FDA Final Major Project

Vis

Saturday 6th April

"Final Major Project"

In our final stages of our Foundation Degree now, we are now into our 'Final Major Project' 

For this unit we will experience the whole creative arts process. We as a group will work together to produce creative solutions to communicate problems and prepare work for presentation at a venue. We will manage the creative process with reference to industry.
It gives us the opportunity to develop a project that builds on all the creative Practice units from the course. I will be able to reflect and develop Artwork that builds on my areas of interest and specialism.
The Project focuses upon collaborative practice, resulting in a group exhibition. We as a group will have to work together to agree a theme and location for the Exhibition, whilst identifying and resolving any practical considerations that occur as the process develops.

WATCH THIS SPACE FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS!!

Carol xx



14th April,2013

After a group meeting we decided that the theme of the Final Project would be  a "Sense of Place"


STATEMENT OF INTENT

"Sense of Place"

The brief entitled a "Sense of Place"
After our visit to Castlefield Gallery and surrounding area, I decided it might be a good idea to base my brief on Castlefield it self.
As we are proposing to exhibit our Final Major Project at the Castlefield Gallery and we will hopefully have a lot of local people and artists visiting the Exhibition I would like to concentrate on the Castlefield area, this will give a sense of familliarality to those visiting.
The Castlefield Gallery has a selection of different areas that would accommodate larger pieces of Art work and I feel that I would like to produce a rectangular shape wall hanging, this would be hung from a pole type fixing and would consist of cotton, calico and felt with other sheer materials and voile and netting, also embelishments to make the hanging very creative.
I have taken preliminary photos and sketches of the Gallery's surrounding area and I feel I have enough material along with some research information and details to continue with my initial sketches and designs.
I also plan to use my blog to detail my developments and give a clear picture of how my idea will come to it's finished outcome.
I will write an Action Plan to help with my organising and development skills, but this may change as I progresss with my ideas and experimenting. ``this will be documented by way of a diary or on my Blog!!

At first thought I would like to make a rectangular wall hanging to include the Bridgewater canal this would be the central element and then added around and along side this trail the Roman Fort, the first passenger train and the industrial lanscape including stained brick and rusting cast-iron relics of canals and viaducts, bridges, warehouses and market buildings. Colours will be dictated from the images and sketches and photos that I may use and also the sandstone colour I feel I would like to include.
Materials will include a range of mixed media materials and also fabric paints and coloured hand-dyed threads, beads and specialist photo-transfer paper, silk, voile, netting and hand made felt to embelish with. I may do a bit of 'slashing' to reveal under layers of interest.
I feel it could almost be a "passage of time".
I don't want it to appear quilt like but maybe more map like with a creative feel to it.

I will research local Artists and also Artists who have chosen to use Castlefield as their chosen brief, looking at their techniques used and colour palette and materials used for their Art work.
I may choose to include some of the techniques used and experiment with new ideas also. This will include Rob Wilson, Mike Bernard, Textile Artist, Alice Kettle, who herself has designed and made large Wall Hangings.
This wall hanging will be a first for me in this size, as usually I work on a smaller scale, so this will be a personal challenge.

Carol xxx

Images taken at Castlefield, that may feature in my work.

Sandstone 

A regular visitor by the Canal

Buildings around Castlefield

Gate way to where?

One of the many bridges along the Canal

Canal Barge

The Castlefield Gallery

Repairs to the Turrets and buildings

Interesting, definetly using this image.

Looking out over the Canal

A rusty sign post

Granada Studio Tours

Studio Tours

Science and Industry Museum

KEEP WATCHING!!

   XXXXX


15th April, 2013

Action Plan

I have listed a few ideas for working on:-

To visit the Castlefield Area.

To make preliminary sketches and take digital images of the surrounding area.

To research into local Artists.

To research Artists who have chosen Castlefield as their subject for an Art piece.

To research the local history.

To prepare a mind-map to decide what images may be used.

To visit the Castlefield Gallery to determine where I may want as in space for my piece of Art work to be displayed.

To decide on what materials I may use in my work and to experiment with different paints and cottons and materials, as to determine the best product to use to get the best effect on my piece of Art work.

To look and assess colours that I may use and suitability on different fabrics.

To draw up a design on a rectangular piece of design paper, to plot the size and area I am working with.

To decide on flexibility of fabric and decide if the piece needs to be backed in any way to re-enforce the material so it may hang straight down from a central point.

To keep a regular diary of my experiments and my progress.

To make regular entries on my Blog.


16th May, 2013

Here are some images of the start of my final piece,I firstly decided on a size to work at, must go large!! 
I painted the cotton with Dylon brown fabric paint, and also splashes of sepia coloured ink.
I left the cotton to dry, I had used a small sponge roller which seemed to soak up the paint, using a whole bottle of ink and Dylon Fabric paint.
I then used the clean roller to add bronze and gold to highlight the cotton adding a glimmer to the fabric. Leaving this to dry again I then used a deeper coloured bronze to roller for effect.

