The wall coverings project has been a chance for me to experiment with techniques I have always been interested in. When we first received the project I was quite keen to work with the nature side of wall paper, I didn’t however want to do florals, so I did some research and thought about corals and rocks that you may find, it was when I looked further into it that I discovered I was interested the idea of mould and the pattern it leaves behind, I came across this when looking in books related to microscopic images, I like working in different scaled to how people normally view things.
The visit to the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester was so inspiring and showed me how the history of wallpapers is so important.
The archive in the gallery was equally useful to the exhibition; they held a collection of different styles of wall coverings, some of the piece in heir cam from the 18th century. It showed a lot of traditional and very old papers t hat as a gallery had been given or found.
1 One that stood out to me was this (pic 1), this didn’t have a name attached but the staff said it is an old piece. I was attracted to texture of the piece, it was very much like the idea I want to pursue, although you cant see it was made with lots of holes in it and the peeling away of the material works to give the look of rot.
Another paper that I was drawn to was a leather embossed piece, it was amazingly still intact although obviously very fragile. The Japanese leather papers were not imported into England and America until after the 1800’s, Moroccan Arabs earlier took them to Spain, this was before wallpaper wall invented. This suggest just how old the papers must have been and how good the workman ship was to be able to have them so intact.
The exhibition ‘putting on the glitz’ was amazing for me, been interested in quite literally ‘Glitz’, the pieces were ranged from older more traditional pieces that had been well preserved, to some contemporary pieces that you can buy in shops today for the modern home. The biggest inspiration and most interesting piece I have seen in a long time was this. (pic2) I was stunned by this piece; it was appealing to me, as I like the idea of having what is thought to me something not beautiful that actually is very attractive. The metallic sheen made this look very luxurious and the colours used gave it a lot of power; it was like a petrol spill with a textile designers input.
2
It inspired my to believe in my idea more and showed me the possibilities and potential of my design and ideas.
The piece at the Whitworth is something I will always remember and im really glad I went and saw the exhibition as it was defiantly a starting point for my designing.
With my direction been nature and my theme been mould I started with researching fungus and taking photographs. I visited Tropical World to take some photographs and look at mould on a bigger scale, growing on the water areas and rocks also the fish tanks, with my first idea been rocks and corals I planned to visit there anyway it was very useful to get some good photographs that I used for my drawings, they helped me o understand the pattern.
I thought marbling would be a good way to get some background papers but unfortunately these were unsuccessful for me, I also played about with layering and collaging to make some textured papers. I like working with a mixed media so I knew I wanted to use a print and then work back in to it. I also really like the effect of the laser cutter so I was hoping to use that too.
I decided to make a screen using the design I did in a drawing. I played about with scaled and experimented with different colours. Also I looked into how I could incorporate some metallic finishes into m work as this was something I had like in the work id seen, I bought some metalic and silver binders and also some foils that could be heat transferred on to my work. The prints were really exciting and I had some really successful sessions in the print room.
I then started working with the laser cutting using a similar design, this gave my prints a really good finishing touch they made them appear more delicate. I was really happy with the results of the processes mixed together and knew which I had in mind to use for my finals.
Whilst going through these workshops I was introduced to a different technique ‘gesso’, this was something I wouldn’t normally go for as the effect is quite subtle, however I experimenting with making some gesso boards and I found adding prints and foils worked in the same way as it did on paper so I made some of these to display with my work. I would use this technique again for something more floral I think. When I had made the boards I thought about panelling with my different pieces how that could look on the wall, I think the gesso boards would make really good panels however mixed with my prints they didn’t quite work together.
Thursday, 4 June 2009
Friday, 29 May 2009
Michelle Taufiq - personal folio review
When I look back through my years work and my pdp portfolio I can see a big emphasis on hand made things. I love working in 3D and from this year I have discovered that I want to focus on making fashion jewellery. I am forever searching for new pieces of jewellery that are unique and I can't wait to start creating my own pieces next year. I am also really influenced by Japanese culture and their way of working. I really like the way that they use simple lines to create beautifully delicate pieces of work. I have also discovered that I love to work with paper, especially to create origami. Next year i'm hoping to try lots of different materials. My pdp folder is also full of brightly coloured things. I like using bright colours more because it makes the pages come alive and is just more fun! All of the things in my folder just jumped out at me from magazines and the internet and I really enjoyed creating a folder of things that I love to look at.
Michelle Taufiq - Wallpaper project report
I chose the subject of Hortus Botanicus as I had researched all three options but felt that the subject of flowers would enable me to experiment more and to use the colour scheme that I wanted to. Researching artists work was really inspiring as there are so many different materials and techniques that can be used. I began by looking back at the college trip to Amsterdam as I remembered many interesting wallpapers and wall coverings that I had come across. These lead me to researching other bold and exciting prints from the internet and a range of books.
My work is influenced both by contemporary and historical textile designers. For example, Jenny Wilkinson who uses a ‘paint by numbers’ idea where the buyer can decide how much of the design has been painted. (Shown on the left.) The concept was inspired from the 1950s and is therefore a historical idea that has been bought into contemporary textile design. Front design produced a wallpaper which had holes in it, made by rats, to reveal a pattern underneath. I thought it was a really innovative idea that bought an element of fun into the design. This led me to think about making a more interactive wall covering with holes in the design to reveal another pattern. I also researched paper artists as it really interests me and I wanted to produce a more 3d final product. Emma Van Leest was one of the artists that I researched. Her work appealed to me as she uses simple paper stencils and layers them to create a more complex but interesting design.
My initial studies were from photographs and real flowers. I tried to utilize the attractive natural colours of the flowers. I used different materials including pencil, watercolours, paints, pen and ink. I became interested in the shadows of the flowers and so produced several paintings using paints and watercolour pencils. However, these did not integrate well with the bigger compositions which I went on to produce and so I therefore decided not to include them in my final designs. I tried to use the idea of this by cutting out the silhouettes of the flowers and used these to produce more abstract images.
My last project on artist’s books was successful and I thoroughly enjoyed making more 3D objects. I therefore wanted to incorporate this into ‘Create your own scene baby!’ I began by thinking about how I could link the origami inspired books with the floral images. The way the Japanese flowers were drawn interested me and I decided to include some of them in my own drawings. Towards the end of the project I decided on making interactive boxes of different sizes which could be stacked up on the floor or placed and moved around the wall. The boxes will be decorated with my floral designs.
During the project I have worked in the print room and taken a flock and foil workshop. I found this helpful, however, I preferred the foiling a lot more as it was more useful for my project. I produced small samples by layering a few different images and found that working on a white background was more effective. (On the left is an example of damask flock on foil.) Another new technique that I explored was gesso. The first time I tried to use it I applied too much onto the wooden block and completely covered my drawing underneath. Nevertheless, I tried again and was much more successful. However, I decided that gesso wasn’t suited to what I aimed to produce in the project.
The visit to Temple Newsam House was extremely interesting and gave me an insight into the development of wallpaper. I found it intriguing how the room where we had the presentation had wallpaper that was covered with many layers of varnish. As the room used to have food prepared, this allowed any spillage to be easily cleaned. This interested me as I had never thought about the multiple purposes that wallpaper has.
The Vivienne Westwood jacket (shown on the left) made in 1999 was the highlight of the trip for me as it showed me how the wallpaper prints could be transformed into other garments for different uses. The print that Westwood used for the jacket was called ‘Le Mouton Chen.’ At first glance it looks like a pretty cottage scene; however, it depicts a shepherdess who has appeared to have lost her top, much to the pleasure of her companion. The diamante studs have a seductive connotation as the jacket is lined with them so they lay against the skin.
The earliest known wallpaper, found in Britain, was from 1509 and was used to cover beams in a dining hall. These wallpapers were made using wooden blocks. With the papers being made from reconstituted rags it was a very laborious process and was therefore extremely expensive to produce.
During the industrialisation in the 19th Century, wallpapers became a lot cheaper to produce than textile hangings. However, the fashion of the day which was favoured by the upper classes was to have flock wallpaper in a damask design (For example the image on the left). These were made by printing a design in adhesive and sprinkling chopped wool over it. Another, less popular design was Toile du jouy (scenes of the day) which was often printed onto oriental papers. These became commonplace in stately homes during the 18th and 19th centuries, which is one reason why these wallpapers have survived.
In the mid 19th century, the industrial revolution became a much bigger factor in the production of wallpaper. Huge developments were made in the paper making process with new machinery, this allowed continuous lengths to be produced. Because of this new technology, the prints could be printed using mechanised wooden and metal rollers. There was increasing demand for new wallpapers and as production was a lot simpler, the majority of people could afford it. However, because of high demand, wood pulp was used to produce the papers as it was cheap and could be processed quickly but this resulted in poorer quality.
William Morris began designing wallpaper in 1864. (An example of his work is the image on the left.) Morris became an exception as he still produced his prints by using wooden blocks and so the quality was much more superior. Morris is now known as one of the finest designers for wallpapers. As most of papers were made using new machines, the UK became less well known for its popular designs and the French took over. During this time, toile de Jouy became increasingly more popular.
By the end of the 19th century there had been many new advances. For example, ‘Sanitaries’ (machine printed papers in oil and varnished) were produced which allowed wallpaper to have more than one purpose. These were used in bathrooms and kitchens.
There are many factors when thinking about the conservation, removal and rehanging of wallpapers. Over time light, temperature and humidity can all be factors. The wallpaper, adhesives, linings, canvas, plaster laths and other elements are all affected in different ways by these factors. Therefore, the conservation of wallpapers is made increasingly more difficult as time goes on. When considering that papers which have been placed in historic buildings have been subjected to heating by candles, oil and coal fires and seasonal changes, they are therefore much more fragile. The structure of the buildings themselves can also cause problems. Damp is a big factor as it encourages mould to grow and can cause the physical weakening of the paper, pigments and adhesives, also cracks can tear the wallpaper surface. Traditional hanging techniques, such as nails, inferior quality lining papers and adhesives can also affect the durability of wallpaper. Finally, the most notable causes of damage are things like, graffiti, furniture scratches, and holes made for fixtures. The way the wallpapers are made also affects how well it can be preserved. For example, 18th century Chinese papers had thin laminate layers which are particularly vulnerable to environmental changes. The pigments and binders, such as animal glue that were used can provide nutrients for insects and are also prone to shrinkage. The results of this are flaking, and eventual loss of the pigment layer.
There are two conservation treatments when treating historic wallpapers. In situ treatments (carried out on site) and the removal and rehanging of the wallpaper. The in situ treatment is used when the damage is minimal, such as dirt and stains. This work can only be carried out on the surface of the paper; however, it is useful for preserving the paper in its original position. When wallpaper needs to be removed, it is taken in as large sections as possible to try to prevent it from breaking down. This can be achieved by using spatulas and blunt knives. Another way is to use chemical sprays and steam to break down the adhesive used. An advantage of this technique is that both the front and back of the wallpaper can be treated. New lining systems can also be added to provide more support to enable the rehanging of the paper.
My work is influenced both by contemporary and historical textile designers. For example, Jenny Wilkinson who uses a ‘paint by numbers’ idea where the buyer can decide how much of the design has been painted. (Shown on the left.) The concept was inspired from the 1950s and is therefore a historical idea that has been bought into contemporary textile design. Front design produced a wallpaper which had holes in it, made by rats, to reveal a pattern underneath. I thought it was a really innovative idea that bought an element of fun into the design. This led me to think about making a more interactive wall covering with holes in the design to reveal another pattern. I also researched paper artists as it really interests me and I wanted to produce a more 3d final product. Emma Van Leest was one of the artists that I researched. Her work appealed to me as she uses simple paper stencils and layers them to create a more complex but interesting design.
My initial studies were from photographs and real flowers. I tried to utilize the attractive natural colours of the flowers. I used different materials including pencil, watercolours, paints, pen and ink. I became interested in the shadows of the flowers and so produced several paintings using paints and watercolour pencils. However, these did not integrate well with the bigger compositions which I went on to produce and so I therefore decided not to include them in my final designs. I tried to use the idea of this by cutting out the silhouettes of the flowers and used these to produce more abstract images.
My last project on artist’s books was successful and I thoroughly enjoyed making more 3D objects. I therefore wanted to incorporate this into ‘Create your own scene baby!’ I began by thinking about how I could link the origami inspired books with the floral images. The way the Japanese flowers were drawn interested me and I decided to include some of them in my own drawings. Towards the end of the project I decided on making interactive boxes of different sizes which could be stacked up on the floor or placed and moved around the wall. The boxes will be decorated with my floral designs.
