Origins Inspiration

Today a very close friend of mine, also studying art, came over to Manchester, and we decided to go and explore some of the galleries in Manchester for the afternoon. The most inspiring part of the day was finding this stack of beautiful vintage suitcases, in the Manchester Art Gallery. I feel that they will link beautifully in with my journeys sketchbook work. I am going to draw a collection of these objects and produce some expressive pieces, using water coloured paints, ink and fine-liner. It may also be a possibility to incorporate some actual luggage tags into the piece, to give a more personal touch to the pieces.

Machine Embroidery: Pin-Tuck Machine

I really enjoyed today's double needle and pin-tuck foot tutorial. The images below show my first attempts at sampling with this technique. I particularly enjoyed experimenting with the different weights of fabrics and corresponding feet/ needles, as each gave a variety of results. The way that the samples ended today, has inspired me to continue with this technique, experimenting with more thicknesses and fabrics in order to see the results.

Machine Embroidery Critique

This morning we were asked to have our eighteen new samples of edited work on the wall for a critique. I really enjoyed talking through my new samples- I felt that this week I have worked a lot harder, and listened to the advice that I was given last week regarding editing down my ideas and not putting too much detail into my pieces. I have also really enjoyed learning how to combine the tailor-tacking  stitches with the previous techniques that we've been taught over the past three weeks. Sampling has allowed my to realise where I am going right/ wrong with my pieces, and how to see the possibilities of the different techniques that we have been taught.

So far, my favourite technique is definitely using the embellishing machine. I love the way that the fibres are able to bond together, especially the lighter-weighted materials, as the machine allows total lack of control over how the end result will look.

Exhibition: Unit Twelve

This weekend I was able to visit the new exhibition at Unit Twelve. At the moment the exhibition is showing a range of local artists that have been chosen to showcase their work. Artist, Dionne Swift's work was the first that caught my eye. She is exhibiting two large silk screens, mono-printed onto calico and finished with machine stitch. I chose to look at these pieces as I am still taking part in my textiles world of embroidery. I love the way that the artist has used stitching in order to create a surface filled with texture and movement, as well as an equally beautiful colour palette.

Machine Embroidery: Tailor-Tack

For the next part of our machine embroidery course, we were asked to use the art of editing from our first samples, to create eighteen new samples. This week we were introduced to the tailor-tacking foot, and embellishing machine- two pieces of equipment that I've loved using and developing my ideas with. I feel that the below images are the best developed samples of work- I am fascinated with the collaborations that have been produced with both new techniques. If I have chance, I'd like to continue developing the selected samples further- maybe inverting the thread/ fabric colours in order to see the difference that this would create.

Machine Embroidery Critique

In the previous blog post I discussed that I needed to look at the term 'simplicity'. My task for this week is to look closely at the idea of editing my work,  therefore I decided to focus on one of my previous samples, and look closely at the ways that it could be split into more than one sample. This way I will be able to show my detailing without over-complicating my pieces.

Machine Embroidery Critique

Today we were able to put up our first machine embroidery samples onto the walls and critique our work. These samples were based upon fifteen drawings that we achieved in our first week of starting the course- using black oil bar, we were asked to interpret set sentences into a physical form of drawing, for example 'a twisted line that cuts the surface in half'. We were able to use a gray scale of materials and threads in order to achieve this. 

I found the critique very helpful and constructive when assessing my work- it was reassuring to hear positive comments about my pieces, and to be able to understand areas that I need to develop. I have a way of adding too much detail into my pieces, and learnt that it is more beneficial to be able to read what a piece is saying if it has less detailing in, as some of my pieces could easily be described as 'ten samples in one'.

A piece of advice that I found to be extremely useful regarding my attention to detailing was to photograph the pieces with a large lens, and create samples using parts of my pieces. With this advice, the next batch of samples that I am going to create shall be based around the term: 'simplicity'. I am really looking forward to manipulating my usual working methods and trying to use a more forward meaning in my pieces this week through the art of editing.

Exhibition: David Shrigley

10th October

HOW ARE YOU FEELING?

AN EXHIBITION OF STUFF BY

DAVID SHRIGLEY

AT CORNERHOUSE IN MANCHESTER

Today has been a very dull and rainy day in Manchester, so my flatmate and I decided to take a trip the Cornerhouse for a little inspiration. David Shrigley's 'How Are You Feeling?' exhibition is currently being shown- not the type of work that I am usually interested in, however I found a lot of his pieces ever so fascinating to read into and interpret in my own way. It is very clear that his pieces are packed with emotion, created, I believe through his own personal journey in life. The idea of journey held great inspiration for our own current unit, making me think about maybe incorporating my own emotion into some of my pieces. I enjoyed looking at David's use of lines and text, with many of the pieces holding very meaningful quotations and drawings.

Hand Embroidery Samples

I have been developing my technical file this week, learning french knots, fly stitch and chain stitch. My favourite stitches are the french knots- though a little fiddly at first, when building up an image their details become very intriguing. The below photographs show my interpretations of the given stitches, I am looking forward to incorporating these into my work.

Artist Research: Julia Jowett

This weekend I managed a trip home, and happily accepted the chance to have a look around my local gallery, Unit Twelve. It is my absolute favourite place to spend days looking at the beautiful art work and feel super inspired. As I am currently halfway through my Origins unit, looking at embroidery, I focused on the work of Julia Jowett.

I find her work very inspiring; her use of hand embroidery is incredible. Using gauzed material, Julia stitches all of her pieces of fabrics- the details are so intricate, and the amount of time that it takes to produce the pieces is outstanding. I am also very interested in the way that she uses wire, and creates a line with the material- I think that it could be very interesting to manipulate fabrics and threads in a way of creating repeat patterns.

Exhibition: Great Northern Contemporary

Since living in Manchester, I have found that it is impossible to ever be stuck for something craft-related to see/ experience in any free time I may have. This weekend I was lucky enough to be invited to the Great Northern by one of my friends that was holding a stall there. The GNCCF is an event that I have always admired, and read fantastic reviews about, so having such an opportunity on my doorstep would have been silly to have missed.

The fair was packed with a host of inspirational and amazing crafts people, working with every imaginable media- paper, embroidery, sculptor, metal. It was a fantastic even to be able to speak to a variety of these artists about their experiences in the art world, and even more wonderful to hear that a vast majority had in the past graduated from MMU. Two artists that I really enjoyed talking to were Holly Levell and Katie Almond. I have always been a fan of their art, so being able to speak to them both was amazing. I would love to be able to have my own stall here in the near future!

Hand Embroidery Samples

For the first three weeks of my Embroidery unit, we are learning the basic methods of hand stitch. I have always been very comfortable using stitch, however I tend to use machine in my work as I find it less time-consuming. My favourite part about hand embroidery is the relaxed and personal feel that can be found in each piece of work. 

Today we have been looking at the exploration of stitch through different materials, using straight, ladder and chain stitch in our own personal styles. It was interesting looking at how each other the fabrics took to the use of threads, and how the thread was able to manipulate the fabric. After doing this, I then went back to my sketchbook, and began to chain stitch through some of my previous sketchbook samples, following the original lines on the dress-making patterns- manipulating the paper and stitch to incorporate with the idea of weather.