Category: Field- Year One

First Texture Experiment

For this early idea I have been mixing water colour paints, calico, and stitch to create a multi media mix sample design.

  • Using the idea of abstract landscape and sky to build up light tone and colour using water colour.
  • Once my paint had dried into the material i decided to add some more dimension and texture using hand sewing and thread.
  • I first added the green thread and then built up the texture with light to dark tones.
  • To extend this work I want to create a patch work of abstract, textured, and patterned squares that I can either drape over object or sew together to create a patchwork piece.

Light and Texture

Following on from my original idea to use Chinese shadow puppets and clay for my final piece I have deiced to look into fabric, stitch, and colour.

  • I want to look into the different patterns and texture with thread and material,
  • The different mixed materials I can use,
  • And the way this links into my own personal style and practice.

 

Material Experimentation

Working with Light as material, texture, and tone. 

For a quick experiment of ideas I am working with light as a physical thing, the use of light as material, for example, bubble wrap, which by definition is a light as there are bubble of air that makes up the material. I have been looking into sewing into the material with light colours and tones.

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To extend this idea more I want to look into sewing into fabric which has been covered in plaster to make up walls for the next part of my project.

Craft In The Bay Visit.

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Work that inspired me:

Looking around the Super Bowls exhibition at Craft In The Bay, I was drawn to the bowls with a little more substance and texture, I was really drawn to the cat bowls with the little faces on the outside of the bowl and beautiful glaze work on the inside. My light project has been focusing around the idea of Chinese shadow puppets, and looking carving into leather heard slip casts before Raku firing and glazing.

Chinese Shadow Puppetry

Origins

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https://www.chineseshadowpuppetry.com/copy-of-history

Shadow Puppetry is said to have originated over two thousand years ago in the Han Dynasty. The most popular origin legend tells of Emperor Han Wudi, who was rendered irrevocably heartsick at the passing of his favourite concubine. One of the wisest advisers saw some children playing in the courtyard with parasols under the midday sun, their simple parasols cast shadows were so lifelike, he was struck with an illuminating idea. He invited the Emperor to a special performance; there he conjured the likeness of the late Empress with such mastery.

Despite its high profile origins in China, shadow puppetry became a people’s art form; it’s simplicity, portability and nighttime performances were perfectly suited for the working classes. Farmers and labourers took up puppeteeting, singing, musical instruments and storytelling. For the past two thousand years, the art form has survived everything from war and famine, regime changes, and the Cultural Revolution.

In its heyday, Chinese shadow puppetry was popular in nearly every province making it one of the most wide-spread folk arts of China. Each region lent their own personality to the art form in everything from aesthetic to musical influences.

 

Light: Water Experiments.

Experimenting with plastic and texture.

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For this light experiment I was working with folding plastic acetate and looking at how natural sunlight casts reflections and textures. I then noticed that the plastic created a water styled texture on my work space wall.

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I was then interested in how the reflected light looked like sound waves and abstract forms, this is an idea that I can play around with and play with colour, ink, and paint, as well as texture.

Glass and Line

Turning my line drawings into glass squares.

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In this workshop I was learning the basics of cutting glass and learning how to paint and place materials between the glass.

To start this process I first drew out guide lines on an A4 sheet of paper,

I then used an oil cutter and ruler to cut down the large plate of glass into a smaller ones, the oil cutter inst centrally set so I had to put the cutter on the glass first and then align the ruler,

After scoring the glass I flipped it over and applying light but firm pressure along the scored lines the glass split,

When I had several pieces of glass I then started to paint my glass sheets.

I then wanted to use my line drawings from the start of the light project and turn them into glass tiles.

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