For the inspiration board I placed all the images into black and white to create a cohesive design, showing a variety of images showing textures, designs and artists and initial drawing resources .

To create the development boards I have continued to use black and white, photocopying work from my sketch book to show the development from drawings to finished sample.

Also adding yarn wraps and samples of felt to add colour and texture.

Final sample boards showing context.

I am very pleased with these boards with both the final samples and the contextual images I created using collage, I feel these images are much more descriptive and interesting.

Learning to take forward

Continue to develop my sampling board skills, experiment with new ways to show context.

Continue to carry out research, look at how other textile artists and designers  display their work.

The machine knitting worked really well, with good stretch covering the knitting was held in place with spray mount.

Learning to take forward

Experiment covering 3D forms with machine knitting

Research artists working in a similar field

I  wanted to create a crochet pattern based on this design inspired by Beatrice Korlekie design using 3D (although the scans Beatrice had used where of her head)

I initially knitted a tube on the knitting machine using 100% spaced dyed viscose, then crocheted the tube into a circle, adding wire shrouds to emphasis the triangles and added O rings initially  to enable each circle to be connected to the next adding detail and texture.

Learning to take forward

Experiment creating multiples shapes in the beginning to develop

This crocheted sample has not really worked as its quite bulky, this could have easily been solved by early sampling using different weight/size of tube  

Photograph showing machine knitted tube and crocheted sample.

1st felted  sample 40 degree machine wash – fabric felted very well – shrinkage approx. 10%

2nd felted sample  Yarn used – Lambs wool – using metal washers tied into the knitted fabric

   1 washer tore through the felt during the machine wash outcome partially successful

3rd felted sample  Yarn used Lambs wool / Viscose thread – metal washer used to create shape

 Washers remained in the felt ? addition of viscose created a stronger fabric that prevented the tearing.

4th felted sample Yarn used – Lambs wool – Washers fixed in place with elastic bands  40 degree wash

 All washers tore through fabric, created an interesting fabric on the reverse but not suitable for the application. ? The addition of towels to the washing drum caused the problem or the use of elastic bands caused the washers to tear the felt.

5th felted sample Yarn used Lambs wool and Viscose thread – Washers fixed in place with elastic bands -40 degree wash.

 Again all washers tore through the felt,? Use of elastic bands or the addition of towels to the washing cycle. Fabric not suitable for application.

Learning to take forward

Continue to experiment with materials

Small changes can cause difficulties during the making process, again reduce the variables by changing 1 thing at a time

Research “Shibori” felting

Research artist using manipulated surfaces

The children created an instant display of printed African sunsets for their classroom wall using collage and mono printing techniques.

We also looked at creating images using reductive methods, each student coloured a piece of paper with wax crayon and them painted over the wax crayon with acrylic paint, once dried they were able to scratch through the paint to create their African designs.

Photos below show the various types of yarn/thread I tried..

I decided to abandon the use of wire for final samples as I couldn’t get the results I wanted, I have not given up entirely I am sure once I have increased my knitting machine skills I will be able to use wire and create my desired outcomes, but it did force me to look at other types of yarns to enable me to get the effect I wanted, as I was using metallic objects as inspiration I thought initially I should use metal but on a wider search I sourced some viscose from Uppingham yarns giving me the metallic look and very soft fluid texture juxtaposing the metal object.

Learning to take forward..

When learning a new skill keep it simple, reduce the variables by using a consistent material enabling a good skill base to be built , then experiment with materials.

1.Francis Bacon and The Masters at Sainsbury Centre, I was unsure prior to the exhibition if I liked the work of Francis Bacon and knew very little about him but decided to go anyway, I am so glad I did. To see all of his work alongside his inspiration was very informative.

The exhibition had been curated in a way to enable you to enjoy each image alongside his inspiration and to compare them both, to see and to try to understand Bacons thought process.

Attending this exhibition has given me a greater respect for Bacons work, I am able to see the composition and technique in his paintings .

2. Savage Beauty Alexander McQueen at the V&A

This exhibition was amazing, its really hard to put into words, to describe the garments and the curation of this exhibition , a 2 hr. slot is not long enough to take it all in. I had some knowledge of Alexander McQueen and looked at his designs in a previous unit but I had not understood the huge variety of his work.

In this exhibition no sketching, photos where allowed but I was able to purchase the catalogue which I am sure this will become a major resource in the future.

I was able to take photos in other parts of the V&A and in other exhibition’s within the V&A.

Photos taken in What is Luxury Exhibition

 Bubble Bath – Nora Folk – Nylon 2001

 Fragile Future Concrete Chandelier -Studio Drift – 2011 – LEDs, Dandelion seed heads, Plexi glass, Phosphorous Bronze, Electronics MDF.

I found these 2 installation amazing  each for different reason but both show fragility.

Photos taken around the V&A

Photos taken of items that can be touched

I found these exhibits very interesting, I want to explore the elements of surface design and touch in the 3rd year .

An example of Raphael Kim’s work – Microbial prints of Drachma note close-up

Photo taken from – http://biohackanddesign.com/portfolio/biohack-the-economy/

The workshop was split into 2 sessions in the first session we collected DNA strawberries, the strawberries where crushed, the juice was extracted  and chilled neat alcohol was added. The DNA strands could clearly be seen (this was very exciting I had no idea this was possible)

Strawberry DNA in vials                                 Photo showing DNA strands (cloudy area)

Blobs of strawberry DNA

Raphael explained the strawberry DNA could be dried out on a low heat and then harvested, however I think I left mine in the oven for to long and it dried out.

In the second part of the workshop we set out to genetically modify E coli bacteria with genetic material from a jelly fish !!!

The Ecoli bacteria had been special modified to prevent it from causing any health risk if it escaped (it would quickly die in the air). We mixed the E coli with the fluorescent gene from a jelly fish spread the matter onto an agar plate, the plates where incubated overnight.

 My agar plate prior to incubation.

In the next session we where able to view our agar plates with microscope made from a web cam, however the webcams would not work properly and we where not able to connect them up to our laptops to take photos , Raphael managed to get his lap top to connect and we where able to view our plates. My plate had grown E coli but did not fluoresce, I had not managed to genetically modify bacteria.

Learning to take forward..

Continue to take up opportunities to learn and explore

Look across a wider range of disciplines for inspiration

Interesting surface textures created by mixing printing ink with PVA and embossing components into the paper.

I found this a very useful exercise to create a series of prints to develop into textile patterns.

Learning to take forward

Ensure mono prints do not become repetitive

? Use of colour  ?? Black and white is to repetitive

Initially I felt I wasn’t able to find suitable items to draw to relate to my chosen area for this unit as I had chosen Mechanical Components but decided to look at metal artefacts and started to draw Roman Brooches , I carried out a series of timed drawings .

I felt this was not working so decided to look at metal furniture around the castle and started to take rubbings from floor grills, hinges etc.

By combining rubbings I was able to create some very interesting outcomes.

Whilst looking around the Castle I came across the covered well , I felt this was very interesting and wanted to try drawing it .

My first drawing of the well

On discussion with my tutor I realised I had drawn what I thought I saw rather than what was really there..

Second attempt

This worked much better, it shows the depth of the well.

Learning to take forward

Draw what I REALY see rather than what I think I see

Develop drawings by working into them rather than creating an image leaving it and moving on to the next one.