During the project I have worked in the print room and taken a flock and foil workshop. I found this helpful, however, I preferred the foiling a lot more as it was more useful for my project. I produced small samples by layering a few different images and found that working on a white background was more effective. (On the left is an example of damask flock on foil.) Another new technique that I explored was gesso. The first time I tried to use it I applied too much onto the wooden block and completely covered my drawing underneath. Nevertheless, I tried again and was much more successful. However, I decided that gesso wasn’t suited to what I aimed to produce in the project.
The visit to Temple Newsam House was extremely interesting and gave me an insight into the development of wallpaper. I found it intriguing how the room where we had the presentation had wallpaper that was covered with many layers of varnish. As the room used to have food prepared, this allowed any spillage to be easily cleaned. This interested me as I had never thought about the multiple purposes that wallpaper has.
The Vivienne Westwood jacket (shown on the left) made in 1999 was the highlight of the trip for me as it showed me how the wallpaper prints could be transformed into other garments for different uses. The print that Westwood used for the jacket was called ‘Le Mouton Chen.’ At first glance it looks like a pretty cottage scene; however, it depicts a shepherdess who has appeared to have lost her top, much to the pleasure of her companion. The diamante studs have a seductive connotation as the jacket is lined with them so they lay against the skin.
The earliest known wallpaper, found in Britain, was from 1509 and was used to cover beams in a dining hall. These wallpapers were made using wooden blocks. With the papers being made from reconstituted rags it was a very laborious process and was therefore extremely expensive to produce.
During the industrialisation in the 19th Century, wallpapers became a lot cheaper to produce than textile hangings. However, the fashion of the day which was favoured by the upper classes was to have flock wallpaper in a damask design (For example the image on the left). These were made by printing a design in adhesive and sprinkling chopped wool over it. Another, less popular design was Toile du jouy (scenes of the day) which was often printed onto oriental papers. These became commonplace in stately homes during the 18th and 19th centuries, which is one reason why these wallpapers have survived.
In the mid 19th century, the industrial revolution became a much bigger factor in the production of wallpaper. Huge developments were made in the paper making process with new machinery, this allowed continuous lengths to be produced. Because of this new technology, the prints could be printed using mechanised wooden and metal rollers. There was increasing demand for new wallpapers and as production was a lot simpler, the majority of people could afford it. However, because of high demand, wood pulp was used to produce the papers as it was cheap and could be processed quickly but this resulted in poorer quality.
William Morris began designing wallpaper in 1864. (An example of his work is the image on the left.) Morris became an exception as he still produced his prints by using wooden blocks and so the quality was much more superior. Morris is now known as one of the finest designers for wallpapers. As most of papers were made using new machines, the UK became less well known for its popular designs and the French took over. During this time, toile de Jouy became increasingly more popular.
By the end of the 19th century there had been many new advances. For example, ‘Sanitaries’ (machine printed papers in oil and varnished) were produced which allowed wallpaper to have more than one purpose. These were used in bathrooms and kitchens.
There are many factors when thinking about the conservation, removal and rehanging of wallpapers. Over time light, temperature and humidity can all be factors. The wallpaper, adhesives, linings, canvas, plaster laths and other elements are all affected in different ways by these factors. Therefore, the conservation of wallpapers is made increasingly more difficult as time goes on. When considering that papers which have been placed in historic buildings have been subjected to heating by candles, oil and coal fires and seasonal changes, they are therefore much more fragile. The structure of the buildings themselves can also cause problems. Damp is a big factor as it encourages mould to grow and can cause the physical weakening of the paper, pigments and adhesives, also cracks can tear the wallpaper surface. Traditional hanging techniques, such as nails, inferior quality lining papers and adhesives can also affect the durability of wallpaper. Finally, the most notable causes of damage are things like, graffiti, furniture scratches, and holes made for fixtures. The way the wallpapers are made also affects how well it can be preserved. For example, 18th century Chinese papers had thin laminate layers which are particularly vulnerable to environmental changes. The pigments and binders, such as animal glue that were used can provide nutrients for insects and are also prone to shrinkage. The results of this are flaking, and eventual loss of the pigment layer.
There are two conservation treatments when treating historic wallpapers. In situ treatments (carried out on site) and the removal and rehanging of the wallpaper. The in situ treatment is used when the damage is minimal, such as dirt and stains. This work can only be carried out on the surface of the paper; however, it is useful for preserving the paper in its original position. When wallpaper needs to be removed, it is taken in as large sections as possible to try to prevent it from breaking down. This can be achieved by using spatulas and blunt knives. Another way is to use chemical sprays and steam to break down the adhesive used. An advantage of this technique is that both the front and back of the wallpaper can be treated. New lining systems can also be added to provide more support to enable the rehanging of the paper.
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
Artist book- Suzanne Schiller
I forgot to report on the artist books in the beginning although I wanted to recap on who I though was inspiring. At Vernon Street John gave a presentation of his personal artist books as well as other artist who he was inspired by. While we were doing and exploring other artist books I was quite taken back at how simplistic the books were. Whether it was myself being use to published books covered with text and imagery, it was as though we were to explore another area of displaying our work. In a way allot of the books I saw had hidden messages. The books I typically was not draw to where the books filled with the same image such as the one John showed us where the photographs were printed on acetate with the same image throughout the book. I was draw to books which had more substance imagery I could be inspired by.
After the talk at Vernon Street I stayed behind and had a chance to view through the books in the display cabinet. There was one book which caught my eye and I really enjoyed going through. The book was created by Victoria Harley- Berlin, April 2005, Where the Wall was. The book was placed in a box divided between that and a small rock which appeared to be a piece of the Berlin wall. I loved the book because it had meaning, purpose and demonstrated the development of time. The little book unfolded in different directions to show the path of the Berlin wall. She illustrated where the wall was and had a picture to show where the wall is today. The box was contained in a small old fashion messenger package. It was really inspiring to see a way to creatively demonstrate history.
After the talk at Vernon Street I stayed behind and had a chance to view through the books in the display cabinet. There was one book which caught my eye and I really enjoyed going through. The book was created by Victoria Harley- Berlin, April 2005, Where the Wall was. The book was placed in a box divided between that and a small rock which appeared to be a piece of the Berlin wall. I loved the book because it had meaning, purpose and demonstrated the development of time. The little book unfolded in different directions to show the path of the Berlin wall. She illustrated where the wall was and had a picture to show where the wall is today. The box was contained in a small old fashion messenger package. It was really inspiring to see a way to creatively demonstrate history.
Sally Jane Mayer - 5 inspirational images
Image 1 - Carolina Melis has created a series of hand stitched embroiderys. I find the way she applys thread to material intriging, the hand stitched marks with added buttons, feathers and cute animals.
Image 2 - Eleanor bowley also works with stitch and embroidary. I admire her composition and use of materials. She works with lace, old book pages and buttons.
Image 3 - The third image is from home and antiques magazine february o9. It brings back nostalgia to me as my nanna and mother are hawders of beautiful blue, floral antique crockery. The antiques they own have been a huge inspiration for me in previous projects.
Image 4 - My great grandmother had given my mother a bundle of old recipes cut out of newspapers and magazines. I was routing through them one day and found this advert and it made me smile. I adore the text and style of advertisment. It makes me think about traditional seaside holidays and how back then they were very exciting, the main holiday of the year.
Image 5 - This image is from Loughbourgh college of art and design graduate 07. I havent got the name of the artist but this image i feel will never grow old on me. I love the experimental style of it with 'accidental' blue and brown marks it gives it a worked into look. I like the way the printed patterin fades in the background and the dog stands out and proud.
Me as a designer...
My style is quite personal. I find inspiration around my family home and home town. My nanna is a huge inspiration to me. She is a hawder of many exiting creative objects.
In my first year i have discovered my passion for paper. I have made good use of my huge box filled with papers with many patterns and styles i have collected over the years. They consisit from plain gift tissue paper, used envelopes and packaging to old wallpapers from my home.
I feel my work has become comical from my russian doll project and my previous paper passion project.
I enjoy looking at images that bring a smile to your face. In my work i aim to connect to my audience making it a universal theme.
Im looking forward to my second year as i will really get to no myself as a designer.
Sally Jane Mayer - Wallpaper report
My first initial thoughts of the project brief was that i was excited and got inspired easily from doing my research file. I read the three styles we could choose from I had my eyes set on toile de jouy style as hortus botanicus (florals) I thought everyone will be choosing it and it all look the same. The trompe l’oeil I didn’t fancy it as it is quite a tricky one and with toile de jouy I thought I could become more illustrative as it came out of me in my previous project. I discovered the design group ‘designer’s guild’ style of toile de jouy which was mainly oriental and embroidered. The colours and embroidery really inspired me. I also like the way timorous beastie uses everyday modern scenes in his toile de jouy papers like the original everyday French scenes. Another image in designer’s guild was some curtains with blue teapots on which reminded me of home as my mother has lots of blue crockery around my house. I then thought well why not include my family into this by drawing them when I go home for reading week. I gathered plenty of research in reading week; I also went to my Nannas house to gather inspiration. There are a lot of object’s that bring back child hood memories to me. I came back with a half filed sketchbook. For my project I originally had the idea to create a traditional toile de jouy wallpaper but then my processes became more material based, I started to make small personal embroidery’s which then gave me the idea to create wall hangings. I had an idea to use just one colour of blue as in most toile de jouy wallpapers they use a single colour. My Nanna has mostly reds and pinks in her home so I thought why not use blue for my house and red for my nannas. I began drawing from my photos in my sketch book then I was told to go big and draw out of there, so I did some experiments of style with different mediums. From this I then photocopied some of them had the idea to involve embroidery and fabric into it as I was inspired by it initially from the designer’s guild wallpaper book. A Quote from ‘the papered wall, the history of patterns and techniques of wallpaper, ‘Ever since wallpaper became widely available its status has been questioned: is it background or foreground or the real thing’ There are many styles of wallpapers these days you can have the basic traditional printed wallpaper and flock or foil, also wall hangings which decorate a wall as well as a wallpaper. Some wallpaper‘s are now designed in 3D For example the design group Front have designed fake flowers reaching from the ceiling to the floor, which is pictured in Hollyoaks!
The brief is not to make actual wallpaper but a design, I am creating two wall hangings which would hang side by side they are small patchworks one blue and one red. A quote from ‘wall paper’ Lachlam Blackley’ ‘Wallpaper is back, no longer bland peripheral decoration, wallpaper today shouts out individuality.’ This quote is perfect for my project as feel what I’m producing has every essence of individuality as when I look around the studio I cant match up my project style to anyone else’s mine is very illustrative and material based. It also has personal elements as all research and ideas is from my family and family homes. Another quote from ‘wall paper’ Laclam Blackley’ ‘wallpaper is no longer limited to the traditional paper roll, so the more inclusive term ‘wallcovering’ is now widely used.’ This is theme main feel for the brief I’ve been given so I feel my idea for patchwork on walls is ideal, patchworks are usually found thrown over on beds but why not have it as a wallcovering where it can be presented and shown for its full potential to bring back nostalgia, family memories. With college I went to visit The Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester which they had a exhibition on about wallpaper called putting on the glitz which had all kinds of foiled wallpapers and coverings which were only available for the wealthy from the 17 to 18th century. In 1970 they were no longer made of guilt leather but became paper backed foils. They were still slightly expensive which restricted a costumer to just have a feature wall of it. The glitzy wallpapers were no longer just for the wealthy. In the exhibition they had 18th century decorated leather, 19th century Japanese and French imitations, foils and other metallic finishes from the 1960’s /70’s.
Before we went to see the exhibition we were taken to the basement where they showed us there collection of wallpapers from different artists and eras. It was very interesting. I found out that wallpapers don’t go as far back as textiles. In the 16th century there was no wallpaper industry. They used to have handmade small sheets that were made out of rag paper. They weren’t mechanical and were mainly pictorial hunting scenes.100 years after they began sticking sheets together before applying. The woodblocks had a black outline around. Some of the motifs were off centre. Today off centre is part of the design. There was a print by Roma it was Japanese and made out of woven grass, which looked like a textile. It was hugely expensive and very fashionable of its time. French scenic wallpapers were fashionable in the early 19th century; there was no repeat in the design. In rich homes the wallpapers would look rich and sultry in the candle light as they would have no electricity and very high ceilings. There were a few political papers which had the French revolution, scales of justice. They won’t really be found commercially these days but artists still do it like Robert Gobert. There was plenty of William Morris to be seen. Cabbage roses had gone and William Morris had become more stylish and expectable.
Going back to my project I had used some of the gesso Duncan had put out for us. It is a rabbit skins substance which I painted thin layers onto a board and when I was dry I drew and painted with watercolour over it which I was very happy with the finished result although the idea of gesso is to make it look antique and rough but I like the smoothness of the lines and colour I had created over the top of it and left it as it is. After the gesso I was looking threw a book I brought a new illustration book called ‘illustration play’ which helped me out a lot as I found an artist perfect for my project called Richard Saja. He works into traditional toile de jouy paper with embroidery. The people on the paper have embroidered clown hats and hair, stars on their suits and dresses which I find very comical. I also found Megan Whitmarsh who does embroidered people dancing to music which I think is very quirky and cute.
