New Beginnings

Hey guys!

I thought I'd just let you know what I've been up to lately

I've been on Tumblr a lot collecting some inspiration and relaxing after the second year of my FdA course ending!

My Tumblr Page

I'm looking forward to receiving my results and graduation from CCAD!(:

Ecpecially after enduring my last day today, picking everything up and saying goodbye to my tutors and technician, it's a bitter sweet chapter of my life done.

I'm also wanting to start a new project, I often look for inspiration from my surroundings but since I won't be in a workshop during the next few months I would like to start drawing again and maybe developing some ideas from observation. 

I believe the best design has us in mind and our surroundings is something we're in everyday, and although we need function I think making something interesting or giving someone a new outlook always inspires me within design. 

What have you guys been inspired by this week? 

Portfolio Boards

 This board is apart of my project in Level 4 where we were given a selection of words to choose from and I chose Surrealism because I've always been interested in symbolism and conceptual Art and felt it was a great idea translating that into something 3D. In this project I decided to run with a dreams and self conscious route. This board shows a few jewellery samples I played with, using different techniques. Flattening wire worked from automatic drawings I created before bed, hand written words using small dome punches, wrapping wire, using contrasting materials and machine embroidery.

 This board shows a few of my Textiles samples from the same project where I developed symbols in my dreams using acetate, a black pen and hand embroidery.

 This is one of my textiles final pieces which was a transfer I illustrated combining different aspects of my work self consciously arranging it then later applying it to a soft shiny satin which reminded me of a dream work and embroidering then adding copper wire forms coming out of the piece.

This board shows my Jewellery Final piece which was a round fancinator created using copper, I used wire to create aspects of my automatic drawing and words that reflected a mood within my dreams. I used a lions eyes that would hover over our own once it was worn which was a symbol within my dreams. 

This board is one of my first projects from Level 4, where were were given a shape to create our final pieces out of. I was given a triangle and this was my design process board for jewellery. This project was very useful as we explored techniques and it sparked my love for jewellery.

This board represents a group project we were assigned in Level 5 Professional Studies. It was a group project where we were placed into business groups teamed up with Young Enterprise, a company with start-up programmed to help start businesses. 

 Here is some design development from my first project of Level 5 FdA Applied Arts.

This project was based around perspective and developed from my own imagery where I experimented with using metal and distressed plastic to create a fog and different points of view.

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!

Valentines Day & Wedding Photography!

Hello! I hope everyone's having a great Valentines day whatever you're doing.

Today I did some Freelance Photography for some old friends I knew from school.

Here are some of the shots from today, considering it was cold the rain decided to stay away!

Young Enterprise.

This week in professional, in our groups we had to make some prototypes for our Young Enterprise project.

It's been very difficult this year staying on top of everything but I'm excited to hand-in Contextual early this year and have more time concentrating on my studio modules and professional.

I think the Young Enterprise opportunity will be great for my future and give me confidence selling my own work when I'm self employed.

We have a lot of work ahead of us but I think we're managing everything very well.

I've learnt a lot about buyer behavior and the process we go through when purchasing a product.

Here are just some of the prototype rings I made last week.

This week we have to make a buyer behavior profile of the kind of person that would buy our products.

We're wanting to settle in the hand-made/craft fair and new designers market

we also have to link some of our products to trends if we can.

What kind of trends do you like that are happening right now and which ones do you really hate? 

Here is the young enterprise website:

http://www.young-enterprise.org.uk/

Here is Jenni-Lou's website a member of my young enterprise group!

http://jennilouappliedarts.blogspot.co.uk/

First post of October!

This week has been important for decision making, narrowing down what direction I want my first project to go in. I've decided to keep my theme perspective, I'm playing with focus and out of focus objects/scenery. 

I want to play with glazes in Ceramics, today I made some tiles using porcelain slip, ready for next week. I'd like to use my findings, playing with pigment/stains and maybe oxides to find interesting colours, and work out what would fall into my theme. I'd like to experiment with coloured slip also and decals, I to create pieces that look almost 3D when focusing on a detailed part of an object.

I'm really wanting to take more risks this year and use my time I have at uni now to play around as the brief says! I want to push myself out of my comfort zone, using slip and becoming familiar with it and using molds,  even make my own eventually.

Hopefully I can post some pictures of my findings or other samples next week, I hope you're all keeping well and feel free to scroll through my older posts! (:

Kick up the backside..

..we all really need one! 

Today in Professional studies we were taken through our new brief which looks really exciting and scary at the same time!

We're joining a site called Young Enterprise

http://www.young-enterprise.org.uk/

We have to raise £100 in our groups, which we have to convince our tutor the group is beneficial.

Next we will work in our groups each week until February and then we're selling our products in the Metrocentre in Newcastle.

Well I can't wait to dive into this year head first.

I've been slowly building my kit while I have money to invest. I want to use the studios for tasks I can't do at home, this will help me manage my time better since there never seems to be enough of it!

There will be an increase in activity on my blog this year, feeling encouraged!

Hope everyone is keeping well <3

Sketchbook post

Some of my work from my sketchbook I have done this Summer, I have cropped and edited some images of Photoshop for a cleaner look. Most of my work is mixed media, if anyone has any questions about any of the pieces and were wondering how I did any of them just drop a comment and I'll get back to you.

Back to the Drawing board.

Yes, I did sit there and think of that title for 5 minutes. 

This post is about getting back to drawing and being free of assignments and freeing your mind. 

Summer is a great way to practice what you've learnt in the past year and push your new skills!

 I felt like I lost a lot of what I enjoyed doing before such as drawing and painting whilst I was focused on my Uni work but next year I plan on finding a happy medium.

Of course I will be starting work full time again soon but I won't let that fill all my time.

Here's some drawings/painting I've done lately.