Practice One

Introduction

My instincts are to use a narrative approach to create my embroidery work, however I have challenged this and specifically developed new techniques involving sequencing and repetition to produce different styles and results.   This has had variable success but most significantly has helped me reflect upon ways I can incorporate mixed methods to enhance the narrative approach that I prefer.  

I use my surroundings as inspiration alongside researching artists’ methods that are like my own. For example: Tracey Emin, Tilleke Schwarz I have also on undertaken technical research from practitioners who use ink and watercolour. I can blend these skills as an embroidery artist.

Research

‘’ for a lot of young women today, when they see your work for the first time, it’s the first time they see themselves represented in that context.’’ (Forthnum, 2007 :61)

‘’…but representing the person who has an option about the world which we are all entitled to whether it’s wrong or right…’’ (Emin, 2017: online)

I have experimented with ways to translate innermost thoughts through textiles. Using Tracey Emin’s work as inspiration. The works I have developed have a dual purpose in that they to express my point of view and personal experience but also raise awareness of the difficulties within mental health support systems. 

Figure 1: Something Terribly Wrong by Tracey Emin, (1997)

I was aware of using my own personal unhappiness and bringing visual message of my own personal struggle, may not be relating to the audience, therefore, I researched Tilleke Schwarz work to address this limitation.

 Figure 2: Author’s own (2016)

‘’…I include anything that moves, amazes or intrigues me. Daily life, mass media, traditional samplers and cats are major sources of inspiration…

…Every work contains narrative elements. Not really complete stories, with a beginning, a storyline, and an end. On the contrary, the viewer is invited to decipher connections or to create them…’’ (Schwarz, n.d : online )

The idea of letting the audience create their own narrative meanings within my work gives me opportunities to create less obvious pieces. This is in stark contrast to the original inspiration for this body of work. Emin arguably creates obvious work.  Taking a creative risk to produce work that is more abstract consequently pushes me out of my working comfort zone. It has meant different successes and challenges have been met.

Figure 3: Artist research for drawing cats by Endre Penovác (2011): online

In my research, I have found that having cats around gives me the same amount of comforts that I would have required from my friends from day in and day out, for I live alone and most of my time I spent working indoors, therefore, I have found cats to be a better companion comparing to dogs. As in, the article mentioned that cat’s offers physical touch and even though it is mainly focusing on children, I too personal requires extra physical touch and hugs.

Penvoac (2011) has inspired me to think about ways to use my embroidery skills to design beddings, such as creating an image of a cat sleeping on your bed. Such as I have considered Jane Norman's bedding designs, as an early stage of idea, I would like to use poly cotton with digital prints of my design on as I can sell it cheaper and mass-produce.  For my idea of marketing, I plan to select out a section of my work and project it onto other products.

For my outward facing projects, I have been asked to exhibit my work at the Fashion and Embroidery show on the 16th - 19th of March, Birmingham.

For this exhibition, I intended to display three pieces of my work from this research, however as the work progressed in scale and I started to produce tangible embroidery pieces I realised I should exhibit my best works only. Therefore, I will be selecting some of my latest best work for this exhibition, as I believe my idea of using commission based line of work will go more nicely with it.

As I was trying to relate more to the audience and use my artworks to explain what mental health is to a new audience, I have become increasingly focussed on the negative impacts of depression and mental health. A shift in mindset allows my work to focus on the bright side that are also within mental health crises. A particular example of where this has worked well is realising what really got me out of bed in the morning was being a pet owner, it was my two cats that gives me a sense of purpose in the morning. I realise this is the case for a wide audience base and therefore found a niche to target my work towards. 

The message that I want to bring out from my work was to keep trying, as I realised myself the moment  that I stopped trying is the moment that my depression had gotten the better of me.

