About me

I am a hard working, creative, intelligent, self motivated individual. I am currently studying for my A levels, of which the most applicable for this course are A2 Textiles and BTEC Pattern and garment.
Influences to my work are fashion designer Mark Fast, paper and ceramics artist Katie Almond and drawing artist Cheeming Boey. More recently I have also been inspired by impressionism, specifically from Van Gogh and Monet.
This degree course in Manchester school of arts would be ideal for me because it would allow me to use exciting new equipment, techniques and skills, as well as allowing me to develop further my current skills to really advance my ideas and work. The atmosphere which was presented to me in the open day I attended was one of openness and progressiveness. I really feel that at Manchester school of arts I can attain my aspirations of becoming a successful designer with my own company.
My love for textiles came from early teen hood when I designed and created projects such as the decorative tunic which I created for my skill aspect within my bronze Duke of Edinburgh. This project in particular first encouraged me to experiment with new designs and techniques. I really enjoy designing and creating pieces with the new skills and techniques that I have acquired. I try to make pieces that are eye catching and different. The techniques and mediums that I most enjoy at the moment are: using paint; drawing; appliqué; cut through; and printing.
My hobbies include readings books such as those by Chris Ryan and Stephen King, long walks, cooking, decorating, and watching films such as Rush Hour, Tropic thunder and Priscilla Queen of the desert. I also enjoy visiting exhibitions and galleries such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Knit and Stitch show in London, New designers and the national gallery which gives me inspiration for my work.


Thursday, 28 January 2010

Wire Onion Flower brooch

This piece is part of my A2 natural form project and is to be mounted on the front of the corset of my final piece. I have sewn ribbons on it which will go over the left shoulder and be sewn into the lining at the back of the corset. These ribbons are to imitate the layers of an onion, this is also done by the wire petals of the flower. To make it more interesting I wound and super glued lace embroidered with sequins and beads in the middle of the flow. I also splattered cream paint on the metal wiring to make it fit with the onion prints on my final piece.
Inspiration for this piece came from the onion stencil on my onion canvas. I wanted to experiment with different materials and wanted to try something different in order to make my final piece stand out. This piece does this effectively as it is very eye catching, and its shape, which I am very impressed with, contrasts it effectively with the rest of the piece.

A2 Natural form final piece bottom section (skirt and crinoline)


This piece is the skirt from my final A2 natural form and 19th century project. I choose an onion theme because in my research for my project the 19th century designs reminded me again and again of onions. Within this piece I decided to blend 19th century fashion with more contemporary fashion with the use of Paul Poiret style prints, Charles worth style haute couture and Vivienne Westwood’s ‘mini crini’.
To create this piece I used onion prints on the front and back panels. To make these prints stand out I embroidered thread and appliquéd fabric to make them stand out more. The side panels are white lace, to imitate the white skin of an onion. The skirt is given its round onion like shape by the use of crinoline which I made myself. The white ribbon band along the top of the skirt is to set the skirt apart from the bodice, emphasising the skirts onion like shape. In addition to this I added, metal broaches and rings with flowers on to the sides of the skirt to imitate onion layers. I am very pleased with this piece as I feel that I fully explored its possibilities with the use of modern fashion, 19th century fashion and natural form. It is a very interesting piece which catches the eye and is very representative of an onion.



Wednesday, 27 January 2010

Batik Onion with embroidery

This piece is from my A2 textiles natural form project. It’s onion shape was inspired by my use of onion stencils on my onion canvas. For the onion shape I enlarged an onion stencil and used Batik on patterned fabric and free embroidery with coloured threads to make it stand out and satin stitches to strengthen the edges. I also used appliquéd fabrics, plastic to give it a glossy feel similar to an actual onion, and beads and sequins stitched under a transparent plastic envelope to attract attention and be more interesting. For the background I also used appliquéd fabrics, stitching and patterned fabric and wadding behind the onion to give it a three dimensional effect.
This piece successfully imitates the inside layers of an onion in a bold and eye catching way with the use of different textures and colours.