They gave me the idea to actually embroider my family and objects into the patchworks. I had also brought some material to include in the patchworks. I feel the market I would be selling to would be women around the ages of 30 and up as they would possibly put it in their kitchen or utility room. I could be advertising in a magazine like homes and antiques or ideal homes. I feel the project went quite well I have always been inspired by my mother’s crockery as they have been handed down from past generations and working with her blue plates and teapots was quite fun. I feel I could have pushed myself further if I had more time but I always say this. I didn’t really feel confident enough to do any screen-printing but I also felt it wasn’t relevant for the way my project was going. I like the personal part of it as my Mum and Nanna have always been a big inspiration to all of my projects they have lots of things that I find interesting and to my taste but in my next project I will try my hardest to move away from it and think more of a designer. Although putting my personal touch on it is what I do best. I enjoyed gathering my research I found quite a few artists I haven’t heard of that I find inspiring. I have quite enjoyed this project but also really looking forward to my next one.
The brief is not to make actual wallpaper but a design, I am creating two wall hangings which would hang side by side they are small patchworks one blue and one red. A quote from ‘wall paper’ Lachlam Blackley’ ‘Wallpaper is back, no longer bland peripheral decoration, wallpaper today shouts out individuality.’ This quote is perfect for my project as feel what I’m producing has every essence of individuality as when I look around the studio I cant match up my project style to anyone else’s mine is very illustrative and material based. It also has personal elements as all research and ideas is from my family and family homes. Another quote from ‘wall paper’ Laclam Blackley’ ‘wallpaper is no longer limited to the traditional paper roll, so the more inclusive term ‘wallcovering’ is now widely used.’ This is theme main feel for the brief I’ve been given so I feel my idea for patchwork on walls is ideal, patchworks are usually found thrown over on beds but why not have it as a wallcovering where it can be presented and shown for its full potential to bring back nostalgia, family memories. With college I went to visit The Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester which they had a exhibition on about wallpaper called putting on the glitz which had all kinds of foiled wallpapers and coverings which were only available for the wealthy from the 17 to 18th century. In 1970 they were no longer made of guilt leather but became paper backed foils. They were still slightly expensive which restricted a costumer to just have a feature wall of it. The glitzy wallpapers were no longer just for the wealthy. In the exhibition they had 18th century decorated leather, 19th century Japanese and French imitations, foils and other metallic finishes from the 1960’s /70’s.
Before we went to see the exhibition we were taken to the basement where they showed us there collection of wallpapers from different artists and eras. It was very interesting. I found out that wallpapers don’t go as far back as textiles. In the 16th century there was no wallpaper industry. They used to have handmade small sheets that were made out of rag paper. They weren’t mechanical and were mainly pictorial hunting scenes.100 years after they began sticking sheets together before applying. The woodblocks had a black outline around. Some of the motifs were off centre. Today off centre is part of the design. There was a print by Roma it was Japanese and made out of woven grass, which looked like a textile. It was hugely expensive and very fashionable of its time. French scenic wallpapers were fashionable in the early 19th century; there was no repeat in the design. In rich homes the wallpapers would look rich and sultry in the candle light as they would have no electricity and very high ceilings. There were a few political papers which had the French revolution, scales of justice. They won’t really be found commercially these days but artists still do it like Robert Gobert. There was plenty of William Morris to be seen. Cabbage roses had gone and William Morris had become more stylish and expectable.
Going back to my project I had used some of the gesso Duncan had put out for us. It is a rabbit skins substance which I painted thin layers onto a board and when I was dry I drew and painted with watercolour over it which I was very happy with the finished result although the idea of gesso is to make it look antique and rough but I like the smoothness of the lines and colour I had created over the top of it and left it as it is. After the gesso I was looking threw a book I brought a new illustration book called ‘illustration play’ which helped me out a lot as I found an artist perfect for my project called Richard Saja. He works into traditional toile de jouy paper with embroidery. The people on the paper have embroidered clown hats and hair, stars on their suits and dresses which I find very comical. I also found Megan Whitmarsh who does embroidered people dancing to music which I think is very quirky and cute.
They gave me the idea to actually embroider my family and objects into the patchworks. I had also brought some material to include in the patchworks. I feel the market I would be selling to would be women around the ages of 30 and up as they would possibly put it in their kitchen or utility room. I could be advertising in a magazine like homes and antiques or ideal homes. I feel the project went quite well I have always been inspired by my mother’s crockery as they have been handed down from past generations and working with her blue plates and teapots was quite fun. I feel I could have pushed myself further if I had more time but I always say this. I didn’t really feel confident enough to do any screen-printing but I also felt it wasn’t relevant for the way my project was going. I like the personal part of it as my Mum and Nanna have always been a big inspiration to all of my projects they have lots of things that I find interesting and to my taste but in my next project I will try my hardest to move away from it and think more of a designer. Although putting my personal touch on it is what I do best. I enjoyed gathering my research I found quite a few artists I haven’t heard of that I find inspiring. I have quite enjoyed this project but also really looking forward to my next one.
Wall covering Report including Temple Newsam visit – By Krista Turney
From the first reading of the brief I knew I wanted to create a wall covering that was hand made and bespoke. I wanted it to be of high quality and beautiful; easily recognisable as an expensive and unique wall covering. I also wanted to expand my knowledge and experience of lino printing, which featured heavily in my last project. I loved the process and aesthetic qualities, and so wanted to push my ideas using this technique. My initial idea was very basic, a single length of wallpaper with a lino cut design printed onto it.
During the weeks research I focused on Hortus Botaniacus. I looked at a range of books, magazines and wallpaper artists. I was most inspired by colour pallets, pinks and corals; texture, or things that looked like they were textured; and also designers who pushed the boundaries of wallpaper. The wall coverings that really inspired me where the ones that did something different; either by being interactive or using a material that is not normally associated with wall coverings, like grass. Although in the end my wall covering was not as original, nor as inventive as these examples, they did however inspire my panels of wallpaper. After researching this type of work I decided I didn’t want my covering to be a run of the mill, length of wallpaper; I wanted it to be a little more exciting and engaging. In a way my panels are interactive, although only until they are stuck down in place. They come in no particular order and can therefore be hung in any design or pattern; scattered over a wall with vast areas of space between like a series of painting or photographs would be arranged, or close together in an ordered fashion giving the impression of a more conventional wallpaper. So to some extent the customer has artistic licence. Deborah Bowness’ wallpaper, although is actually a length of paper gives the appearance of printed panels hung together to create a complete image. I think this design is very successful and it also has the bespoke quality I want for my covering.
I choose to visit Temple Newsam, as I am very interested in the history and technical side of art. I have always had a passion and hunger to learn new things and this particularly applies to how and why things are made. The tour of the house focused on just this. We were told about wallpaper design and manufacture, and how they are working to restore the house with wallpapers from centuries past. The day began with an introductory talk entitled ‘Mary to Morris- a brief guide to wallpaper.’ We were told about the origins of wallpaper dating back to the 15th century, when printed images began to be more commonly seen. Through the 16th and 17th centuries printing became more versatile and practical, being used as linings and even ornate features of every day object such as ladies fans. Between 1570 and 1600 the very first wallpapers were produced. By 1680 squares of paper began to be assembled into rolls of wallpaper. This is something that was already a factor in my design, how to create a roll of wallpaper out of smaller sheets of paper, considering joins and pattern match. It was explained to us that these were things that designers from past centuries also had to think about. The wallpaper was block printed so the paper it was printed on would be just lager than the printing block, then these small panels of paper were glue together with animal glue to make rolls of wallpaper.
The week before going to Temple Newsam I attended a ‘flock and foil’ workshop in the print room. Although it is not seen very often, I have always liked the look of flock. I love the way you can see that it is slightly raised away from the surface which instantly makes you want to touch it. It also adds another dimension to the design. For example I have seen it on cards , as opposed to using glitter, as it gives the same effect of luxury and uniqueness. On the visit we learnt about how flock was first used in wallpaper. It was designed in England in t he late 17th century and was made from ‘choplet wool’ wool that had basically been chopped over and over u ntil it becomes almost powdery. It was invented to imitate velvet, which was very expensive in England because it had to be imported in due to the lack of silk available. At this time velvet was 25 shillings a yard and in comparison flock was just 4 shillings a yard. We were shown examples of flocked wallpaper that were recovered from the house before the renovation had begun. These samples, although worn and faded, looked remarkably similar to the examples we had made only a week previous. It really amazed me how a technique so old still has a place in the modern world of design.
We were also told that the relationship between wallpaper and textile design was as strong back then as it is now. The 18th century saw the first printed textiles. Also around that time it became fashionable to have embroidered paper, because the cost was so much cheaper than printed paper. Metal thread was sewn into the paper to create strips of silver, which were opulent and showed wealth. We saw some of this wallpaper around the house and this technique works very effectively, giving the illusion of grandeur at a relatively low cost in the day. In 1864 the 8 colour printing machine was created, this revolutionised they way wallpapers were made. This invention meant that wallpaper could easily be mass produced; 8 separate printing blocks no longer needed to be cut and carve to create an 8 colour design. The machine used rollers to apply the colour to the paper which meant faster manufacture, but poor quality. This matter was addressed in 1851, which saw the Great Exhibtion take place. The exhibition show case the latest in Britsh design, but it was obvious that the invention of the 8 colour printing machine had killed the craftsmanship wallpaper had always shown. After the exhibition wallpaper companies began to employ new designers to bring back the passion and skill that was lacking from recent years. Owen Jones, William Morris and Walter Crane were amongst some of the designers that help the reinvention which began the arts and crafts movement.
One particular wallpaper from the house really inspired my design idea. It instantly stood out from the rest of the house’s restored wallpapers because it looked so modern. I first saw it in the presentation we were given, a length of the original was held next to the reproduction that they had recently had made. It was hard to believe that this was actually designed in the 17th century. It had a pale grey/blue background with white, mid grey and dark grey printed on top. I was amazed at how three dimensional the design looked even though only three tones were used. The arches really seemed to be standing away from the paper. Immediately I wanted to use this idea in my work. I didn’t know how to go about it or what technique to use, but I knew I wanted to achieve something that was as simple yet effective as this wallpaper.
I was still wondering how I could combine my original ideas with the look of the wallpaper that I had been so inspired by when I was told in my printmaking elective to research ‘lino reductions’ for next weeks lesson. I had never herd of this technique before but was exited at the prospect of getting the chance to learn new lino printing processes. After researching this method of printing I understood the general idea but didn’t really think it was a process that would enrich my work. However purely because I ran out of time and was unable to carve the whole of my sheet of lino I discovered how this technique was the exact thing I needed to make my design ideas work. By creating single roses using lino print reduction I could make give the flowers depth and even a slightly three dimensional feel. Next I questioned what to print on to. I had done some samples to see if the lino reduction would work as successfully as I had hoped onto newsprint, cartridge paper and tea stained paper, but it felt too clean and quite unexciting. I spoke about this in a group crit and decided to print onto black and white print outs of the roses.
I love the lino print panels; they are exactly how I wanted them look, sophisticated and unique. I have managed to stay true to my original ideas as well as enriching them with effects I liked in other wall coverings. Although I was pleased with how they had turned out I wanted to continue to push my designs. I decided to try some of the new techniques that I had learnt in the workshop I attended so I also created foil, flocked, embossed and screen printed panels to accompany the lino reductions. Overall I am delighted with how the panels look as a whole. From my original and very basic idea of a length of wallpaper with lino cut roses on, I have managed to push my ideas to create a diverse range of panels which have evolved and grown into a piece of work I am truly proud of.
During the weeks research I focused on Hortus Botaniacus. I looked at a range of books, magazines and wallpaper artists. I was most inspired by colour pallets, pinks and corals; texture, or things that looked like they were textured; and also designers who pushed the boundaries of wallpaper. The wall coverings that really inspired me where the ones that did something different; either by being interactive or using a material that is not normally associated with wall coverings, like grass. Although in the end my wall covering was not as original, nor as inventive as these examples, they did however inspire my panels of wallpaper. After researching this type of work I decided I didn’t want my covering to be a run of the mill, length of wallpaper; I wanted it to be a little more exciting and engaging. In a way my panels are interactive, although only until they are stuck down in place. They come in no particular order and can therefore be hung in any design or pattern; scattered over a wall with vast areas of space between like a series of painting or photographs would be arranged, or close together in an ordered fashion giving the impression of a more conventional wallpaper. So to some extent the customer has artistic licence. Deborah Bowness’ wallpaper, although is actually a length of paper gives the appearance of printed panels hung together to create a complete image. I think this design is very successful and it also has the bespoke quality I want for my covering.
