Large scale sample, wall selections ....

Examples of my wall space, approaching completion of sampling ...

Embroidery sample development...

I aimed for the remaining week of sampling, to push my samples, in order to mimic aspects that have proved successful in my drawings. To do this I experimented with colour further, printing hand painted versions of my favourite sections of my drawings onto different silks, and embroidering into these heavily, layering colour and forming textures.the photographs taken when 'manipulating feathers' helped influence this development greatly. I hope to produce a large scale sample in relation to this which will echo the most successful areas of this stage progression.

In reflection, when considering my progress to date, it is clear I follow a fairly strict working method. I am constantly inspired by visual research that surrounds me in everyday life, here visiting a friends hawk, and viewing local averies,  and continue to draw from such evidence, continuously creating marks, exploring colour and tone, which provides me with a set of imagery that informs the development of samples. In this unit I have challenged myself by producing large scale drawing, juxtaposing quick, loose mark making with accurate studies of my chosen theme, which proved vital in the success of this project. By continuing to add to my collection of drawings, I provided myself with a varied collection of imagery, and a broad set of marks to choose from when selecting areas of success to then echo in the development of samples. Contextualising practice has continued to affect my progress, this unit focusing on scale, I took risks, manipulating feathers, and using photography to challange the scale of imagery, something I would tend not to move towards usually. The outcomes however proved worthwhile, such ideas influenced my samples greatly and gave another dimension to my body of work.  My embroidery samples compliment print ideas well, the use of layering and creation of texture in embroidery contrast agaisnt the two dimentional, low relief print samples.  My colour pallates are defined throughtout, and a theme is clearly evident. In hind sight I would of liked to produce more sucessful print designs, and with more time would have developed the hand painted screen technique which proved more relevant to my style of work, and as embroided samples were extremely time consuming, I would of liked to have dweveloped a more dense collection.

Hand painting printed onto light cotton, satin stitch, corded threads.

Hand painting printed onto silk, satin stitch, tailor tack. corded threads.

Small pin tuck.

Small and Large pin tuck.

Exploring mark making, creating tools...

For this weeks drawing task, we were to use everyday objects; sponges, wire, poles, threads, tooth brushes, to create diverse drawing tools in order to Broaden our mark making, I found this session one of the most useful to date as I produced several successful large scale drawings and explored a range a marks that described my theme of feathers well, i continued to use such methods and developed a collection of studies to aid my development ....

Colour Strips

Creating surfaces, bonding fabrics, forming texture, mixing colour ....

SAMPLE developments ...

Exploring colour further, and finally beginning to create texture....

Tailor tack, satin stitch varied widths, corded threads.

Small pin tuck on dip dyed wool.

Small pin tuck, large, satin stitch, tailor tack on calico.

Contexually I have been looking at the work of  Alison Bell, her designs below have inspired me to encorporate aspects of my drawings into my embroidery samples, I like the way she has printed onto silk, combining print and photography, I therefore think my 'manipulation of feather photographs' will aid my development of samples .....

http://www.alisonbell.co.uk/index2.html



Harris Hawk ....

More visual research, exploring from life, the harsh marks and daunting tones found in a friends Harris hawk... More drawings to follow ...

(4b, 6b, 2b pencil)

(compressed charcoal)

Manipulation

Whilst reflecting on past drawing sessions I began to revisit the idea of deconstruction... When experimenting with feathers I had collected, the phrases ' to burn', ' to wrap' and 'to paint' had soon led to the manipulation of existing forms and tones!! This experimentation also allowed me to explore the effect of scale, such minute feathers appear powerful....

Jay birds

To further my visual research I have studies stuffed jay birds from life using a selection of mark making to explore its qualities.....