‘’ …depression can be life-threatening because it can make you feel suicidal or simply give up the will to live…’’ (Bailey, 2013 : online)

Figure 4: Research for composition Tilleke Schwarz – Purr Chase 

Reflecting on Schwarz (2008) composition I am reminded that this project could benefit from the use of the Irish embroidery machine, embellisher & Phaff (digital sewing machine). 

Figure 5: Author's own (2017)

The idea within my work are to design cats’ for the reverse side of a duvet cover to give the illusion of a cat peeking out of the sheets. My work will be limited by the flatness of digital print is colour resolution to add depth and texture but making it washable and suitable for function. There is scope to also embed this onto clothing in the future as a motif.

There is further symbols within designing bedding for sufferers of depression.   It can be argued that people do hold optimistic tendencies at the start and end of a day when they are in their beds. In addition cats offer the person a daily opportunity to look after something and have responsibility for it, which in itself can be motivational. 

In conclusion, the key context of my work has shifted from narrative, to abstract and is now blended in between both theories. The methods I have used have changed with the product changes from images to bedding.

I am now using a broader range of disciplines within my work.  Using my experiences from working at Alexander McQueen and Q print and my undergraduate studies I am now in a better position to market within personalised fashion and accessories.  The target audience remains adults who enjoy playfulness and whimsical images. The most significant challenge I have overcome ids to marry difficult adult life circumstances such as health and wellbeing and at the same time create work that is artistic and useful to them as well as offering options for personalisation and mass markets.

List of Figures:

Figure 1: Something Terribly Wrong  Emin, T. (1997). Something Terribly Wrong. [image] Available at: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/emin-terribly-wrong-p11565 [Accessed 11 Feb. 2017].

Figure 2: Author’s own (2016)  As my attempt of showing the beauty of self-love within this drawing, as growing up as a female, I being called ugly, being told what I should do and should not with my body.

Figure 3: Penovác, E. (2011). Watercolour & Ink Cats. [image] http://penovacendre.com/node/35?titles=off  [Accessed 11 February 2017].

Figure 4: Purr Chase  Schwarz, T. (2008). Purr Chase. [image] Available at: http://www.62group.org.uk/artist/tilleke-schwarz/ [Accessed 11 February 2017].

Figure 5: Author’s own (2016)  The embroidery details within this might take backstage to the digital print in order to have this commercialised for a wide audience and to make it affordable however I could also save personalised embroidery of specific designs for higher market clients:  As for a higher market, I would embroidery onto Egyptian Cotton Linen or 100% cotton fabric, as they can be commission based and one off designs.

References

Bailey, A  (2013) [online] [Accessed 6 April 2017]  http://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-behavior-cats-therapy-anxiety-depression-in-kids-children

Fortnum, R (2007) Contemporary British Women Artists in their own words.  Tardis London

Penovác Endre (2016) Image Research [online] [Accessed 6 April 2017]  http://www.boredpanda.com/watercolor-cats-ink-paintings-endre-penovac/

Penovác Endre (2016) Artist Research [online] [Accessed 6 April 2017]  http://penovacendre.com/node/35?titles=off –

Rutherford, M (2016) When People With Depression Function 'Too Well' [online] [Accessed 6 April 2017] https://themighty.com/2016/09/the-difference-between-perfectly-hidden-depression-and-depression/

Saatchi Gallery (2017) Image of Tracey Emin [online] [Accessed  6 April 2017] 

http://www.saatchigallery.com/artists/artpages/tracey_emin_my_bed.htm 

Smith B,L. (1995) Essential Stitches. Surface design journal vol. 20. No1 pp 17-19

TATE  (1997) Terribly Wrong by Tracey Emin [Online] [Accessed 5 April 2017]  http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/emin-terribly-wrong-p1156

The 62 group of Textile Artists (2017) Profile of  Tilleke Schwarz [online] [Accessed 5 April 2017]  http://www.62group.org.uk/artist/tilleke-schwarz/

Woods, K (1971) The Little Prince.  Harvest San Diego.