I choose to visit Temple Newsam, as I am very interested in the history and technical side of art. I have always had a passion and hunger to learn new things and this particularly applies to how and why things are made. The tour of the house focused on just this. We were told about wallpaper design and manufacture, and how they are working to restore the house with wallpapers from centuries past. The day began with an introductory talk entitled ‘Mary to Morris- a brief guide to wallpaper.’ We were told about the origins of wallpaper dating back to the 15th century, when printed images began to be more commonly seen. Through the 16th and 17th centuries printing became more versatile and practical, being used as linings and even ornate features of every day object such as ladies fans. Between 1570 and 1600 the very first wallpapers were produced. By 1680 squares of paper began to be assembled into rolls of wallpaper. This is something that was already a factor in my design, how to create a roll of wallpaper out of smaller sheets of paper, considering joins and pattern match. It was explained to us that these were things that designers from past centuries also had to think about. The wallpaper was block printed so the paper it was printed on would be just lager than the printing block, then these small panels of paper were glue together with animal glue to make rolls of wallpaper.
The week before going to Temple Newsam I attended a ‘flock and foil’ workshop in the print room. Although it is not seen very often, I have always liked the look of flock. I love the way you can see that it is slightly raised away from the surface which instantly makes you want to touch it. It also adds another dimension to the design. For example I have seen it on cards , as opposed to using glitter, as it gives the same effect of luxury and uniqueness. On the visit we learnt about how flock was first used in wallpaper. It was designed in England in t he late 17th century and was made from ‘choplet wool’ wool that had basically been chopped over and over u ntil it becomes almost powdery. It was invented to imitate velvet, which was very expensive in England because it had to be imported in due to the lack of silk available. At this time velvet was 25 shillings a yard and in comparison flock was just 4 shillings a yard. We were shown examples of flocked wallpaper that were recovered from the house before the renovation had begun. These samples, although worn and faded, looked remarkably similar to the examples we had made only a week previous. It really amazed me how a technique so old still has a place in the modern world of design.
We were also told that the relationship between wallpaper and textile design was as strong back then as it is now. The 18th century saw the first printed textiles. Also around that time it became fashionable to have embroidered paper, because the cost was so much cheaper than printed paper. Metal thread was sewn into the paper to create strips of silver, which were opulent and showed wealth. We saw some of this wallpaper around the house and this technique works very effectively, giving the illusion of grandeur at a relatively low cost in the day. In 1864 the 8 colour printing machine was created, this revolutionised they way wallpapers were made. This invention meant that wallpaper could easily be mass produced; 8 separate printing blocks no longer needed to be cut and carve to create an 8 colour design. The machine used rollers to apply the colour to the paper which meant faster manufacture, but poor quality. This matter was addressed in 1851, which saw the Great Exhibtion take place. The exhibition show case the latest in Britsh design, but it was obvious that the invention of the 8 colour printing machine had killed the craftsmanship wallpaper had always shown. After the exhibition wallpaper companies began to employ new designers to bring back the passion and skill that was lacking from recent years. Owen Jones, William Morris and Walter Crane were amongst some of the designers that help the reinvention which began the arts and crafts movement.
One particular wallpaper from the house really inspired my design idea. It instantly stood out from the rest of the house’s restored wallpapers because it looked so modern. I first saw it in the presentation we were given, a length of the original was held next to the reproduction that they had recently had made. It was hard to believe that this was actually designed in the 17th century. It had a pale grey/blue background with white, mid grey and dark grey printed on top. I was amazed at how three dimensional the design looked even though only three tones were used. The arches really seemed to be standing away from the paper. Immediately I wanted to use this idea in my work. I didn’t know how to go about it or what technique to use, but I knew I wanted to achieve something that was as simple yet effective as this wallpaper.
I was still wondering how I could combine my original ideas with the look of the wallpaper that I had been so inspired by when I was told in my printmaking elective to research ‘lino reductions’ for next weeks lesson. I had never herd of this technique before but was exited at the prospect of getting the chance to learn new lino printing processes. After researching this method of printing I understood the general idea but didn’t really think it was a process that would enrich my work. However purely because I ran out of time and was unable to carve the whole of my sheet of lino I discovered how this technique was the exact thing I needed to make my design ideas work. By creating single roses using lino print reduction I could make give the flowers depth and even a slightly three dimensional feel. Next I questioned what to print on to. I had done some samples to see if the lino reduction would work as successfully as I had hoped onto newsprint, cartridge paper and tea stained paper, but it felt too clean and quite unexciting. I spoke about this in a group crit and decided to print onto black and white print outs of the roses.
I love the lino print panels; they are exactly how I wanted them look, sophisticated and unique. I have managed to stay true to my original ideas as well as enriching them with effects I liked in other wall coverings. Although I was pleased with how they had turned out I wanted to continue to push my designs. I decided to try some of the new techniques that I had learnt in the workshop I attended so I also created foil, flocked, embossed and screen printed panels to accompany the lino reductions. Overall I am delighted with how the panels look as a whole. From my original and very basic idea of a length of wallpaper with lino cut roses on, I have managed to push my ideas to create a diverse range of panels which have evolved and grown into a piece of work I am truly proud of.
summary of personal folio - krista turney
The imagery in my personal folio ranges from fashion illustrations and photography to cards and home furnishing articles. I have always had a strong interest in fashion and fashion illustration, and these were defiantly the things I was most drawn to when putting my folio together. I buy new magazines on a weekly basis so there is always a new article or photo shoot to gain inspiration from and put into the folder.
Colour also plays a major part in this folio. I find my love for various colours change defending on the time of year and how I'm feeling. For example at the moment my favourite colour is a pastel coral pink. I have devoted a whole page to this colour just because I love it so much and also because of how happy it made me feel when I was mixing it and then painting the various shades on to the page.
I always find myself looking at the surface of things. Sometimes I even got to touch the page knowing full well that my fingertips will only find paper. Rapid brush marks, pleats on skirts, scrunched silk and raffia all feature in my folio, and the common link …. I want to touch them. As well as texture I look for pattern and design, whether it’s the weave or knit of a garment or the more obvious pattern in wallpaper it defiantly plays a large parting in deciding if I like something or not.
Overall my folio contains a range of sources that I love and draw inspiration from on a regular basis. I have really enjoyed filling this file with things that I have found and collected over time and I think it really represents who I am and my style of work.
Colour also plays a major part in this folio. I find my love for various colours change defending on the time of year and how I'm feeling. For example at the moment my favourite colour is a pastel coral pink. I have devoted a whole page to this colour just because I love it so much and also because of how happy it made me feel when I was mixing it and then painting the various shades on to the page.
I always find myself looking at the surface of things. Sometimes I even got to touch the page knowing full well that my fingertips will only find paper. Rapid brush marks, pleats on skirts, scrunched silk and raffia all feature in my folio, and the common link …. I want to touch them. As well as texture I look for pattern and design, whether it’s the weave or knit of a garment or the more obvious pattern in wallpaper it defiantly plays a large parting in deciding if I like something or not.
Overall my folio contains a range of sources that I love and draw inspiration from on a regular basis. I have really enjoyed filling this file with things that I have found and collected over time and I think it really represents who I am and my style of work.
Inspiration- Rosemary Milner
Maxine sutton- Tablecloth
Jessie Chorley
When starting a project i often look on the designsponge blog to help with innovative ideas and to see what is new in terms of pattern design and textile crafts. The card and gift wrap area of textiles is particularily influencial to me as i love using the paper medium. Throughout most of my projects i have used paper as the main material. Therefore claire cole, jessie chorley and wallpaper designers are the most inspirational artists.
I really like the idea of collecting old vintage materials, papers, books and using them within my work as mediums. Jessie chorley uses this technique throughout her work. she uses old photos and old treasures which captures memories and the past. i really like this concept and continually use it within my own work. Charity Shops and old boutiques are also really inspirational for me as i love old objects and somehow using the imagery within my work.
Rosemary Milner- Project Report
For the project report I am going to talk, in depth, about the theme of the brief and the historical background of wallpaper. I will discuss how the visits to galleries and Stately homes were influential within the project report in deciphering the historical context of wallpaper. For example the Whitworth Gallery and Temple Newsam gave a real insight into the History of some wallpaper traditions and the concepts behind them. I will also talk about my own style of work and how that has developed throughout this project. I am going to discuss my inspiration for my final designs and how I re-invented wallpaper traditions with my own wall covering.
Within my project of wall coverings I decided to focus mainly on the Botanical/Floral aspect of wallpapers. In wallpaper History flowers are an obvious choice for motifs in textiles because of their simplicity and because of the idea that people wanted to bring the beauty of the natural world into their homes. Designers and artists have always relied on the decorative possibilities of flowers and foliage, some motifs not belonging to a particular species of flower to give your imagination full range.
From earliest history it is evident that floral in fashion and interior have never gone out of style. William Morris’ wallpaper/fabrics for example, are largely based on the botanical concept and have influenced many designers, including Liberties London, to produce designs on the floral concept.
Wallpaper has, in general, been thought of as a background cover background cover rather than foreground in decoration. However it does play a vital role in the theme of the room and the choices for other aspects e.g. furnishings. Exempt from this rule would be the Chinese Papers and the early 19th French scenic decorations, because of their lavish designs they are very much centre pieces rather than backgrounds. When researching the history of wallpapers there is a distinctive influence from the textiles medium. For example some of the earliest wall coverings were made from fabrics. Wall hangings of various kinds are where paper hangings have stemmed from, so it is not surprising that the earliest and most consistent influence of wallpaper design has come from textiles.
Within the 16th and early 17th century lining papers and wallpapers were direct printed copies pf the embroidery, the various stitches and textures were carefully reproduced on paper using cross-hatched line. From this basic idea of using textiles as a basis for wallpaper I have created my own wall covering using techniques and influences from the textile range. In particular embroidery became a huge aspect of my work. I wanted to bring in the texture element as a concept of my design, almost making the wallpaper interactive. It invites you to touch the wall instead of just looking at it. I wanted to create a different aspect of line which is why I used the freehand embroidery as the basis for my design.
Fabric examples from whitworth
Other noticeable inspirations for my project have been the visits to the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester and Temple Newsam in Leeds. The Whitworth Gallery in particular held some truly luxurious wallpapers ranging from the 16th century to the present day. The Archives at the Whitworth helped with my project report because I learnt a lot about the history of some of the papers and how they fit in context e.g. within the home. For example some of the floral papers dated 1895-1900, in the late Victorian era, were made for high ceiling rooms and the rich colours on some of the papers were used in the billiard and dining rooms. Temple Newsam was also hugely inspirational because it shows the traditional wallpapers in context and how they were presented in each room.
Crimson flock paper, Chinese wallpaper, Crimson flock wallpaper-pomegranate green TEMPLE NEWSAM
Within my research for this project I have noticed how traditions have repeated themselves in terms of the design for wallpapers. I have realised that many new designers today have taken old traditions, themes and re-invented them to suit modern popular culture. William Morris in particular is obviously a key influence within the modern day due to his original detailed designs. Designers such as Marimekko have taken Morris’ original concept of detailed floral and reproduced it as a contemporary wall covering.
I believe William Morris has been particularly inspirational within my project due to the fact I have used Botanical as a theme and branched from there. I wanted my project to be different and re-inventive so I used a combination of imagery within my work. I produced observations of birds, wild flowers and odd antiques such as clocks, typewriters and stamps. I feel this combination of imagery is how I have re-invented the concept of floral wall coverings and stamped my own personal style on it.
This project ahs helped me develop my own style through the use of observational studies. The use of my observational drawings of wild flowers, birds etc was a spring board for the whole concept of my project and really defined my style individually.
Other designers that have helped with the development of my project and with the techniques are Lisa Bengtsson, Claire Cole and Deborah Bowness. Claire Cole in particular was inspirational because of her use of recycled wallpapers. She uses the same concept of using collected papers and recreating them as her own work. Cole also uses the reverse appliqué technique with naïve household imagery. This is what inspired my object imagery along with my observations of wild flowers. The key techniques for my final wall coverings were reverse appliqué, using freehand embroidery and the use of collage. The combination of all these methods was very successful in my final design work.
During this project I have learnt new methods to use in my work. The Gesso technique was particularly useful in this project. However it was a time consuming process as it uses the idea of layering images and using a special liquid substance onto wood. There were many variations of using Gesso, but I decided to use photocopies of my initial observations and incorporate them into the technique. I think this was successful due to the fact it creates a used, vintage look which is how I wanted my wall coverings to be conveyed.
