After researching Albers and Colour theory, I noticed a direct link between the colours and shapes in my work and in bauhaus inspired textiles or drawings. It has inspired me to continue to use and use only primary bright colours (initially taken from SADACC).

The Bauhaus movement began in 1919 when there was an idea of bridging the gap between art and industry by incorporating crafts and arts.  Walter Gropius stated that all crafts, including art, architecture and geometric design, should be combined and mass-produced. Gropius argued that architecture and design should reflect the new chapter in history, post World War I.  

The Bauhaus movement is distinguished by economic sensibility, simplicity and a priority on mass production. Bauhaus is an inversion of the German phrase “hausbau,” which means building house or house construction. Although Bauhaus was originally the era of mass production, I will take only the colour and geometric patterns from the movement. I will not take the mass production idea as I want there to be a certain irony and juxtaposition in my work. Whilst at SADACC I noticed the textiles were one of a kind and unique so I will take this and combine the two to create something interesting and distinctive. 

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Visiting the Castle Museum today for the first time this academic year was uplifting. Seeing our work being exhibited was lovely and looking at the other years' sketchbooks was actually so helpful. I wish we has a chance to see first years' sketchbooks more often as it was refreshing to see.
Our repeat lengths were hung nicely around the museum and it was nice to see members of the public admiring them.
I also used my time to look at the natural history and wildlife area to draw from the shells there and take some photographs to refresh my drawings and give me ideas.

Repeat length and ribbon (from year1)

Fashion for Passion event

Shell and project 2 visual research

Reassurance is what I needed to help me keep pushing my ideas forward. I know I need to get my final designs done ASAP as the fashion project needs to be started soon. I told Jill I was worried about my time management and how to put my designs in to repeat as I wanted to stay away from digital printing.

For placement overview:
-Small info about Aviva and the rest critical analysis

For the interior project:
-wallpaper- look at claire coles and look at Charlotte Abraham
-think about context?- cafe/corporate space/home/audience- adolescent/children etc
-To help me with repeat... Photocopy motifs onto acetate then flip/adjust/layer up/half drop etc
-create a complex repeat by adding depth and level- add background using subtle marks from drawings etc
-make the samples a collection so they flow together

For the Fashion project:
-Begin drawings for this project- continue with shells but explore in depth
-Indigo dyeing- could experiment with discharge and resists
-Try to give myself a title for my fashion collection- like the lecturer today who worked at USP- Jane Kellock
-Look into mending/patching 
-Go to study centre- mending/darning etc
-Boro Boro book by Nuno Collection
-Try sashiko stitching with fine threads or metallic threads and explore different stitches

I initially wanted to have my collection of designs for a living area featuring cushions, a quilt and an upholstered chair but my practical work right now isn't relating well. I feel like I should carry on with the path that my work is going down naturally as I don't want to force my work to go a certain way. I am doing CAD embroidery on Monday the 30th and I will reflect once I have gained some more digitally stitched samples as I have never done this before- I might love it or hate it!

I am now thinking about wallpaper designs but I am still unsure. I will research into Claire Coles as she designs embroidered wallpaper which would be interesting to do. I want to include texture in my designs as many of the pieces at SADACC had texture and nothing was ever a flat print.

Habitat Ideas for cushions? I love the design in the lower centre!- stitched grids- geometric but includes interesting marks which could relate to shells etc?

Anthropology throws- very textured? Could I create something like this without having to weave????

An African American majority community and census-designated place in a large bend of the Alabama River in Wilcox County, Alabama.

After creating some lovely pieces when sublimatiion printing I realised how geometric my prints were becoming and I began to worry that I was going off on a tangent. My initial drawings were very loose and based on shells and beach debris. My prints have become very linear, I am hoping that combining my processes such as stitching and dyeing will help change this.

Fibonacci Golden Spiral

There are three basic categories of colour theory that are valid and useful: The colour wheel, colour harmony, and the context of how colours are used. Colour theories create a logical structure for colour. For example, you can organise a collection of colours then place them in a circle that shows the colours in relation to each other.

Albers was one of the first modern artists to explore the psychological effects of colour and to question the nature of perception. I find his work influential as he looks at colour in depth, his paintings/studies are beautiful just as they are and I appreciate the meanings and theories behind them.

From looking at Albers' work I am inspired to look at the Bauhaus Movement as I am beginning to see connections with my project 2 interiors work. 

I'm having trouble with incorporating digital processes into my work. Sublimation printing has brought on much more ideas and has excited me to move my work forward.

I could laser cut shapes/design out of brown paper with disperse dye on- then print?- has to be repeated though? how could I make this work?!?!

Print this on polyester fabric? Could use cotton polyester or linen polyester?

Layer up texture by adding resists and working with negative/ positive space.

I am interested in negative and positive space. Sometimes the marks made from drawings, collage or stitch are not as interesting as the marks that surround it (the negative space).

After researching Albers I am excited by the experimentation of combining colour and shape to see how things change. I want to include layering and experiment with opacity and overlaying. I think this could be done using photoshop.


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Visiting SADACC again has really helped me push my ideas further. It has reminded me of the processes and colours used in Indian Textiles. After doing many drawing workshops and improving my digital skills I feel like coming to SADACC again really enabled me to boost my ideas and help me combine the drawing skills and SADACC research.

Trying to balance the mountains of work piling up with everything else, like socialising and housework is beginning to become pretty difficult. I am trying to improve my work and make the most of my time here whilst trying to keep on top of the work that is being thrown at me left right and centre. I am determined to do better this year and get my work out into the world so I can start building connections, preparing me for life after my degree. Going to the Castle Museum workshop the other day has made me realise this.

I am attempting to improve my drawing by using different techniques and strategies. I was browsing the internet to gain inspiration (as always) and came across this article which was pretty helpful. Looking at sketchbook examples really helps me and makes me realise my work needs to have more direct connections with the pattern and shapes being made by the piece I am drawing from. I am going to draw today and keep referring back to the different drawing strategies and this other article that I also found very helpful. The second article is about creating excellent observational drawings, a point that made me think was, "keep outlines light". I realised I draw with outlines too much and not with shapes, shading and colour. I am going to add this to my never ending list of things to do and hopefully improve my drawing.