Bibliography

Barchas, D., Mlynar, P. and Bailey, A. (2017). 5 ways cats are great therapy for anxiety or depression in kids, Catster. [online] http://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-behavior-cats-therapy-anxiety-depression-in-kids-children [Accessed 11 April  2017].

De Saint-Exupéry, A. (1943). The Little Prince. 1st ed. France: Reynal & Hitchcock (U.S.), pp.50-53.

Donen, S. and De saint-Exupéry,A. (1974). The little prince. [video] http://sockshare.net/watch/oxqdkzvn-the-little-prince.html [Accessed 11 April2017].

Emin, T. (1997). Something terribly wrong.: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/emin-terribly-wrong-p11565 [Accessed 11 April 2017].

Fashionembroidery.co.uk. (2017). Fashion & embroidery · 15-18 march 2018 ·NEC, Birmingham. [online] http://www.fashionembroidery.co.uk/birmingham/ [Accessed 11 April 2017].

Gordon, B. (2011). Textiles the whole story Textiles. 1st ed. United kingdom: Thames & Hudson Ltd. pp.200-245.

Hall, A. (2011). Illustration portfolio. 1st ed. Laurence King, pp.13-16 199-200.

Jackson, I (2012). Embroidery print. [image] available at: http://www.luckyjackson.ca/prints-of-embroidery-work/ [Accessed 11 April 2017].

Medina, M. (2014) "Tracey Emin: life made art, art made from life", Arts, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 54.

Mind.org.uk. (2013). Depression | mind, the mental health charity - help for mental health problems. [online] http://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/depression/#.wo-z_ojyuyi [Accessed 13A pril 2017].

Penovác, E. (2011). Watercolour paintings. [online] http://penovacendre.com/node/35?titles=off [accessed 11 apr. 2017].

Penovác, E. (2017). Watercolor & ink cats. [online] http://penovacendre.com/node/35?titles=off [Accessed 11 apr. 2017].

Saachi Gallery  (2017). Tracey Emin - my bed - contemporary art. [online] http://www.saatchigallery.com/artists/artpages/tracey_emin_my_bed.htm [Accessed 11 April. 2017].

Schwarz, T. (2008). Purr chase. http://www.62group.org.uk/artist/tilleke-schwarz/ [Accessed 11 April. 2017].

Schwarz, T. 1992, "quotes from Tilleke Schwarz", Embroidery, vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 28-29.

The Little Prince. (2015). Directed by M. Osborne [online] available through Netflix [Accessed 19 April 2017]

Unit X - Evaluation

I have reinterpreted a Folktale The Deer without a Heart, focusing on the character of the Brainless Deer to represent a more biologically accurate narrative.  Taking a modern day secular method to retell this fable through stitch enhances both a message of animal rights and also moves the narrative of animals from the remit of children’s stories into more of an adult and academic audience, and offers tactility, delicacy and impact.

 

My first project (Bradford Textiles Society Design Brief) was related to the cruelty of foxhunting and the urbanisation of their habitats, by developing this further I am able to create more narrative and figurative responses to story-telling and allows my strengths to ben known.

 

I use my work to communicate with my audience. I have created a range of fabric samples for different purpose, interior designs, illustration as story-telling and motifs for fashion use.

I have looked at a number of artists and designers including Karen Nicol and Brian Wildsmith for inspiration.

 

Figure 1: Karen Nicol, Fox in the Fall, 2014

Artist based research helps me understand where my work fits.  I somewhere between the busy composition of Wildsmith and the texture and detail of Nicol’s work.

 

Figure 2: Brian Wildsmith

I have studied animal movement, focused on lions, nature documentaries and Simon king photographer as a reference. I developed a number of characters and imagined their own histories and personalities to help give depth to the samples and stitch work that I create.

 

Throughout this project my major challenges were both composition and use of materials. I have successfully managed to use these to help my final pieces and I have found the appropriate materials for a final professional piece.  I am working in duck cotton as a base fabric and also a range of found materials. 