Another useful technique I learnt within this project is flocking and foiling. This is a method using screen printing as a basis then heat transfer using the foils and the flocking paper. Although this technique wasn’t key in my project, I will definitely use it in future because wallpaper design often uses this approach.
The main printing method I used for this project was paper screen printing. This was a very successful approach to my work as it created the perfect background for my vintage theme. I was then able to build on the prints using the collage and reverse appliqué techniques. These were the final methods I used for my wall coverings and the overall effect was quite successful. The only aspect I would change would be the use of the laser cutter. I would have preferred to have used more of this machine in my work because it worked quite well in the experimental stage of my project.
Within my project of wall coverings I decided to focus mainly on the Botanical/Floral aspect of wallpapers. In wallpaper History flowers are an obvious choice for motifs in textiles because of their simplicity and because of the idea that people wanted to bring the beauty of the natural world into their homes. Designers and artists have always relied on the decorative possibilities of flowers and foliage, some motifs not belonging to a particular species of flower to give your imagination full range.
From earliest history it is evident that floral in fashion and interior have never gone out of style. William Morris’ wallpaper/fabrics for example, are largely based on the botanical concept and have influenced many designers, including Liberties London, to produce designs on the floral concept.
Wallpaper has, in general, been thought of as a background cover background cover rather than foreground in decoration. However it does play a vital role in the theme of the room and the choices for other aspects e.g. furnishings. Exempt from this rule would be the Chinese Papers and the early 19th French scenic decorations, because of their lavish designs they are very much centre pieces rather than backgrounds. When researching the history of wallpapers there is a distinctive influence from the textiles medium. For example some of the earliest wall coverings were made from fabrics. Wall hangings of various kinds are where paper hangings have stemmed from, so it is not surprising that the earliest and most consistent influence of wallpaper design has come from textiles.
Within the 16th and early 17th century lining papers and wallpapers were direct printed copies pf the embroidery, the various stitches and textures were carefully reproduced on paper using cross-hatched line. From this basic idea of using textiles as a basis for wallpaper I have created my own wall covering using techniques and influences from the textile range. In particular embroidery became a huge aspect of my work. I wanted to bring in the texture element as a concept of my design, almost making the wallpaper interactive. It invites you to touch the wall instead of just looking at it. I wanted to create a different aspect of line which is why I used the freehand embroidery as the basis for my design.
Fabric examples from whitworth
Other noticeable inspirations for my project have been the visits to the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester and Temple Newsam in Leeds. The Whitworth Gallery in particular held some truly luxurious wallpapers ranging from the 16th century to the present day. The Archives at the Whitworth helped with my project report because I learnt a lot about the history of some of the papers and how they fit in context e.g. within the home. For example some of the floral papers dated 1895-1900, in the late Victorian era, were made for high ceiling rooms and the rich colours on some of the papers were used in the billiard and dining rooms. Temple Newsam was also hugely inspirational because it shows the traditional wallpapers in context and how they were presented in each room.
Crimson flock paper, Chinese wallpaper, Crimson flock wallpaper-pomegranate green TEMPLE NEWSAM
Within my research for this project I have noticed how traditions have repeated themselves in terms of the design for wallpapers. I have realised that many new designers today have taken old traditions, themes and re-invented them to suit modern popular culture. William Morris in particular is obviously a key influence within the modern day due to his original detailed designs. Designers such as Marimekko have taken Morris’ original concept of detailed floral and reproduced it as a contemporary wall covering.
I believe William Morris has been particularly inspirational within my project due to the fact I have used Botanical as a theme and branched from there. I wanted my project to be different and re-inventive so I used a combination of imagery within my work. I produced observations of birds, wild flowers and odd antiques such as clocks, typewriters and stamps. I feel this combination of imagery is how I have re-invented the concept of floral wall coverings and stamped my own personal style on it.
This project ahs helped me develop my own style through the use of observational studies. The use of my observational drawings of wild flowers, birds etc was a spring board for the whole concept of my project and really defined my style individually.
Other designers that have helped with the development of my project and with the techniques are Lisa Bengtsson, Claire Cole and Deborah Bowness. Claire Cole in particular was inspirational because of her use of recycled wallpapers. She uses the same concept of using collected papers and recreating them as her own work. Cole also uses the reverse appliqué technique with naïve household imagery. This is what inspired my object imagery along with my observations of wild flowers. The key techniques for my final wall coverings were reverse appliqué, using freehand embroidery and the use of collage. The combination of all these methods was very successful in my final design work.
During this project I have learnt new methods to use in my work. The Gesso technique was particularly useful in this project. However it was a time consuming process as it uses the idea of layering images and using a special liquid substance onto wood. There were many variations of using Gesso, but I decided to use photocopies of my initial observations and incorporate them into the technique. I think this was successful due to the fact it creates a used, vintage look which is how I wanted my wall coverings to be conveyed.
Another useful technique I learnt within this project is flocking and foiling. This is a method using screen printing as a basis then heat transfer using the foils and the flocking paper. Although this technique wasn’t key in my project, I will definitely use it in future because wallpaper design often uses this approach.
The main printing method I used for this project was paper screen printing. This was a very successful approach to my work as it created the perfect background for my vintage theme. I was then able to build on the prints using the collage and reverse appliqué techniques. These were the final methods I used for my wall coverings and the overall effect was quite successful. The only aspect I would change would be the use of the laser cutter. I would have preferred to have used more of this machine in my work because it worked quite well in the experimental stage of my project.
Lisa Johnson-Shop report
Shop Window displays are a key part to representing a company and entising customers into a shop, there are big differences to how stores do this and it shows i feel how expensive/non expensive the merchandise inside is!
For example cheaper clothes shops such as newlook display big tacky discount boards and posters, entising people through money savings, whereas harvey nicoles clearly spends a fortune making big glamorous scenes which are eye catching, and made to look extravagant, such as this seasons display is a jungle theme, with huge metalic giraffe and crocodile models along with other spectacular props.
For example cheaper clothes shops such as newlook display big tacky discount boards and posters, entising people through money savings, whereas harvey nicoles clearly spends a fortune making big glamorous scenes which are eye catching, and made to look extravagant, such as this seasons display is a jungle theme, with huge metalic giraffe and crocodile models along with other spectacular props.
Me as a designer- Lisa Johnson
I would say as a designer I like a variety of different styles, I love working with different medias to test how the out come will be, I like paper and material experiments.
Recently I have discovered a big love for screen printing, i like the versitility of it, it can make perfect lined up prints or more frequently i like to use it free hand, i like the way its not always perfect it shows the pieces are hand done, and personalised.
I feel a great artist who uses screen print i love her london collection i think its modern and edgy and i like the graphic style of it, i would say as an artist i also try to work in this way.
I also love the hand sewn effects of the likes of claire cole, i think the delicate and detailed effects are really beautiful.
Recently I have discovered a big love for screen printing, i like the versitility of it, it can make perfect lined up prints or more frequently i like to use it free hand, i like the way its not always perfect it shows the pieces are hand done, and personalised.
I feel a great artist who uses screen print i love her london collection i think its modern and edgy and i like the graphic style of it, i would say as an artist i also try to work in this way.
I also love the hand sewn effects of the likes of claire cole, i think the delicate and detailed effects are really beautiful.
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
Alex Fry - Wallcoverings Project
Project Report
When wallpapers were first introduced they were extremely expensive as they were hand printed and sometimes hand painted. Having wallpaper in a household represented wealth. When mass production was introduced everyone was able to afford wallpapers and so the division in class disappeared. Wallpaper can even be found in hardware stores at as little as £1.99. Subconsciously we use interiors to express how we feel just like our clothes. You can tell a lot about a person by how they decorate their house.
In the first week of the project we were asked to research all types of wallpapers and wall coverings. I have gathered research throughout the project and organised it into a technique file. The file gave me many ideas on how to approach making my own wall covering samples.
In week two we made a trip to Temple Newsam in Leeds. At this point I had chosen to focus on Toile de Jouy – Scenes of the day. The house displayed original and modified 17, 18 and 19-century papers. There were examples of Toile de jouy wallpapers – although these were related to my theme, the wall coverings were traditional and very complicated, whereas I was focusing on simple, modern designs. It was good to experience wallpapers in actual rooms as appose to seeing them on strips of paper. We were given a talk of the historical techniques used to create these papers. The Chinese wallpapers were often hand painted and very detailed. Before flock paper was invented they would use chopped and dyed wool known as ‘flock’. This technique was hugely popular for bedrooms and dressing rooms in mid 18th century England. We were also shown ’Green Flock Wallpaper’; the lengths of paper were made up of individual pieces of linen-rag paper, pre-joined to form rolls. The wallpaper had a shiny ground due to a varnish pigmented with Malachite (a semi-precious stone). This wallpaper represents the first time that the technique had been used for 150 years; it also included flock. The ‘Crimson Flock wallpaper, Pomegranate’ pattern was introduced in the late 1990’s – The pattern is typical of Regency economy and must have been popular as it was known from French and American contexts. This paper was created using a slightly different technique; Originally Sheets of paper were pre-joined to form drops, they were then printed with adhesive and varnished from wooden blocks; the varnish was then covered in flock. A more detailed pattern was then embossed into the flock. Later in the 19th century flock papers were embossed by being passed between heated rollers under pressure. The final paper we discussed was ‘Gothick’ Paper, which was called Stucco paper in the 18th century. The contemporary revival of the Gothic style affected all the decorative arts. This was soon replaced by the neoclassical revival. Overall the wallpapers focused on everyday objects such as flowers, fruit and architecture. I chose to focus on everyday objects in my life such as cordial, cereal bars, fruit, marmite, and fairy liquid… Basically I recorded edible items I consumed in a day by taking basic photos. When I spoke to my tutor, we discussed where I could imagine these wallpapers would go, I then broadened my photos by looking at everything I used in a day (not just food) - consumerism. Maybe my wallpapers could be themed for each room such as bleach and shower gel inspired wallpaper would belong in the bathroom. Then again they could be muddled up; it would be up to the customer.
In my observational drawings I was originally copying the photos exact with every detail, even the label. I then focused on the negative space and drew the outline of the objects. To my surprise the outline still allowed the objects to be recognised.
I looked at various artists such as Andy Warhol and Timorous Beasties, but was particularly intrigued by a Dutch wallpaper designer; Rachel de Joode. Her designs are not clear from a distance, but when you get closer the shapes and patterns are made up of fashion style photographs, of models. Rachel de Joode is also interested in contemporary, everyday objects. She allows her objects to create a new pattern from a distance.
“Within my work I seem to portray the other worldliness of the most profane aspects of our world. I investigate the collective memory of our time, pointing out and magnifying the absurd of contemporary culture.
I am a magician, I sanctify the emptiness of common day life seeking a balance between the ethereal world of the unconscious and the rationality of daily life, and my work can be characterized as magic realism of the new century.
I create contemporary Mis en scenes using modern symbolism. I use tokens of our daily life (for example coffee cups, carpet spray, sport socks, pre-sliced bread, post-it, shoulder pads, Venetian blinds or remote controls). I portray these modern symbols metaphorically and redefine them in very diverse ways, deconstructing common life in contemporary times. This leads to absurd and surreal imagery, which takes the viewer on a strange imagery, which takes the viewer on a strange trip to the other side of things.
I scanned some of my observational drawings and edited them on adobe illustrator to create my final screen print designs. Using the pen tools I traced my drawings one at a time resulting in a silhouette, I then used blocks of colour from the original image and layered it in my silhouette; this produced an illustration which is entirely different in feel from the original print. This technique reflects my negative space drawings - using blocks of colour to define an image without completely copying it.
I particularly enjoyed the flock and foiling workshop. It’s a simple technique with a professional outcome. As this was the first time I had used this technique it was very difficult to know what kind of designs worked and what wouldn’t. One screen print design looked good on paper but didn’t work well as a screen print.
I found it difficult to imagine what will look good covering a whole wall when you are making samples, some designs may look incredible on one sheet but hideous when in a room. My knowledge of this will improve with experience. If I were to repeat this project I would have used the technique draping on CAD to give me a reliable idea of the outcome.
The definition of Toile de Jouy is:
Toile de Jouy: sometimes abbreviated to simply "toile", is a type of decorating pattern consisting of a usually white or off-white background on which a repeated pattern depicting a fairly complex scene, generally of a pastoral theme such as (for example) a couple having a picnic by a lake. Toiles also often consist of an arrangement of flowers. The pattern portion consists of a single colour, most often black, dark red, or blue. Greens, browns and magenta toile patterns are less common but not unheard of. Toile is most associated with fabrics (curtains and upholstery in particular), though toile wallpaper is also popular.