Leaf prints with embellishments

This piece is part of my A2 Textiles project on natural form. To create it I contrasted bright acrylic paint prints with the use of leaf skeletons amongst the patterned fabric background which made the piece stand out more. I also added a three dimensional aspect to this piece with the use of stitching some of the leaf skeletons, satin stitching of varying width, and richly patterned fabric and plastic that I appliquéd to the piece. This also differentiated some of the prints.
This piece is successful as it grabs your attention with the bold colours, the appliqué and the intricate detail.

Stick and ink lilly observational drawing

This piece is from my Textiles A2 natural form project. My inspiration for this drawing was that I wanted to create a different appearance to the same flower to see how I could experiment with the different ways that different materials work. To create this piece I used a stick with ink on it to create different lines and marks, this made the picture seem less precise, aptly reflecting the unruliness of nature. I enhanced this impression of nature with the use of water to alter the texture of the ink and to create smudges. This piece had a three dimensional aspect and a sense of natural realism to it. The use of this method also added interest to the piece as it was slightly uncontrolled and unpredictable.

Lilly biro line drawing


This piece is a still life drawing and is part of my A2 natural form project. Inspiration for this piece came from looking at a mood board I had created from natural forms that included my favourite flower, causing me to want to experiment with the different ways that I could draw it. Only a biro pen was used in its creation. Starting off with a loose drawing, I created different marks and shadings by alternating where I held the pen; I also pressed down harder to create bolder lines to make different sections stand out. Overall I believe this piece is successful as it closely resembles the lily I was seeking to draw by emulating the textures and patterns on the leave, as well as giving a three dimensional effect to the drawing.

Life drawing


This piece I completed in a life drawing class I participated in. I completed this drawing in less than 5 minutes with the use of graphite, charcoal and a pencil to create different textures, shadings and tones to make a more realistic drawing. I am thoroughly pleased with how natural this drawing looks, and it helped me to improve and expand upon my basic drawing skills, especially concerning people.

Fabric flower painting


This painting is from my A2 textiles natural form project and was inspired by Van Gogh’s ‘Wild roses’. I used beads and appliquéd fabric to make it more attractive and textural. This coupled with the contrasting paint on fabric and intricate stitching made my peace more appealing and interesting.
I am extremely pleased with this piece as my own interpretation complimented Van Gogh’s work as well as personalising it for me. It is one of my favourite works that I have completed.

Tuesday, 26 January 2010

As level 1st final piece- Marshmallow bodice



This piece is my final project in AS Textiles. I choose to focus this piece on sweets, specifically marshmallows. I was inspired to do this by my love of sweets.
The contrasting of the dark blue denim and the cream and gathered organza, the ruffles and the ribbon imitated the colouring and the texture of a marshmallow. I also added cut through applications with beads, and sewed in sequins and heat transferred paintings of marshmallows on the organza to add excitement and interest to the piece.

I am pleased with this piece and think it is successful because the contrasting colours compliment each other well and the bodice looks interesting and attractive.

Fashion themed canvas with 19th century elements


This piece is part of my A2 textiles Natural Form and 19th century fashion project. It was inspired by the crinoline that I made as part of my final piece for this project. With it I wanted to create my own style of design drawing.
For the background I contrasted images of 19th century fashion with modern day fashion and enlarged photos of my own work. I also used beads, sequins, plastic flowers and lace to add further three dimensional aspects to this canvas.
I feel very proud of this piece, I feel it is imaginative and different.

Onion prints with embroidery




This piece comes from my A2 textiles project which focused on 19th century fashion and natural form. In this piece I experimented with different onion patterns and prints, as well as using metallic threads and additional interesting fabrics that I stitched on.
The Yellow and cream coloured prints combined with the pink thread closely resembles actual onions, and successfully contrasts with the navy blue fabric, this makes it eye catching, textural and interesting.

Natural form canvas moodboard


This piece, like my onion print, is from my A2 textiles natural form and 19th century project. I was inspired to do this piece after visiting the knit and stitch show at Alexandra palace. Within this piece I used different fabrics, inks, lace, embroidery and printing. I also used a technique I learnt from the knit and stitch show to create the 'N' in 'Natural'.
I used a canvas because I wanted to experiment with different materials and techniques. I really enjoyed making this piece, and I am especially pleased with it as it is interesting, eye catching and helped me to develop new techniques.