Breathe in, breathe out

I've been doing a lot of panicking lately but it's nothing I don't expect of final projects especially my final project of Level 5 and my foundation course.
I have been very inspired this week even if I've been stressing out over deadlines!
It's very inspiring when someone comes in and answers questions that have been on your mind for sometimes, such as how do you get your work out there? how do you submit your collection to be displayed at a gallery? how does that effect our costs?
Jane Needham came in this week and spoke to us about "The Craft Centre and Design Gallery"in Leeds and how they process collections and what they're looking for, this is a great motivation for designer makers, it gives us a starting point and a great beginning for a business.

Anyway here are a few images I took today from my hand in and some  close-ups!(:

Developing Structures!

Well I've not updated my blog in a while, shame on me!

I have been working on my last project of this year and loving been in the workshops and experimenting with materials once again.

My concept for this project is Structures and comparing buildings to the human structure.

I've been focusing on the features of each and selecting my own  photos and using anatomy books for inspiration. 

Looking into our Skeleton and using this as a starting point for my samples to develop.

Here are some of my samples so far and my bay!

Right now I'm at the development stage of my project so I need to finalize my concept and start designing!

Mixing it up.

This week I have thought long and hard about what I want to make after taking considerations into order, such as time, materials and my concept.

I have decided to stray away my shoulder/brooch piece.

I want the main part of my design to highlight my circular layered piece that shows the point of field perception I have developed from the start, I've decided to go along with making a collectors item, something that you could display, collect and exhibit. 

I want people to look at this object and feel the same emotions you have when looking at a scenic view, or a nostalgic thought for a place or time in their life.

Here's my bay, I've arranged it and narrowed it down to samples I find interesting and that can relate to eachother, although I will be sticking to the circular shaped piece as the main feature I'm still working on what materials I'm wanting to use for the handle, I've researched into magnify glasses and vintage glasses with handles and believe I could do something quite unique with this object.

Here are a couple of the maquettes I've made this week using card and polypropylene.

Into The Swing of Things

This week has been much more relaxing than any other week and I think that's because the weeks of experimentation are winding down but I've been more organised in textiles because it's not my strongest subject so I had an idea of drawing a mini design for a sample down in my sketchbook ready for my workshop days, then going ahead and making it or just playing and improvising.

I've enjoyed working as a group in textiles on our mini brief and also looking at textiles in a new light. Last year I struggled thinking about what I could make in textiles because it was difficult to make it 3D and something different and contemporary.

I've been using polypropylene and wire as structural bases then think materials such as stretchy plastics, elastic, fishing wire and slightly transparent cotton materials.

From Hand To Heart.

So far this project has been quite challenging, from taking something that's in my head and making it visual, forgetting what looks right and what looks pretty and just going along with my subconscious mind has been interesting to dip into. Down below are a few of the samples I've created this week, after Easter break(2 weeks) I will have 4 weeks to complete this project and a final piece.

In the holidays I'm going to start sketching ideas, collaging and being ready to get into the studios and make something amazing(: Talking with my tutors we came up with the concept of contrasting something real along side my work that's surreal and different.

Dream-like world update

So on Tuesday we were encouraged to decorate our bays. We had a sneaky look at Textiles', their bays were a lot larger than ours but I do find I like to work in one spot and have grown to love the size and layout of my bay. I wanted to mix my inspiration up and try and create a space I go to for ideas, so this is what it currently looks like.

I really love this project and I'm trying to mix the Circus theme with my dreams, I want to create a TV-like box and create scenes, mixing objects or feelings with symbols and think about the meanings.

I have a few samples so far but I've been busy with doing Contextual work. I think this idea links in with Surrealism and the paintings I have in my research. 

Here I embroidered a Lion with a very colourful maine, the idea behind this came when I was looking into the old circus animals and I wanted to combine the clowns essence with the animals. This piece took a very long time, a few sittings but I was excited to see the turnout.

Here I thinned out copper and using pliers I manipulated it into a rose shape- this sample links in with a dream I had about elaborate makeup and the design on my face was huge roses with swirls but being late for work and thinking I couldn't go in like this so in the end I didn't go, ironically I was speaking a few days earlier about wanting to quit my job and not being able to wait until I can work in something I really love.I believe the meaning behind this was trying to standout and wanting to quit my  job because it doesn't satisfy my creative needs.

I will update with the ceramics pieces soon,  I glazed some mono prints earlier this week and can't wait to see how they turned out. It's the first time I  have mono-printed or glazed anything!

Inspiration for my Bay

My bay right now(:

All of my images are from this book..

The circus.

So for my second and last project this year I've decided to base my project around The Circus. I wanted to incoperate broken toys and the performing animals markings with keeping the word surealism in mind. Today my tutor was ill so I had a whole day to sit in my bay and buckle down drawing. In our liabry at CCAD there was a huge(really heavy!) book with beautiful photography of old performers in all their glory. I've forgotten the name of the book but luckily you can't take it out on loan, so I will have to go back and look again.