When looking at my final designs it’s hard to see the resemblance to this theme, but this title was only the starting point for me. Traditional Toile de Jouy consists of black, dark red or blue detailed design on a white background. I was interested in the way Andy Warhol uses colour and repetition. I found that using two contrasting bold colours works very well with the negative space and continues line drawings. Working with one colour on a white background didn’t work as well for my screen prints as they were simple, graphic designs…one could say they lacked detail but that was not the point of them. I didn’t want to make wallpaper that is fussy or overwhelming to the eye. When I imagine my designs I imagine them in a room with modern furniture. Contemporary furnishings are often uncomplicated and therefore if the wallpaper was complex the furniture will most likely look out of place.
Wallcoverings by Hannah Coxon
Project Report – Wall Coverings
Hannah Coxon
Wall coverings is such a wide range collection, ranging from wallpaper, wall hangings, murals and even such simple things as photographs and portraits, I decided to concentrate on wallpaper. Dating back to 200BC in ancient china, china is believed to be the first to use wallpaper as they were the first to create paper they hung up rice paper on their walls these were hand painted with birds, flowers, religious symbols and sometimes landscapes. In the middle ages the Europeans’ paid artists to paint paper for their walls. But wallpaper hardly said to have ‘existed’ until the invention of the printing press.
Europe’s oldest so far found wallpaper was found in Cambridge at Christ’s College it is dated back to 1509. A guild of paperhangers was established in France at 1599 but only small sheets of decorated paper were available.
One of the earliest trends of wallpaper in London was hand painted papers that imitated architectural details or such things as marble and stucco. Borders resembling a tasselled braid or swag of fabric were often added and flocked papers that looked like cut velvet was immensely popular. Even Queen Victoria had flocked walls. In 1839 the British invented the four colour roller printer machine with designs hand cut that could print 400 rolls a day. In the 1800’s scenic wallpapers printed with hand carved blocks was the trend.
The wallpaper that I have produced is based on the flowers choice and I decided to base this on an oriental/Japanese theme, including rich yet vibrant colours also with using foiling to connote wealth and glamour.
Over the six weeks of the project I have learnt new processes such as flocking and foiling, these processes are quite traditional yet are used in contemporary wall coverings. The process to flock and foil is very simple and easy with a very sleek and professional outcome. It involves putting this special glue where you want the flock or foil to go, if its foil the colour foil side goes up, the flock the flocking side faces the glue. This then is put under the heat press for the glue to set just for a couple of seconds, peel away and the flock or foil will be in the position of where the glue was. I also discovered that foiling sticks to photocopy ink so I tried this with a basic photocopy of a flower I drew put the foil straight over the top and it sticks where the ink is. I think this is a very discreet outcome which I liked a lot.
First thing I did for this project was choose which genre I wanted to work in, I chose flowers then I collected research I found this from the internet, magazines and books from library, I also got some wallpaper samples from Laura Ashley. I loved the colour palette of the oriental theme this being reds, gold, bronze, black, gray, navy and plums, or anything that felt really rich and warm. I also loved the works of Tricia guild and Hanna Werning I loved the bright colours and the big flowery patterns which are very bold yet intricate designs.
Once this was decided we went to Temple Newsam to have a look at old traditional wallpapers.We went to Temple Newsam which is an old mansion that used to be lived in and passed down the family it has amazing grounds and full of beautiful antiques we were specifically looking at the wallpaper around this house. The earliest wallpaper was found to be from between 1510-1600. In 1670-1680 the greatest innovation of wallpaper so far was found, the roller printer which the British made the British was also the first to do flocking which was very popular for wallpaper with the upper class. There was also wood block carving which was a technique used quite a lot for pillar and arch wallpapers which were quite gothic using dark grey’s and whites. In 1851 was the Great Exhibition which was an opportunity for artists to show off their works it was a massive opportunity for wallpaper designers and makers to show the difference and the quality that wallpaper had reached so far. At temple newsam I really liked the floral’s and how vintage and beautiful they are.
After temple newsam the observational works began, drawing all kinds of flowers from roses to cherry blossoms to plants I did drawings such as continual line which I really like to do. I also did paintings using water colours and acrylics. I also did pen drawings and pencil drawings. I did some stencilling and put coloured background behinds some were wallpapers that I collected for my research. I also found a book showing Chinese and Japanese painting and drawing techniques I tried these out and painted bamboo, peonies flowers, also I looked into how they drew and painted birds. I found ones I liked those being a Kingfisher bird and Oriole and followed the drawing technique which the outcome I really liked. I looked back at my observational drawings and saw myself concentrating on the oriental theme so I decided this is what I would base my wallpaper on. I looked back at my works and really liked the continual lines I drew of the cheery blossom I photocopied this drawing, overlapped them and painted onto them. I also used the foiling technique onto the photocopies and used this for my gesso.
Gesso is a very old traditional technique by laying the gesso onto pieces of wood or paper and trapping images in between. I decided to use wood I again used to line drawing of cherry blossom, one being a photocopy and the other having been foiled. Next I photocopied the painting of the kingfisher that I painted and arranged it so that it was landing on the flowers I also put hints of the gold bronze on it to tie it in. I put another layer of gesso on top of this then used the waste of a bamboo shoot that had been foiled and put this on the side. I also made two other gesso pieces which have been painted on and again layered up with photocopies and foil.
Next I started my printing I did three practice pieces using three different colour backgrounds being grey, blue and red these all fitting in with the colour palette of the oriental theme, on these I foiled a bamboo shoot, using a foiling technique, at the side using screen printing. I also printed a peonies flower using three different stencils to produce three different colours ones of these being black foil. The background is a stencil of a cheery blossom being made bolder and screen printed in a deep red cherry colour. The bird was then screen printed in a jade green colour.
Once I had done the sample I decided against the blue and enlarged the red and grey I randomised the bamboo shoots again foiled. I used the same screen printing and using the same colours personally I think it works better on a larger scale.
In conclusion I am happy with my project; I like how things aren’t perfect which adds to the rustic vintage kind of feel. I mounted my work onto black cardaswell as white as I think it fits I with the oriental theme more and would of clashed if it was straight onto white. I also think if my work would have a target audience it would be for people who like contemporary, culture and warmth in a piece of work.
Hannah Coxon
Wall coverings is such a wide range collection, ranging from wallpaper, wall hangings, murals and even such simple things as photographs and portraits, I decided to concentrate on wallpaper. Dating back to 200BC in ancient china, china is believed to be the first to use wallpaper as they were the first to create paper they hung up rice paper on their walls these were hand painted with birds, flowers, religious symbols and sometimes landscapes. In the middle ages the Europeans’ paid artists to paint paper for their walls. But wallpaper hardly said to have ‘existed’ until the invention of the printing press.
Europe’s oldest so far found wallpaper was found in Cambridge at Christ’s College it is dated back to 1509. A guild of paperhangers was established in France at 1599 but only small sheets of decorated paper were available.
One of the earliest trends of wallpaper in London was hand painted papers that imitated architectural details or such things as marble and stucco. Borders resembling a tasselled braid or swag of fabric were often added and flocked papers that looked like cut velvet was immensely popular. Even Queen Victoria had flocked walls. In 1839 the British invented the four colour roller printer machine with designs hand cut that could print 400 rolls a day. In the 1800’s scenic wallpapers printed with hand carved blocks was the trend.
The wallpaper that I have produced is based on the flowers choice and I decided to base this on an oriental/Japanese theme, including rich yet vibrant colours also with using foiling to connote wealth and glamour.
Over the six weeks of the project I have learnt new processes such as flocking and foiling, these processes are quite traditional yet are used in contemporary wall coverings. The process to flock and foil is very simple and easy with a very sleek and professional outcome. It involves putting this special glue where you want the flock or foil to go, if its foil the colour foil side goes up, the flock the flocking side faces the glue. This then is put under the heat press for the glue to set just for a couple of seconds, peel away and the flock or foil will be in the position of where the glue was. I also discovered that foiling sticks to photocopy ink so I tried this with a basic photocopy of a flower I drew put the foil straight over the top and it sticks where the ink is. I think this is a very discreet outcome which I liked a lot.
First thing I did for this project was choose which genre I wanted to work in, I chose flowers then I collected research I found this from the internet, magazines and books from library, I also got some wallpaper samples from Laura Ashley. I loved the colour palette of the oriental theme this being reds, gold, bronze, black, gray, navy and plums, or anything that felt really rich and warm. I also loved the works of Tricia guild and Hanna Werning I loved the bright colours and the big flowery patterns which are very bold yet intricate designs.
Once this was decided we went to Temple Newsam to have a look at old traditional wallpapers.We went to Temple Newsam which is an old mansion that used to be lived in and passed down the family it has amazing grounds and full of beautiful antiques we were specifically looking at the wallpaper around this house. The earliest wallpaper was found to be from between 1510-1600. In 1670-1680 the greatest innovation of wallpaper so far was found, the roller printer which the British made the British was also the first to do flocking which was very popular for wallpaper with the upper class. There was also wood block carving which was a technique used quite a lot for pillar and arch wallpapers which were quite gothic using dark grey’s and whites. In 1851 was the Great Exhibition which was an opportunity for artists to show off their works it was a massive opportunity for wallpaper designers and makers to show the difference and the quality that wallpaper had reached so far. At temple newsam I really liked the floral’s and how vintage and beautiful they are.
After temple newsam the observational works began, drawing all kinds of flowers from roses to cherry blossoms to plants I did drawings such as continual line which I really like to do. I also did paintings using water colours and acrylics. I also did pen drawings and pencil drawings. I did some stencilling and put coloured background behinds some were wallpapers that I collected for my research. I also found a book showing Chinese and Japanese painting and drawing techniques I tried these out and painted bamboo, peonies flowers, also I looked into how they drew and painted birds. I found ones I liked those being a Kingfisher bird and Oriole and followed the drawing technique which the outcome I really liked. I looked back at my observational drawings and saw myself concentrating on the oriental theme so I decided this is what I would base my wallpaper on. I looked back at my works and really liked the continual lines I drew of the cheery blossom I photocopied this drawing, overlapped them and painted onto them. I also used the foiling technique onto the photocopies and used this for my gesso.
Gesso is a very old traditional technique by laying the gesso onto pieces of wood or paper and trapping images in between. I decided to use wood I again used to line drawing of cherry blossom, one being a photocopy and the other having been foiled. Next I photocopied the painting of the kingfisher that I painted and arranged it so that it was landing on the flowers I also put hints of the gold bronze on it to tie it in. I put another layer of gesso on top of this then used the waste of a bamboo shoot that had been foiled and put this on the side. I also made two other gesso pieces which have been painted on and again layered up with photocopies and foil.
Next I started my printing I did three practice pieces using three different colour backgrounds being grey, blue and red these all fitting in with the colour palette of the oriental theme, on these I foiled a bamboo shoot, using a foiling technique, at the side using screen printing. I also printed a peonies flower using three different stencils to produce three different colours ones of these being black foil. The background is a stencil of a cheery blossom being made bolder and screen printed in a deep red cherry colour. The bird was then screen printed in a jade green colour.
Once I had done the sample I decided against the blue and enlarged the red and grey I randomised the bamboo shoots again foiled. I used the same screen printing and using the same colours personally I think it works better on a larger scale.
In conclusion I am happy with my project; I like how things aren’t perfect which adds to the rustic vintage kind of feel. I mounted my work onto black cardaswell as white as I think it fits I with the oriental theme more and would of clashed if it was straight onto white. I also think if my work would have a target audience it would be for people who like contemporary, culture and warmth in a piece of work.
Book exhibition report- Kirsty Jermak
I didn’t really enjoy the book exhibition too much, just purely because none of them were really my kind of style. I prefer books that have loads of little bits to them and have a aged effect to them. These were all a bit too clean cut for me. I also didn’t like how you couldn’t pick them up and look at them because at the end of the day that’s what you are meant to do with books. So the fact that you had to look through glass kind of defeated the object.
5 images from PDP file- Kirsty Jermak
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Claire Coles-image 5
This piece of her work is my favourite of all her pieces. Recently I have become very interested in cut out designs and things that are slightly 3D. I love the combination of collaged scrap papers with stitch to build up layers in her designs. I also like the fact that she collects old fashioned wallpapers and fabrics and turns them into something that is modern and contemporary.
Rob Ryan-image 4
I’m loving Rob Ryan right now! I really like how his childish designs are made into these intricate designs with text. It’s pretty impressive that the majority of his work is hand cut!
Lyn Randall- image 3
Another artist that i have become really interested in because of her cut outs. Her work is a lot more sophisticated than Claire Coles and Rob Ryan but are just as intricate. Her work contains layers of paper in the form of long drops and smaller pieces of work
Toulouse Lautrec- image 2
I love painters and one of my favourites is Toulouse Lautrec. I love how all his work is built up of small layers of really thin paint. I also like how there is still a lot of paper showing in his work cos the brush strokes are so small and thin. His exhibition was amazing and you appreciate his work so much more if you see it in the flesh. It’s lush!
