Colour Development.

             23rd January 2012

I really struggled with what colours to use as I have so many different samples I did not really know which one to use as a colour pallet.  Therefore, as I was struggling I decided to do as many colour matches as I colour and did this until I found one I was happy with. When I looked at the straws on the mesh there was a great amount of silvers and whites and I liked this so then I wanted a contrast with colours for example the silver with the bold mustard and purple

Blog Task.

19th January 2012

When I initially got the project brief I was excited, as I love producing samples, when it comes to working I love making and doing, I love the idea of something different each time to develop my ideas. I was excited to explore the different colours and materials. As I had hand processes, I was motivated to use a range of different materials and discover new textures. When I first started the project I was excited and was so involved with it, this has not changed, each day I love making something new, and getting all kinds of different ideas, developing in this project is key as you would have no samples and this is what I really love.

Before I started this project I found it hard to understand the idea of opposites, I read the list provided and I had no ideas come to me. I did try to think of my own opposites, I also tried to think of a theme to work around but this also gave me no inspiration, so picking the opposites was the hardest thing for me. However, I started to start producing samples, as I would then fix the opposite around that. I first did the French knots and then the big straw sculpture and then I came to me that my opposite should be ordered and chaos. What I have learnt from this is if I am struggling to think of ideas to just start making as many samples as I can and then work around them. 

The reason I picked hand processes was that I really liked the idea of using new and excited materials. While doing my past workshops I would see people doing hand processes and it would always look so much fun and different. I chose hand processes late on as I wanted to build up my knowledge which I could then incorporate with hand processes, for example my 3d construction I did for my first workshop has helped me so much with making my samples 3d and it has also helped my scale. I also did felt which gave me an understanding of a new material to me. I was given the task of going to pound land and to buy some cheap objects that I could work with. I chose some washing line wire as I liked the colours, I also chose a box of straws I was drawn to them as there were some many of them in a pack, the last object I bought was a metal siz I liked the way I could embellish it.

In this project I have not used my sketch book as much as I would normal, I cannot decided if this is because I am doing hand processes and I am doing my drawings by making or if I just do not know what to draw in my sketchbook. Now I have started to make my samples and can now begin to start drawing them and scanning them and then working into them. I love doing a sketch and now I have come to an idea of were my samples are going I can carry on with my book.  

Sample Develpoment

19th January 2012



 I started to produce these samples, which were very successful on their own. However, i started to play around with the compotation and see if layering the samples on top of each other, which has really improved my samples and made them a lot stronger. The idea of seeing through the metal mesh to the one behind it is so interesting. I have placed all my samples on the window, the idea of the sunlight working alongside my samples is very interesting, the different shapes and pattern created by shadow is so inspiring. My samples are all coming very 3d, i like the idea of being able to get up and close to my work and almost be part of my work.

Wild Card.

19th January 2012

Today in my drawing workshop I was asked to bring in a Kinder Surprise a brown bag and Gouache paint, we did this to take a break from our projects and hopefully give us a fresh idea and to maybe take us in a different direction. I opened my kinder egg and placed everything out in a order and photographed them in different positions. I then started to draw the objects inside the egg with just a colouring pencil, the funny thing was that even thought this was meant to be a break from my project I kept bringing it back to my opposites. In my drawings, i was doing blind drawings in colour, which looked very messy, and then I did drawings on top of this, which were very linier and straight lines. The drawing was also layered; I have been layering many of my samples while showing them. It was good to see that even when I am told to do something I automatically started to do what I am good that. I did not realise how obvious my work is until I look at it all together, there is such a strong story in my work. The wild card task was good to step away from my project. However, i sometimes got slightly bored and want to start doing my work, which I felt at the time, had to be done. I felt slightly guilty when doing the task as I felt my time could have been spent doing my project, but now I have looked back at this I realise that this was important for me to do.

Sample Develpoment

19th January 2012



Turner Prize 2011.

18th January 2012

Karla Black / Martin Boyce / Hilary Lloyd / George Shaw

Over Christmas, I visited the Baltic in Newcastle to see the Turner prize, it was great to see the work of up and coming artists. The piece I found most inspiring was of Karla Black, what i liked most about the work was the light pastel colours used in such a dramatic way. The material she used allowed me to get really up close to the work and almost get involved with. The sculptures are so alive and dominate the space, the room the work was in was very small, however the piece made the room seem bigger. Part of the sculpture was suspended from the ceiling to allow use to see the colours at eye level and so we can look closer and see more that we could not if higher. The composition of the work is very chaotic and seems to not have any thought in it, but when you look closer, you can see that it has been clearly planned and thought about. I really like the idea of a sculpture looking as if it is just made within seconds and looks easy to make however, it is the way it is after hours of planning and development. This links slightly with my straw piece as all it is straws linking together, but I really thought about it before making, as I had to think about what shapes I wanted to create with the straws and how big I would want the sculpture. When I first saw Karla Blacks work, it was as if I was in a magical place where everything is soft and alive. The sculptures look almost like blown up sweets and candyfloss. The more I looked at it the more i fell in love with the soft colours and the freedom of it.

Sarah Sze.

12th January 2012

Story in my Work.

9th January 2012

Today we looked at the story created by our samples, looking back to both projects. I started to see the links in my work when i started taking photographs. When i look at my first sample of the year in 3d construction it is very sharp and linear, using the metal mesh, you can see from looking at this sample i like to work in a 3d way. My second workshop was felt. A lot of my samples are very flat and i really did not enjoy this way of working. So at the end you can see me beginning to make my felt more 3d with the felt balls. I really did not know i was so 3d influenced. When you look at my work it shows i like to work with bright colours, even when i introduced small hints with the bold pinks and blues in my felt. I did not notice how much metal i used in my work until i layed it all out on a white sheet of paper and photographed it all. In my current workshop i also saw the link with my past samples which included colour and metal. With one of my newest samples i have sewed piece of straw into mesh when i looked back it linked well with my first pieces.

With my current project being chaos and ordered using the mesh worked really well as the mesh is very straight, linear and repetitive, with the chaos on the top is really successful. I have also explored knitting in my new workshop. I have used washing line wire as this is stronger and makes much more interesting shapes. The story behind my work is the obvious metal. It is so strong in all my pieces. I never planned to use it in my new project it just happened. I was told to go to pound land and buy cheap objects and i bought the metal mesh i never really thought about it linking, i also never thought it would be so important but it is and i find it very successful.

The story at the start is my 3d construction with the metal strip with lots of triangles and metal rods. i used metal in my felt so i could link my projects with both workshops, and once again i have used the metal in my hand processes by total accident. I do not know yet if i want to continue using the mesh yet. I really like the straw piece i have done, so i still need to develop both ideas to see which one i like most.

The second story in my work has to be transparency. In my first sample i used the mesh and with all straws being so fine it is allowing you to see through and with my felt pieces you can also do this with it be so delicate i fine, I have also used some of the mesh in my felt samples. In hand processes with my straw structure it has many gaps and spaces to see through. The straw piece is so sharp and straight and the gaps become very interesting as you can see behind. What has changed in my work is scale and my work has become a lot more 3d you can see my development.