Lux Learns: Tutor Reports

Assignment 1

Overall Comments

The work you have submitted for the first two projects indicates that you already have a very competent level of technical and visual skills. Although your greatest strengths at the moment are in graphic media, there is strong evidence in your experimental work with textile processes that you are quickly developing a useful repertoire of skills, techniques and processes.

You have understood the importance of presenting your ideas in an accessible way and you are well able to articulate your thoughts in a coherent and reflective way. There is pleasing evidence of your ability to undertake research within the wider artistic field and you are not afraid to express your own opinions.

You have made a very good start to the course, Lucy and are clearly enjoying the work you have undertaken. I look forward to seeing your next assignment.

Assessment potential (after Assignment 1)

“Formal Assessment: You may want to get credit for your hard work and achievements with the OCA by formally submitting your work for assessment at the end of the module. More and more people are taking the idea of lifelong learning seriously by submitting their work for assessment but it is entirely up to you. We are just as keen to support you whether you study for pleasure or to gain qualifications.  Please consider whether you want to put your work forward for assessment and let me know your decision when you submit assignment 2.  I can then give you feedback on how well your work meets the assessment requirements.”

Feedback on assignment

Project 1: Expressive mark making

I read your comments on the value of this project with interest. Although you said you loved the playfulness of these exercises, I think you leant a great deal from doing them. I think it also helped you to re-evaluate past practices in a constructive and forward looking way. Your confidence in working with a range of media is evident and I sense a strong preference for particular ones i.e. discharge processes and working wet on wet. You achieved some great effects when using these techniques. You speculate as to whether these working methods are also applicable to using on textiles. I would encourage you to try them out and see what happens. I feel that you were not so pleased with other outcomes such as rubbings. It’s worth returning to this but try using a thinner and more malleable paper and a soft graphite stick. Similarly, if you decide to try out the fixative transfer, it may work better if you use a newsprint photo rather than a glossy one. The ink lifts off the former more readily. I think that wax processes are something which has captured your imagination, despite earlier reservations. There are many exciting possibilities with this undervalued medium. I will send you further information. Another alternative is combining layers of oil pastel and overlaying with Indian ink. You can then scratch into the surface in the same way as you would with wax. The Indian gives a much denser cover and therefore greater contrasts.

Your expressive mark making samples were very evocative of the emotional power of the word with some very interesting combinations of flat colour and surface marks. They are useful starting points for future work with fabric and thread as you found with the samples you included in your log book.

The work you produced for stage three was very exciting. The choice of the paving slab gave you the opportunity to explore a number of ways in which to translate marks into surface texture. You describe your responses to the outcomes very well but I wonder if you have a personal favorite? For me, the distressed kitchen paper was the winner. I could almost feel the slime!

When working from your sketchbook, you were equally inventive and at this stage, I think that you had already begun to move toward the realm of textiles with your use of the green netting. It was an inspired idea to then use this for the gesso imprint. It even had the feel of reptile skin. There are great opportunities here to develop this further. For example, it would be a good starting point for a quilted or reverse applique sample.

Project 2: Developing marks into stitch

I think you approached this second project with some degree of trepidation! I agree that sometime, it can be daunting looking at other students’ work online, but it is useful to see how different people approach their work in sometimes very different ways. You also need to bear in mind that students come to the course with very different levels of expertise. Some would envy your fluency with graphic media.

The first two samples showed that you have a very good grasp of the potential and versatility of a number of basic stitches, notably, running stitch. You also recognized that by varying the thickness and surface of the thread, you could quickly build up some very interesting surface effects. Another effective strategy you employed was to change the direction of the stitch. In the case of the purple sample, this had the immediate effect of drawing the eye to the string circular shape beneath. I noticed that you worked both these samples in a hoop and did not feel particularly comfortable with this. It’s fine to work freehand if the material is firm enough to support this. In this case, it was. Can I also suggest that you find an alternative to sticking your samples onto paper? You could fold a strip of paper over the top edge and attach that to the page so that the fabric remained free. It’s a shame not to be able to feel the textures properly and to look at the reverse side. (Not for neatness- there are often some interesting and unexpected effects on the reverse!)