Cy Twombly- image 1
Again another one of my favourite painter. I love the looseness of his work and the drips and scrawly handwriting. My favourite pieces of his work are the ones that contain mostly drips and a slight hint of handwriting
This piece of her work is my favourite of all her pieces. Recently I have become very interested in cut out designs and things that are slightly 3D. I love the combination of collaged scrap papers with stitch to build up layers in her designs. I also like the fact that she collects old fashioned wallpapers and fabrics and turns them into something that is modern and contemporary.
Rob Ryan-image 4
I’m loving Rob Ryan right now! I really like how his childish designs are made into these intricate designs with text. It’s pretty impressive that the majority of his work is hand cut!
Lyn Randall- image 3
Another artist that i have become really interested in because of her cut outs. Her work is a lot more sophisticated than Claire Coles and Rob Ryan but are just as intricate. Her work contains layers of paper in the form of long drops and smaller pieces of work
Toulouse Lautrec- image 2
I love painters and one of my favourites is Toulouse Lautrec. I love how all his work is built up of small layers of really thin paint. I also like how there is still a lot of paper showing in his work cos the brush strokes are so small and thin. His exhibition was amazing and you appreciate his work so much more if you see it in the flesh. It’s lush!
Cy Twombly- image 1
Again another one of my favourite painter. I love the looseness of his work and the drips and scrawly handwriting. My favourite pieces of his work are the ones that contain mostly drips and a slight hint of handwriting
Shop Report- Kirsty Jermak
I went into Harvey Nichols and went straight to the shoe section as I have a bit of a shoe obsession and I saw the most beautiful pair of Jimmy Choos. They were kind of gladiator style heels in really dark green/almost black crocodile skin, with a zip down the front. Only costing £873. Not exactly a bargain but sexiest of sexy shoes!! I’m waiting for the rich husband to buy me something similar, if not something more expensive!
Project Report- Kirsty Jermak
On receiving the brief, I first of all started researching into different wallpaper designers that I was interested in and also other kinds of wall coverings that were available. I straight away became very interested in Claire Coles and realised that I really like the idea of having some form of collage and stitch involved in my work.
I was particularly drawn to her butterfly piece where the paper stood out from the background piece. I then began looking at Johanna Basford and loved the way she used her intricate drawings to create black and white repeat patterns for wallpaper designs. Her way of drawing would also influence my own drawings.
Another designer who heavily influenced me was Jo Pierce, who used photographs of flowers to create compositions.
At the beginning of this project I wanted my research and drawings to lead to some kind of composition combining tonal drawings/photographs and the 3D effect that Claire Coles uses in her work.
The trip that I went on to Temple Newsom was very beneficial to me and it was also very interesting to learn about the history of wallpapers and the techniques used to create them. This trip also moved my work on a great deal as I became interested in the more traditional approaches to wallpaper design and the tradition designs that are still so common in the market today and are still just as popular.
This green wallpaper was my favourite piece from the whole trip and considering how old it was it, it was amazing to see how similar it was to wallpaper that you see in the shops now. I have always loved this style of wallpaper and decided to take this as an influence and try to give a twist to it. After this trip I researched more into wallpaper designers of this age that use similar designs and compositions. I came across designer’s guild, which is a fairly modern company that manufacture wall coverings. Their designs are quite clearly influenced by William Morris and are what I would call ‘royal style’ designs, as they are big and flamboyant.
I love the colours in this designer’s guild piece and also the piece from the temple Newsom trip and I think they are going to become a colour palette for my work.
The first wall coverings piece that I created was influenced by the very traditional style wallpapers that were seen at temple Newsom. From a drawing of a flower I created a lino and printed this on top of a stripe that I also made and then screen printed. Although I like this piece, I would have much preferred to print this onto a coloured piece of background paper, in a similar blue colour or even tried printing another, very simple, image in the background to make it a lot more exciting.
The next drawing that I used in my work was influenced by this image.
I loved the fine purple lines that were used to create depth to the image and used this way of drawing in the drawing of a flower. This then went on to be in a few of my wall covering designs, one being my own take on the Johanna Basford pieces. For this I used many of my drawings to create a rounded image in black and white that could quite easily be turned into a repeat pattern. After accidently printing this piece onto cream paper, I realised that I much preferred the design on this colour and decided that this would be the background to this piece. I would have loved to have tried to create this image in flocking, or even trying combining flocking and foil to create this piece. I managed to create two slightly different compositions using the same drawings that I think work equally as well. The same purple flower drawing also went into creating another piece where I combined that image with a leaf design that was also influenced by Johanna Basford. I also wanted to use butterflies in this piece, so after visiting the discovery centre, I gathered together some images of butterflies that I included in this design. I then went on to flocking the purple image and leaving the black leaf design flat. I would have liked to again try combining both flocking and foil with this piece too.
After looking at the tonal images of Jo pierce, I decided that it would be a good idea to do some tonal drawings from photographs that I had taken of flowers.
I like the idea of having a single, long drop of wallpaper hanging in a room so I chose to use this tonal drawing to create this. I created a random composition where the tonal drawn flowers run down the centre of the piece. As I had not yet used the 3D idea, I cut smaller flowers using the same image and sewed them down the sides of the long drop. I like how this piece works and think it would look great on a larger scale, where it covered a whole length of a wall. I then took the same idea and created a more central image, where this could be transformed into a repeat pattern with the same 3D effect in it.
The next thing I did was took a very boring line drawing of a seed pod and filled it with a block colour. This automatically brought the image to life and thought this would be great in the greens that I loved at the beginning of the project. I first lino printed the leaves of the seed pod as a test and decided that I couldn’t just have this as a repeat pattern. I looked at Louise body to help me with this piece.
I chose to use another flower to create very faint detail to the background behind the seed pod, which I decided to flock in the green that I liked. I used a daisy image and placed them randomly in cream and a minty green to create the background. The seed pod was then put down the centre of the image, over the top of the faint background. A similar thing was done with a lily drawing but I thought this worked better on plain paper. I picked out some bits of the image with silver foil as I had not yet used this in my work. Again, I think this would work much better on a much larger scale.
These next two flower images were used to create two very similar compositions. With the pink one I used a similar leafy design to the ones used in the designer’s guild pieces and to the ones you would find at temple Newsom. As I liked the grey combined with mint green, I thought the grey would also like this with the light pink. I had originally planned to have the flowers flat in the centre of the leaf design but I found it looked a lot more contemporary with some 3D flowers in the centre. The green flowers were used to create a very simple composition that I would use as a repeat pattern. A different leaf design was used in this piece and this was covered in silver foil as I thought it was more subtle than the black.
Another image was created using photographs of orange flowers. This time I drew over the top of the image. I used this to create a repeat pattern and although I don’t like the outcome of this piece, I do however like the original drawing.
As I had not yet tackled the idea of the 3D flowers, I used the flowers used in the previous piece to stitch together a whole flower piece using some papers that I printed my own geometric pattern on. I liked this idea of creating a repeat pattern out of these and also a long drop where these are clustered into one corner and graduated out down the drop. I also think these flowers would be excellent if they were made out of fabric.
I also wanted to make more of my photographs that I had taken and after a lot of playing about on Photoshop; I made a series of long drops that I think could be very interesting if they were really large. I also created a repeat pattern out of these but I don’t think it works as well.
In all I think I did manage to get the outcome I had originally planned but only wish that I had more time to push my images further. At the beginning of the project I wanted to use traditional ideas and give them a contemporary twist and I think that the idea of the 3D stuff definitely did this.
I was particularly drawn to her butterfly piece where the paper stood out from the background piece. I then began looking at Johanna Basford and loved the way she used her intricate drawings to create black and white repeat patterns for wallpaper designs. Her way of drawing would also influence my own drawings.
Another designer who heavily influenced me was Jo Pierce, who used photographs of flowers to create compositions.
At the beginning of this project I wanted my research and drawings to lead to some kind of composition combining tonal drawings/photographs and the 3D effect that Claire Coles uses in her work.
The trip that I went on to Temple Newsom was very beneficial to me and it was also very interesting to learn about the history of wallpapers and the techniques used to create them. This trip also moved my work on a great deal as I became interested in the more traditional approaches to wallpaper design and the tradition designs that are still so common in the market today and are still just as popular.
This green wallpaper was my favourite piece from the whole trip and considering how old it was it, it was amazing to see how similar it was to wallpaper that you see in the shops now. I have always loved this style of wallpaper and decided to take this as an influence and try to give a twist to it. After this trip I researched more into wallpaper designers of this age that use similar designs and compositions. I came across designer’s guild, which is a fairly modern company that manufacture wall coverings. Their designs are quite clearly influenced by William Morris and are what I would call ‘royal style’ designs, as they are big and flamboyant.
I love the colours in this designer’s guild piece and also the piece from the temple Newsom trip and I think they are going to become a colour palette for my work.
The first wall coverings piece that I created was influenced by the very traditional style wallpapers that were seen at temple Newsom. From a drawing of a flower I created a lino and printed this on top of a stripe that I also made and then screen printed. Although I like this piece, I would have much preferred to print this onto a coloured piece of background paper, in a similar blue colour or even tried printing another, very simple, image in the background to make it a lot more exciting.
The next drawing that I used in my work was influenced by this image.
I loved the fine purple lines that were used to create depth to the image and used this way of drawing in the drawing of a flower. This then went on to be in a few of my wall covering designs, one being my own take on the Johanna Basford pieces. For this I used many of my drawings to create a rounded image in black and white that could quite easily be turned into a repeat pattern. After accidently printing this piece onto cream paper, I realised that I much preferred the design on this colour and decided that this would be the background to this piece. I would have loved to have tried to create this image in flocking, or even trying combining flocking and foil to create this piece. I managed to create two slightly different compositions using the same drawings that I think work equally as well. The same purple flower drawing also went into creating another piece where I combined that image with a leaf design that was also influenced by Johanna Basford. I also wanted to use butterflies in this piece, so after visiting the discovery centre, I gathered together some images of butterflies that I included in this design. I then went on to flocking the purple image and leaving the black leaf design flat. I would have liked to again try combining both flocking and foil with this piece too.
After looking at the tonal images of Jo pierce, I decided that it would be a good idea to do some tonal drawings from photographs that I had taken of flowers.
I like the idea of having a single, long drop of wallpaper hanging in a room so I chose to use this tonal drawing to create this. I created a random composition where the tonal drawn flowers run down the centre of the piece. As I had not yet used the 3D idea, I cut smaller flowers using the same image and sewed them down the sides of the long drop. I like how this piece works and think it would look great on a larger scale, where it covered a whole length of a wall. I then took the same idea and created a more central image, where this could be transformed into a repeat pattern with the same 3D effect in it.
The next thing I did was took a very boring line drawing of a seed pod and filled it with a block colour. This automatically brought the image to life and thought this would be great in the greens that I loved at the beginning of the project. I first lino printed the leaves of the seed pod as a test and decided that I couldn’t just have this as a repeat pattern. I looked at Louise body to help me with this piece.
I chose to use another flower to create very faint detail to the background behind the seed pod, which I decided to flock in the green that I liked. I used a daisy image and placed them randomly in cream and a minty green to create the background. The seed pod was then put down the centre of the image, over the top of the faint background. A similar thing was done with a lily drawing but I thought this worked better on plain paper. I picked out some bits of the image with silver foil as I had not yet used this in my work. Again, I think this would work much better on a much larger scale.
These next two flower images were used to create two very similar compositions. With the pink one I used a similar leafy design to the ones used in the designer’s guild pieces and to the ones you would find at temple Newsom. As I liked the grey combined with mint green, I thought the grey would also like this with the light pink. I had originally planned to have the flowers flat in the centre of the leaf design but I found it looked a lot more contemporary with some 3D flowers in the centre. The green flowers were used to create a very simple composition that I would use as a repeat pattern. A different leaf design was used in this piece and this was covered in silver foil as I thought it was more subtle than the black.
Another image was created using photographs of orange flowers. This time I drew over the top of the image. I used this to create a repeat pattern and although I don’t like the outcome of this piece, I do however like the original drawing.
As I had not yet tackled the idea of the 3D flowers, I used the flowers used in the previous piece to stitch together a whole flower piece using some papers that I printed my own geometric pattern on. I liked this idea of creating a repeat pattern out of these and also a long drop where these are clustered into one corner and graduated out down the drop. I also think these flowers would be excellent if they were made out of fabric.
I also wanted to make more of my photographs that I had taken and after a lot of playing about on Photoshop; I made a series of long drops that I think could be very interesting if they were really large. I also created a repeat pattern out of these but I don’t think it works as well.