 

I challenged my scale of work in terms of embroidery and have adjusted sizing to not lose detail.  I have also successfully managed to reproduce similar results to my sketchbook work.   Using my sketchbook every day throughout the project has been a major achievement as it helps me with the quality of the output I produce. My sketchbook work shown the range of composition, scales and realism.

 

The final output is a body of sketchbook and sample to draw together both story telling in the traditional sense, but also as a frame my samples and characters. I managed to successfully complete the project within the timescale and also was able to refine several aspects by redoing them on new fabric to make them more professional. After this body of work was completed I continued working alongside International Fashion students to contextualize my employability options and work context for my target audience and how best to market to these groups.

 

 

Unit X - The Brainless Deer

After my tutorial, I have decided to expand on my characters’ background. Such as at drama class, where I was given a role to play and I have to use my imagination to shape the personality of the character.

 Figure 1: Sketchbook drawing

I have set myself a target of filling as much as I can with sketchbook drawings, then I plan to select and create them into samples later on.

In figure 1, I watched wild life of lion pride as my researching reference. Where when a male lion grow up it travels to find another pride and take over it as its own.   There is a feeling of power and isolation.   The lion is forced to leave his own pride. This is one of the reasons why in my work the lion is represented as close to death as he searches for his new pride to rule over. 

Figure 2: Sketchbook drawing

As in background I drew a group of lion pride watching the lion go.  The male lion here represents the head of the pride surrounded by lionesses.  The bushes allow the story to be placed in a number of different locations.   

Figure 3: Sketchbook drawing

I added in the fox at the corner of the page as a hint of its arrival later on in the story.

Figure 4: Sketchbook drawing

This representation of two lions fighting was a useful tool to be able to see how lions' bodies move and how they move, creep hunt. This will allow a sense of realism in the design and this will benefit the planning of the final piece. 

Figure 5: Sketchbook drawing

I plan to draw a series of different types of deer and study the muscle mass of the deer’s body in order to improve my drawing skills.

I found deer are magnificent, especially the male with large horns.  I want this to give an overwhelming feeling for the viewer.  I am designing a unique deer, based upon many different deer to make this piece more original. 

Unit X - The Brainless Deer; Artist Research

Figure 1: The Circus by Brian Wildsmith, 1930 

I am looking at Brian Wildsmith’s work for inspiration composition of use of colours.

For he is a painter and children ‘s book illustrator, which as my current project are narrative, story – telling, therefore, I think looking at his way of illustration would help me to illustrate the story.  This is the type of career I am considering, and this work is similar in style to what I create. I like the childlike drawing style- it creates a connection to the children as his main audience.  I want the audience to make connections with the animals in my work.

Brian Wildsmith

I am looking at the use of colours and the composition on overall in this painting.  The way the animals sit on the page inspire me.  This drawing style is very detailed.  The composition and scale of the image help the sense of the story.

By looking at this work, there is a potential for a great amount of reader imagination that is facilitated by the depth of visual images.  I plan to illustrate my story in a way that is similar to this, but in thread. 

Figure 3: Sketchbook Drawing

Before developing needlework, I have drawn the deer first then added the lion.

Figure 4: Sketchbook drawing

I then cut out the deer and re drew the lion.  I have developed composition and scale through the drawings. Focusing on spacing between the characters and using Wildsmith as an example.

Unit X - The Brainless Deer

26/04/2016 – I had a meeting with two staffs regarding the Vertical Gallery.

I understand during my working progress, I had a few difficulties, such as for I had experimented my samplings onto different types of found fabrics and some of my samples have been stitched onto light weight fabric, therefore, the outcome were not as up to standard as the heavy weight material.