After the cotton had dried thoroughly, I then ironed it to fix the colour in the cotton and to take the creases out.

I then used the chosen images to flip on my mac and then I could print them onto transfer paper, this is so when I iron the paper onto the cotton the image is the right way round.

I also did the same with a map of Castlefield, which I had scanned into my mac, flipped the image and added also to transfer paper, I also changed the colour to sepia instead of a white map.



Now was the time to decide where the images would be placed on the cotton, this has taken almost a day to make up my mind.

I didn't really like the piece as it looked like a dirty piece of cotton with pictures randomly scattered!

I then had printed off the map in sepia, but this looked yellow in colour, I was a bit hesitent to add to the cotton in fear that it looked rubbish and didn't fit in.
I decided to just go for it.
\

It looks a little better, but I decided it was going to be a little floppy so I would have to take action on purchasing a canvas to use as a frame. After a panic and a look on the internet, I thought that it was going to be a mad dash to get this canvas, Where from!!
Fortunately Michelle came to my aid and had one the right size in stock at the Studio, so I could purchase it off her. "THANK-YOU MICHELLE" A life saver xx

To carry on with this wonderful final piece!! Why did I decide to go big? Never again.

I then decided to embellish the piece, but next problem was that the images that had been transferred were plastic like on the cotton and I feared that the needle would wreck the whole image. I then decided to apply some adhesive to the image where I wanted the Felt/wool tops to go, this looked quite effective, I could then stitch into the image by hand. I will have to be careful with the piece not to crease the other images on the cotton.

What do you think? Some stitch and it will look ok!

Stitches were added to the images, long stitch, seeding stitch and french knots, looking good on top of the felt/wool tops.
I decided to use long stitch for the gate, this was because I didn't want a break in the stitch. It looked more effective.
The pictures don't really show the detail clearly. The bricks also look good with the outlining, it show's up the detail.

 The bicycle was outlined with silver grey threads in backstitch.
It does bring out the detail on the metal bike.
I also decided to do long stitch on the branches of the trees in a combination of brown shades.Again it highlights the trees in the background.

The Castlefield Gallery transfer, was quite a dark image so I felt I needed to lift it, I decided to stitch the bulb of the street lamp a light grey in satin stitch then overstitched with a silver thread.I also did the same with the lettering up the side of the Gallery building.
It looks a little better but still dull.

More stitching on the detail of the gate with beads added and the bricks outlined with a taupe/putty colour to enhance the arch detail.
The french knots on the last image,  bring out the foliage detail, more work to be done yet.

The sand stone colour around the bench image, is done with voile in different shades and wool tops, felt used to add to texture.
Then into this I stitched seeding stitch and french knots.
Finally I added a variety of beads to the image, giving it texture and an abstract image.

The wild geese, the smaller image I decided to highlight the ripples of water in the silver grey cotton and the peachy colour with silver to highlight.
I also used black to do french knots for the gravel and then added black beads to enhance the texture.
I also added black thread to the ripples.

The larger image I concentrated on the Geese.
I added felt and strips of grey voile to add more texture.
On top of this I added brown and grey shades of cotton thread, using long stitch to bring out the detail of the wings and feather detail.
I decided not to use beads as they wouldn't look right.
I outlined the dark parts with backstitch in a black thread.

The circular image, my favourite, I had added more stitch, line stitch and fly stitch with french knots also.
Looking good but not quite finished yet.

Beads were added next, then a few final stitches.

 This one is my favourite and I think I would of liked it on it's own in a nice mounted frame, I may even do this after the show if it doesn't sell!

All finished now and some I like and some I dislike, some I feel are far too dark and some I have really enjoyed making and embellishing.

Now that I have finished the piece, I stand back and look thinking maybe I should have stayed with what I do best! Smaller pieces creatively  stitched and framed to compliment the work.

This is the final piece! What do you think?

Visiting the Castlefield Gallery, Manchester,

Louise and myself,

Alice and myself.



Evaluation 

Well I think I sumed it up nicely earlier, I do like the finished piece, but don't think for one minute that it will sell, so I may cut it into smaller pieces and have them framed they would probably sell individually better.

People have liked my piece, but I don't know as to whether they were being kind, and some I know are surprised that it was quite different to what I normally do as in the size and presentation.

I will say I am disappointed with myself for not doing my normal,  especially for my final Exhibition, I did try something new and larger, which has worked but took me out of my comfort zone and challenged me. I have learnt a valuable lesson, go with my first instinct and do what I feel happy with.

Carol xxx