In all I think I did manage to get the outcome I had originally planned but only wish that I had more time to push my images further. At the beginning of the project I wanted to use traditional ideas and give them a contemporary twist and I think that the idea of the 3D stuff definitely did this.
Shop Report - Katherine Byrne
Harvey Nichols Window display
This window displayed a variety of different textures, shapes, materials and patterns to convey the similarity of animals and their movements to that of clothes.
The two main displays within the window were a large detailed china giraffe
and an equally large metal soldered crocodile. Each of these were extremely detailed and the materials used where really attention grabbing as they were very textured. Each texture within the overall design complemented and contrasted with different aspects which overall brought each aspect together into the design as a whole. The giraffe and the crocodile were the main focuses within the design and what attracted passers bye to stop and become drawn in to the diversity of the window layout.
As you step away from the larger animals you can see a variety of different aspects within the design including detailed trees and foliage, monkeys, snakes and vines all of which are made from a variety of different materials. This created a very interesting jungle scene which required you to concentrate and really focus to take in the different aspects.
Along side the jungle scene were many different mannequins in different clothes, hats, jewellery and handbags, which cleverly reflected the animals movement, colour schemes and patterns. This was really effective as the different materials used in the design really complimented the accessories and clothing making them really appealing.
What was most effective for me was that above the main features of the design were many different monkey swinging through vines and in the trees and amongst these were mannequins posed in monkey like ways which effectively conveyed the shape and flowing nature of the dresses.
Overall the number of different features, materials and over all scale of the design really drew the viewer in making the design very effective and cleverly portray the style of clothes and accessories of the season.
This window displayed a variety of different textures, shapes, materials and patterns to convey the similarity of animals and their movements to that of clothes.
The two main displays within the window were a large detailed china giraffe
and an equally large metal soldered crocodile. Each of these were extremely detailed and the materials used where really attention grabbing as they were very textured. Each texture within the overall design complemented and contrasted with different aspects which overall brought each aspect together into the design as a whole. The giraffe and the crocodile were the main focuses within the design and what attracted passers bye to stop and become drawn in to the diversity of the window layout.
As you step away from the larger animals you can see a variety of different aspects within the design including detailed trees and foliage, monkeys, snakes and vines all of which are made from a variety of different materials. This created a very interesting jungle scene which required you to concentrate and really focus to take in the different aspects.
Along side the jungle scene were many different mannequins in different clothes, hats, jewellery and handbags, which cleverly reflected the animals movement, colour schemes and patterns. This was really effective as the different materials used in the design really complimented the accessories and clothing making them really appealing.
What was most effective for me was that above the main features of the design were many different monkey swinging through vines and in the trees and amongst these were mannequins posed in monkey like ways which effectively conveyed the shape and flowing nature of the dresses.
Overall the number of different features, materials and over all scale of the design really drew the viewer in making the design very effective and cleverly portray the style of clothes and accessories of the season.
5 Chosen Images & Me as a Designer - Rachel Higham
Here are 5 images from my favorites file that I find extremely inspirational:
Adolie Day. I found this little postcard and envelope in ‘kitch kitchen’ in Amsterdam. The colours are quite subtle yet the images running around the outside are delicately fussy. The composition of girl/dears/flowers and presents gives a rich bold statement and compared to th
e size of the car
d and envelope is just perfect as a little cute gift and works all round as a whole.
Stephen Dizon and Alison Welsh,
Along side Chloe Hewitt’s work this piece is one of my favourit
e textile designs. I ad
ore art that can be manipulated ar
ound 3-D objects, that you can see, touch and feel you are a part of. I never like to create a piece that can’t be held, and until seeing the fabric for this Armchair Politico, I never really thought about mixing interior with this style of textiles. The different layers
and manipulated areas of this chair stand out to me, and the colours are again quite subdued but
I think this gives a great contrast to the new stitch against aged fabrics.
Claire Scully
Scully uses her illustration as a means to portray the intricacy of nature; I find it really interesting how she then uses a laser cutter to burn the image’s back into the wood. Or simply prints them back onto the blocks of wood that don’t necessarily have the bark left of them.
Birdy & Me – Kelly smith
What draws me to Smiths work, is firstly the attention to detail she puts into her narrative illustration, these drawings draw you in, and the loose style of drawing with block colours for the clothes really make these illustrations unique.
Florence Manlik.
“Lets say it’s some metaphysical quest with ony the help of 0.20 pens” – Manlik. These hypnotic line drawings really make me end up spe
nd too long following the lines and weaving in and out of the image, I love how every time I return to this image I can pick up from a new point and admire I different part of Manlik’s image.
Overall I love mainly most things 3-D that have an illustrative element, If you can touch it I'll be there. I also find the elements of stitch and embroidery extremely versatile and how altho seen as an old fashioned method of portraying imagery, such as 15th century tapestry, it can also be used in a more new and innovative style such as through Laura McCafferty and Clare Coles' work. I feel that after my first year in Printed Textiles and Surface Pattern, I have explored a lot of different techniques that have pushed my curiosity and style, so that I can now analyse which field I want to pursue my design work.
Create your own Scene, Baby!
Project Report - Rachel Higham
“ Wallpaper literally dresses interior spaces as expressively as clothes clad the body. Both integuments function as extremely public forms of communication that speak of their owners’ cultural sensibilities, private fantasies, erudition, economic and social status, and psychological state.”
‘Off the Wall – Wonderful Wall Coverings of the Twentieth Century’ – Lena Lencek and Gideon Bosker Page 10. completely agree with this statement and believe it shows how important our surroundings are, When we go for a walk to relax our minds, we don’t go around a bland industrial estate, but we go to nature, so why would we ever let our homes reflect anything else but beauty? Since prehistoric times the human being has surrounding himself with annotations of their life, through drawings, these have been found on walls decorating what was their homes. Although Wallpaper history does not go as far back as textiles and paintings these are in their own way wall coverings, which wallpaper is just a more developed form of.
The early wallpapers that were produced in Europe, also decorated books, boxes and furniture, and were produced on single sheets called rag paper. If the wallpaper design were going to be a repeat or a large-scale design, they would have to just paste or tack the smaller sheets together on the wall first. The wallpaper designer would print an outline in black using a wood block, which would be highly expensive and then stencil over a colour, using a shammy leather or sponge. Which was slightly cheaper, but often the colour would slightly go over the line, which designers these days sometimes make a quirky statement in their designs by purposely placing the colour off set. The textile industry was still a more productive luxury of the time, so wallpaper engineers came up with an idea to compete with the aesthetic values and textures created by the textile pieces, this was to use a product called wood grass which came in different colours depending on the season it was picked from, this would create a textured surface to print upon. Although still highly expensive and you’d have to buy a whole batch in one go, as the colour would vary.
High quality painted papers began to appear on the ceilings of manor houses and churches where they would mimic wallpaper by using more costly materials such as carved wood or even murals in the 16th Century and by the 17th Century they came up with the easier idea of joining the sheets together first, before printing over the new large sheet. Wallpapers made a big move to the rooms of the middle class from the salons of the aristocracy in the mid-eighteenth century, this be due to the introduction of engraved wood blocks that permitted the printing of rolls of paper using colour. This therefore let the manufacturing costs decline however so did the high status of the mass produced paper coverings. By the 19th Century wallpaper began to reveal big ideas though the many designs and ideas that could be achieved through painted paper, block printed papers, flock papers and roller printed papers, this was when ‘ the great Arts and Crafts, secession, and art nouveau artists and designers of Europe began to see in wallpaper a tremendous resource for popularizing their elite design ideas.’ – ‘Off the Wall – page 11’
Picking a start point from 3 key themes from traditional wall coverings to research I started by documenting my research in a file, I looked at Hortus Botanicus, Toile du Jouy and Trompe l’oeil. I found through my research that I was extremely interested in how they produced wallpaper, because it was one of those things I never understood, how the same image was repeated and how it could be made 3-D, so this was very beneficial. I was excited that I could look into Hortus Botanicus, but thought a lot of people might also feel the same. As I am a typical fan of William Morris, not only for his floral designs of overlapping flat 2D images, yet keeping a complicated twist, but also for his opinions and morals that he projected into the Arts and Crafts movement. I wanted to somehow incorporate his style with his ethics. However I didn’t want to just represent another page of florals, so looked into my other passion of illustration and line, I found an artist who uses line to represent nature ‘ Claire Scully’ I was drawn to how her simple drawings of bark captured the elegance of nature without showing colour or tone. Another artist was ‘Florence Manlik’ who develops complicated line drawings that are fascinating; I knew I’d have to practice for months before even being able to recreate anything as high standard as her work. But tried to let it inspire and influence my thoughts and ideas.
After doing some primary research I decided to explore figurative drawing, to push my boundaries as far as I can, as this is my 2nd to last project of the year, and I need to know how far I can push myself so I can achieve the most but also have enough time and effort to produce work that I’m happy is to my full potential. So seeing as I’ve never really drawn plants or gone down that route, and that i'm quite a hopeless drawer when it comes to people. What better design ideas to strive towards, because if I don’t challenge myself I won’t be able to make experimental mistakes. I started by drawing first hand several pages of peoples, experimenting with styles and media. I also looked at how Rob Ryan incorporates people dancing on nature, and thought this would be a perfect way to link them. People with nature.
After looking at a few more artists, designers, illustrators and photographers I found Genevieve Dione’s work to be exactly what I wanted to produce, line drawings of nature ‘mushrooms in her case’ with people using the nature as a platform to exist. However I also stumbled across an image from ‘Antz’ the film, and how they look up at what we’d say where a few weeds and rubbish, but to them its mountains and beautiful landscape. This is when the idea to play with scale came about. If I can produce drawings that make the client feel small and belittled by their feature wall or all over wall covering, then It could bring a whole new idea to the way we feel and act in our rooms. Instead of being in control of our walls they’re in control of us, making us feel small and humble to nature, because after all if humanity died I doubt the plants would mind, but if we lost plants then the earth would be no more.
In order to produce this kind of aspect I had to go back out and collect more research of plants, this time taking photos and drawing them from underneath looking up into them, this proved a lot harder than I thought it would be, trying to alter my mind to make the scale and lighting different from what it was. After having a group critique I decided to look into screen-printing, but I also needed to think about what kind of people to look at and in what medium to show them, so I went to a train station and took hundreds of photographs. An image of a businessman holding a clipboard took my attention immediately and I thought how it could look really quite cute and quirky to have this gentleman ‘surveying ‘ the monstrosity of a small houseplant. At the same time I was thinking about how Louise Body uses silhouettes of plants as an image, and thought how this could look really interesting as a background to my final piece, a bit like how William Morris uses layers in his compositions. After screen printing I thought about how my work would be displayed in a room, and decided that it would look far more effective in a stately home or just a room with a high ceiling. This got me to thinking about how in the beginning of wallpaper they would use rag paper and tack it to there walls, I also thought about how flock is also seen as a luxurious style which brings elegance. I think it would be quite interesting to look down this route, as in creating a style of wallpaper to represent the early wallpapers, by using large bold images and flock, but adding a modern twist by turning the ideas of scale completely on its head.
I attended a couple of workshops on gesso and foil and flock, and visited the Discovery center, this helped me decided that foil really wouldn’t help my ideas, I also decided to have a go using gesso, but after I realised that the smell was rabbit, I could hardly stomach being in the same room, but after about a week and the fact I had quite a cold so had no sense of smell managed to get the courage to attempt a piece, I’m quite disappointed that such a minor thing as the smell set me back, because I found the final pieces that could be achieved from gesso, very texturally exciting.
Conclusion
Overall I found the workshops extremely useful and the trip to the Whitworth gallery really helped me understand the processes, maths and labour that have gone into wall covering design.
“ When we approach the task of creating our intimate environment, we fall back on ready-made solutions that do not entirely banish individuality as much as channel it into a limited spectrum of ‘flavours’. ” ‘Off the wall’I accept that the customer would want to express their individuality but might not have a very artistic eye for design, or maybe is just not very bothered with the effort of exploring wall design, so just get out as many magazines and catalogues of style of the time. So what I hope comes across with my ideas is that the client has the style or idea already produced for them, but they create their own twist, by adding their own characters to the plants, whether they are action figures and dolls for their children. Or even recognisable family and friends from their own lives.
Through my research I found that I wouldn’t be able to use my designs with out putting a lot more time and effort into the qualities and sustainability off the material, as the Early Twentieth century writer Edith Wharton proclaimed that wallpapers aesthetically bankrupt for ‘effacing the architectural lines of a room’, but mainly ‘ objectionable on sanitary grounds.’ So I’d have to consider the outcome by taking into account the constraints of cost, marketplace and practitioner of production by look into every aspect of how my design would fit and last on the client’s wall. As I am not using any technologically advanced papers.
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