am able to work with the charity, in their studio space and we can collaborate on works that will benefit the charity and also enhance my reputation within the Blackpool area.

 

 

Summer Project: Influence and Inspiration 2

Figure 1: Tracey Emin – Everyone I have Ever Slept With 1963-1995.

Figure 2: Inside the tent.

The reason I have chosen this piece is because I like the idea of using already made objects and combining with collage works inside the tent (see above). I like the idea of using personal events as a material to document and making the connection with the artist through the writings / texts.

Also, the title of this piece suggests this particular time period of Emin’s personal life.  I like the message behind each name, as each one suggests a different memory to Emin. I think what makes Tracey Emin’s work unique is that she was able transfer her negative energy into art work and have the confidence to talk about it through her work to the public audience. 

 

Figure 3: Jim Dine – Tools of the Earth, 2007.

I like the idea of documenting, for example, in figure 3 the still life drawing of tools. It demonstrates the artist’s drawing skill and the composition of the work really draws my attention. I enjoy still life drawing but not photographic drawings. I like the idea of drawing the object, but then putting a few artist touches to create a sense of style, like Jim Dine does with the repeated drawing of the same tool. Jim Dine also added non-existent tone to the drawing, which is his style.

 

Figure 4: Jim Dine – Five Paintbrushes, 1973.

Documenting and measurement within this drawing is a way of collecting found objects. I always found myself drawing my surroundings because it is something that I see everyday. I think it’s a great idea to draw surroundings, especially when I don’t know what to draw, but the way Jim Dine did this drawing shows that he doesn’t stop after he finishes the drawing. This image has been reworked from the initial plate several times, which is what I would like to work on. Rather than just stopping when I finish a drawing, it’s better to carry on, because I believe there’s always room for improvement. When I have finished a drawing, then come back to it the next day, I am able to see what needs developing. It is a sense of development in order to improve by going away and coming back to rework it.

 

Figure 5: Picasso – The Old Guitarist, 1903- 1904.

I like the idea of using colours to represent the mood of this painting (see above). I think art should expressing the artist’s personality. I like to look at painters and drawers, like Picasso and Jim Dine for inspiration and I like to draw and paint myself, but then I would transfer those drawings, mood and thoughts onto fabrics, for my passion is embroidery and print.

I would like to be an illustrator in the future, therefore, I have been training myself to draw everyday. Through textiles I am hoping to develop a wide range of ways to present my work through different form and material.

Summer Project: Influence and Inspiration

 Figure 1: Face Value – Elizabeth Couzins

The reason why I have chosen this image is because I like work that has meaning behind it. The meaning behind this work discusses the current obsession for women to buy into the impossible beauty myth and the increased numbers of young women seeking cosmetic surgery procedures.

Another reasons I chose this work is because I am hoping to create my future work in the textiles direction and transfer it from illustration to embroidery.

The 62 Group Textiles Artists is something that I am interested in and I want my work to be open for anyone, i.e ‘’Art for all.’’

Figure 2: A photo and the work of Candy Jernigan

I like Candy’s work because she not only collects randomly disused objects, she also finds different ways to display them. For example, in figure 2 she uses the found-objects as still life objects and she also compositions them, and turns them into a collage. I too have a habit of collecting objects so my way of working is very similar to Candy’s. I prefer to work on found materials because of the fear of a blank page.

Figure 3: Tracey Emin – My photo album, 2013.

Tracey Emin’s work is grounded in the personal experiences and events of her life. This is a text by Tracey about why so much of her work relates to memories of her early years. As much as I enjoy her art work, I think my main inspiration is from texts as well as keeping a blog about my work and ways of thinking and developing my art. I also keep a personal journal with me at each unit and in those journals are my thoughts, ideas and things that interest me. I then would turn those into textiles.

 

Figure 4: Birds Illustrated on Vintage Envelopes by Mark Powell, 2013.

Once again, working on found materials makes the whole drawing more interesting to look at, which as I said I am starting to get into the habit of doing . I am also starting to draw on other paper materials other than white drawing papers.

Mark Powell has created a series of drawings on vintage envelopes, which have more detail than his previous work. They show the learning progress within the series. I would prefer to create a series rather than a one off piece because I think a series demonstrates connection between the artist and the audience better than a one off piece. I like to talk to the audience though my work and let them understand the journal that I was compiling as an artist.

Working space

 

Figure 1: Personal image, working space

I think it is really useful to put images and work up on the wall, because it gives an overview of my working process.