Figure 1: Planning

Whilst working with scale I am also working with material densities. After my tutorial with my tutor, I have used a piece of found material (Curtain) to work on the final scenes with my narrative folktale. (The Brainless Deer)

Drawing upon a project I undertook last year within a vertical gallery exhibit, I am conscious about the composition affecting the overall piece.  I plan to reuse one of my already made samples within the final piece, and creates the other two characters, the lion and the deer.

I have draw out a blue print to help with my composition.

Figure 2: Planning

I am experimenting with the floral on this fabric as a method to blend the white and green fabric together.   I will develop the portrait of the lion and the deer.  This is based upon a cinematography technique.  It shows control of the fox at the top.  I enjoy playing with this composition.

With using found materials, one thing I did not put into account was the already printed background, it worked well for some of my samplings, but not all.

Figure 3: Sketchbook Drawing

This development of composition and understanding the found material background was too strong, I went back into drawing some more sketchbook work concentrating on the outlines of my in order to bring back more of my drawing element into my samplings.   The blue has been sampled here again as a refernce to death and interconnectedness with the lion.

Figure 4: Sketchbook Drawing

I recreated some of the narrated scenes to develop composition samples. This scene is about asking the fox for a favor and you can see the lion is in the background to show a shift of power from the lion to the fox.  It also shows distance between the characters.

 

Figure 5: Sampling
 

I first hand painted directly onto the fabric to make best use of my compositioning skills development and then hand stitched directly onto the fabric with thread. I also used cornely and Irish machine stitches on the fox and cornely on the deer too.

Figure 6: Sampling

I have used a cotton-based fabric that are similar to the colour of my sketchbook paper.  I am in the process of editing these to look as realistic as my sketchbook drawings look.   I am happy to restart pieces to allow for a perfect final image.  I dislike trying to troubleshoot and fix something.  I have therefore learned to work quickly and to work on smaller scales.  This gives me more control.  Large-scale pieces offer different challenges for intricate stitch work.

Unit X - The Brainless Deer

Figure 1: Hand embroidery

After my tutorial with my tutor, I had the feedback of what needs to improve within my practice.

See figure 1, I need to combine a mixture of machine and hand embroidery and not limit myself with one and other. I am developing scale within my work.  

Figure 2: Sample

The techniques are within my sample, see figure 2. See figure 3.

There seems to be a contradiction in the facial expression of a hunting and stalking lion in this sample.  However, the expression of the Lion are about to kill are not within my drawing nor in the sample.

Figure 3: Sketchbook Drawing

In order to address this issue, I have a conclusion; I plan on using my sketchbook drawing and found materials to create a bigger scale and working towards a final piece rather than singular samples.

Figure 4: Sketchbook Drawing

I have set myself a deadline for creating samples and sketchbook drawings.

Figure 5: Sketchbook Drawing

I plan on create the samples from my two sketchbook drawings then using photocopy to plan them onto fabric to plan a composition for my big scale piece.

Unit X - The Brainless Deer

Figure 1: Sample

Following up my sampling I have first chosen a lightweight fabric to work with. However, it causes too much tension on the stitching during the process.  This had an impact on ho professional the final piece would look. I then solved the problem with cutting around the figures and placed on an heavier weight fabric, which I am pleased with for it creates the winter effect. 

Figure 2: Drawing

I was finding it difficult to draw and capture the front portrait of Lion.

For the final scene of my story, I want the Lion to eat the Deer, but in figure 1, a clam stillness. For it was not sad about the deer. For what is chaos for the deer, is nature for the Lion.

I plan on to have the deer body below the Lion.   I will experiment with different angles of the body and how these can show emotion as much as facial expressions can.  

Figure 3: Sampling. 

I have started to map out my figures through hand-stitch. During the process, I have developed a hand stitch pattern within my design. 

Due to holiday, I have no access to machines, I have decide to hand embroidery. It helps me to decide and see which technique is appropriated for which area.

I plan on to make a start on samples.  I enjoyed hand stitch, it mirrors painting an image and it allows a personal connection and more control over the final look.