FINAL REFLECTIONS
The hopes I expressed on starting out...
- to enjoy it
- to learn ...and to develop
- my own personal imagery and visual vocabulary
- an energised and personal approach to design
- an effective and enjoyable working method
- an understanding and appreciation of the textile world
- to have my work assessed towards a Degree
- to relish the creative journey and find my voice.
Looking back at ''my hopes, I think some of them were quite results focussed and expressed more what I would hope to have achieved on completing the overall degree rather than what I expected to get from the Creative Approach module itself.
Having completed this first step, my attitude has shifted and I recognise that the important thing is not to get the course finished and done, rather the value is in being open to the richness of the experience and learning along the way.
l've also learned a lot of valuable lessons:
- I learn best by doing
- I'm happiest when creating
- Failure is still a step forward
- Have the confidence to be inspired, not intimidated, by the work of others.
- Have faith in yourself : close your eyes, jump in, enjoy the swim.
At times during the course I felt emotionally blocked in and found I didn't feel at all spontaneous or creative. Then at the start of this final project, when I was reviewing the work I'd done, I was worried that I hadn't enough to show for my time spent doing the course.
Now, having completed the finished piece, I realise how far I've come and truly appreciate how I've grown in learning and confidence.
I also realise that that I need to strike a balance between working through course material and allowing myself the freedom to take risks, to play and ultimately to truly express myself.
l relish the next stage of the journey.
Project 10 A Design Project
I've really enjoyed this project and though I took a
long and winding road, I'm very happy with where I've ended up.
My finished piece, 'kitchen'', is a little fabric book
based on a short poem I wrote.
In Assessment Submission |
The core idea is that of the kitchen as a place of
loneliness and isolation due to loss and separation.
Rationale
I had experienced this myself, both in my house and my mother's, as she moved through illness to death. When working through my theme book I was struck by how the kitchen is
usually portrayed as the happy bustling place of childhood.
I felt that the kitchen can be a whole other
place....sometimes the vortex of domestic violence and often a cold and lonely
place with the days of the extended family and close community all but gone.
Whereas not too long ago families grew up and settled
locally, today many families are scattered with the wind, often leaving the
elderly bereft : alone with their memories and fears.
Communities have also become more fragmented with
people interacting less and less: nowadays many of us don't know our neighbours
and we can be surrounded by people, but have little or no meaningful human
contact day to day.
Route
1 was happy with the individual components , but the
overall composition just didn't work and didn't capture the feeling I was
trying to evoke .
1 had been looking at an OCA video where Pat Maloney
reviewed the beautiful work of Jackie Limm. One of the things Jackie said she'd
learnt was'' If it really doesn't work out, start again'' ....and that was what
l felt I needed to do.
I was reviewing the storyboard to try and see where I
went wrong , when I was struck by the poignancy of the stark image and the
resonant words.
While trying to get to the essence of what I was
trying to capture, I found 1 expressed it best in a poem ''kitchen'' which
almost immediately threw up 4 few compelling images, which I developed as stencils.
I decided to work up a small fabric book
which would illustrate the lines of the poem, done in the style of stills from
a silent film.
I hope I have succeeded.
REVIEW OF THE PROCESS
Progression
Though I took a circuitous route, I can see a clear
line of progression from my theme book through to the finished piece. The
original image provided the idea for the stencils and my thinking around my theme
book prompted the core idea and the poem, giving me plenty to sustain me.
Choices/ Decisions
I feel I made the right choices eventually after my
initial false start.
In restarting I was very conscious of trying to avoid over-
complication, which certainly had caused problems with my first attempt.
I had wanted to try combining print and stitch and
like how the stark flat prints contrast with the textured stitched pages. I lfeel the crazy stitching conveys the underlying distress of loneliness.
I also enjoyed working up a series.
Finally, I'm really happy that I tried a new format by doing a book : it is tactile and stimulates visually, mentally and emotionally . I love being able to hold and touch the finished piece.
I also enjoyed working up a series.
Finally, I'm really happy that I tried a new format by doing a book : it is tactile and stimulates visually, mentally and emotionally . I love being able to hold and touch the finished piece.
Other Ideas
I came up with lots of different ideas when working
through my theme book. Some are at a very early stage, but I there is one I
really liked and plan to work on later : a 3D textile possibly woven in metal
wool if that's feasible.
I'd have liked to try it for my final piece, but had no luck when I researched possible approaches in my books and on the internet. 1'll have to dig deeper and have included a print out in the final section of my folder.
I'd have liked to try it for my final piece, but had no luck when I researched possible approaches in my books and on the internet. 1'll have to dig deeper and have included a print out in the final section of my folder.
I found the stage where I came up
with the concept and format most exciting. I also really enjoyed translating these into
something concrete : designing and
printing the stencils and painting and stitching the text pages.
For my finished piece, I found the tidying up the
hardest: getting the folds to match, lining up text etc. This took much
longer than I had expected and I need to get better at this.
I also had terrible difficulty just printing the text...I tried a number of approaches...eg.letter stamps, bondaweb, but none worked. I finally used carbon paper to transfer the writing onto white cotton and ironed it to fix it - some was quite faint so I had to trace over it..hence the wobbly effect in places. I'll have to come up with a better solution for the future.
I also had terrible difficulty just printing the text...I tried a number of approaches...eg.letter stamps, bondaweb, but none worked. I finally used carbon paper to transfer the writing onto white cotton and ironed it to fix it - some was quite faint so I had to trace over it..hence the wobbly effect in places. I'll have to come up with a better solution for the future.
I also found the
storyboard difficult: it took me a good while to come up with a layout which
gave the required information succinctly.
In Assessment Submission |
In the case of the first piece where I tried I tried
and failed, the most difficult part was when the components which seemed to
work individually, just didn't work as a composition when put together and I
couldn't find any way out.
Feelings about
my finished piece
I really like my little book:
Strengths : the format*, the
tone, the contrast in colour and texture between the visuals and the text pages, the fact that it appeals on
a number of levels ( can be held and read.)
Note: * I planned to stitch the pages together but
have decided to use fasteners instead because I also like it stretched out as a panel.
I'm trying to come up with a method whereby it could be dual purpose - book or panel depending on my mood, maybe having it tied something like a Roman blind. I appreciate I'd have to cover the back of the pages if I find a folding /extending solution.
Extract from book as a panel. |
I'm trying to come up with a method whereby it could be dual purpose - book or panel depending on my mood, maybe having it tied something like a Roman blind. I appreciate I'd have to cover the back of the pages if I find a folding /extending solution.
Weaknesses: the finishing, the text and possibly the colour
scheme - while I like the monochrome effect, and feel the blue heightens the
bleakness, I'm not sure the colour I
picked is the most effective or appealing for the purpose.
Tutor's Report
Tutor's Report
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