Figure 2: Personal image, Working space.

 

 

 

Comparing figure 1 and 2, figure 1 is the most recent image, I have been putting more drawings up on the wall and have been really experimenting with my work.

After the experiment of stitching onto papers, I have come to realise it does not have the same quality as film, therefore I started stitching on to film itself.  

 

 



Figure 3: personal image, machine stitch onto film – experimenting.

 

I really liked the effect of the fairy threads on the film, as it changes colour and also with the transparency of the film, therefore I was working the front and the back of the ground.

Also, I was experimenting with the perforations along the side of the film with tailor tacking, I really like the texture it has created, but the down side with it, is that I would not be able to play it.

What inspired me to stitch on to the film was Stan Brakhage, The Dante Quartet.



 



Figure 4: A hand-painted image from The Dante Quartet,1987.



The Dante Quartet, 1987.

 

 

 

At the moment, I am struggling to find my hand stamp, struggling to find myself within my work. I enjoy working with colours, but when I was on the sewing machine, it was hard not to continually stitch in straight lines all over the film, so I have drawn on to a piece of film, then handstitched on top of it. See figure 5. I like hand stitch more because it gives me time to see the whole thing. With the machine I only see sections. I have a plan of what I’m going to do on the machine, but I need to keep stopping to look back at it. It is really hard to see the overall. It also feels like it is turning into a manufacturing process so that everything ends up looking the same, rather than what I had in mind of what I’m going to produce.

 

 

Figure 5: Personal image, handstitch onto film.

 

 

PE Task 2 - Sampling unit

I mainly gather inspiration from Friday drawing sessions and, in this unit, I had a chosen image – Picasso, Family of Saltimbanques. With this image, I am reflecting the colour mood on to my samples and using it as a starting point.  I also gain inspiration from my surroundings, for example found objects and natural objects in everyday life.

Looking at a blank sheet of paper or fabric, sometimes I found it difficult to start, but then I looked at Mark Hearld’s works, how he uses storytelling as his templates, and I started to think about the connections between my motif designs and creating my own narratives. 

My hand painted designs - Overlapping.

My hand painted designs - Overlapping.

Mark Hearld – Garden Birds.

I enjoy working with found objects, mark making and accidental stains that are made during the process of drawing and making, and looking back at my hand painted designs, they are more abstract compositions compared to Mark Hearld’s print designs.

With my hand painted designs I am more interested in working with movement and mark making, because when I look at the colour mood of the image, Picasso, Family of Saltimbanques, I am also looking at the brush strokes, and that inspires me to overlap colours using paint. 

One of my Photoshop digital print design.

My digital print designs include more linear elements. They also contain more objective drawings, less mark making and no accidental stains. The designs made in Photoshop are cleaner.

With Photoshop designs, I am able to work in a more controlled way and adopt the layouts in Mark Hearld’s works, to achieve clean cut designs. I am able to remove any unplanned accident and make each design more individual. 

Fat drawing by Daksha Patel

My hand painted design – Collage.

I have signed up for Daksha Patel’s drawing workshop on 27/1/14.

The idea of this workshop was to use imagination to make connections between objects, in a way that is unlike museum displays that create exhibits and group objects together in categories.

After speaking to her about my project and struggling to relate it to Data, she inspired me to think of ways of composing and representing my collections.

As a starting point, I adopted the scientific way of drawing by using golden rules.  I experimented with drawing pigeons and tigers, and then I developed to include organs and skeletons within my designs using my imagination to make connections between them.

Mark Hearld’s work in printed fabric for furniture. 

Even though my hand painted designs are not figurative like Mark Hearld’s, the similarity of the elements within the composition makes me think about the marketing area and companies that I could be involved with, such as St Jude’s. St Jude’s is a company that adopts and transfers print artists' designs into textiles productions. I imagine my hand-painted designs being transferred into a repeated pattern or a one off mural print as wallpaper, greeting cards and printed fabric.

Furthermore, the relationship of my colour mood, designs and process could be displayed as a series of works in an art gallery as I related my project with data and adopted Daksha Patel’s way of thinking by making connections between my objective drawings.

My designs are flexible in relation to different types of audience, but I would focus on illustration, as objective drawing and observational are my strong point.

I would place myself as an exhibition artist, specialising in textiles, print and embroidery. I also see myself as an illustrator for both hand-made and digital for St Jude’s.

This unit forced me not only to experiment but also to put more time into the making and designing.

However, I realised that I have not done enough new research using my own interests, and this is something I need to improve.