I think first two pieces helped you to limber up as I found the green and red sample to be a very lively and well executed piece. It worked well on a number of levels. The composition was well balanced with the LH circular shape acting as a punctuation mark. Your choice of fabric and thread was very well judged in terms of representing background, middle and foreground. The materials themselves became increasingly robust. The use of complementary colours really allowed the leaf shapes to bounce off the background with an intensity of colour, as did the overlaying of semi-transparent fabric to give a subtle tonal range. Finally, your choice of stitch complemented the choice and weight of the background fabric perfectly.

The sample you produced from stage 6 was a culmination of everything you have learned in both projects. It also taught you that it isn’t possible, or even desirable to produce a true replica of an image. By moving from one medium to another, you exploit the unique qualities as well as limitations.

Your decision to alter the composition of the photo/drawing was a good one. By shifting the horizontal orange band from the horizontal to the diagonal and by exaggerating the curve of the line, you created a much more balanced and dynamic image. The use of the dense orange fibre at the centre of the band gave a clear focal point and allowed you to gradually decrease the height and thickness of the yarns and threads. Again you returned to the use of complementary colours to intensify the hue and created a wonderful shimmery effect on the blue background with the selective use of a very fine lustrous thread. This didn’t dominate, but highlighted, as in the reflection of light on water.

I know you were concerned about your lack of experience and knowledge of a wide range of stitches. To some extent, I think you build up your confidence by experimenting further but I do think that you have learned a very important lesson with this last piece. The important thing is to know when a stitch is an appropriate and relevant choice. You have shown that you have become increasingly able to do this. Well done Lucie.

Sketchbooks

A sense a little uncertainty here! I will send you some ideas to get you thinking. It may be a case of thinking what might go where.

Learning Logs/Critical essays

You have sent me a very detailed account of your progress through the first two projects and there is evidence of some valuable reflections on outcomes. I am also impressed with your ability to record observations relating to the work of other artists. Are you aware of the similarities between the artists’ work you have selected? Does this reflect your own preferred ways of working? I was also reminded of Marc Chagall’s paintings.

Suggested reading/viewing

See above

Pointers for the next assignment

Your work was well organized and labeled which helped me to link samples with projects and stages. You could perhaps take this a little further by cross referencing between samples and log book entries. On occasions, I got a little giddy going between the two! I think from reading your log book, this is something you are aware of as being characteristic of your way of working.

I think that you have a very sound understanding of the design process and I think that the next assignment will help you to consolidate your knowledge. At the moment, I think some of it is very intuitive, gained from previous experiences. Try to analyses why you are making particular decisions at each stage. On what basis do you make a decision, say, about composition?

Assignment 2

Overall Comments

The work you have undertaken on colour has strengthened your visual awareness and has really supported the development of your design ideas. Through the latter, you are now becoming increasingly aware of the need to present your ideas in a coherent and discerning way. This is something for you to think about and work towards in future assignments. There is evidence in your experimental work of a willingness to take creative risks, even though at times, this does not always achieve the result you are looking for. Further development might include providing increasing evidence of self-reflection and actions to be taken as a result of this. I would also like you to give careful thought to the development of your sketchbook.

Assessment potential (after Assignments 1 and 4)

I understand your aim is to go for the BA Textiles Degree and that you plan to submit your work for assessment at the end of this course. From the work you have shown in this assignment, providing you commit yourself to the course, I believe you have the potential to succeed at assessment. In order to meet all the assessment criteria, there are certain areas you will need to focus on, which I will outline in my feedback.

Feedback on assignment

Project 3 Colour

Aim:

To help you to understand and actively explore basic colour theory

To develop an understanding of the relationship between colour and mood
To apply your knowledge of colour theory to the development of sketchbook work

The work you undertook for this project has further developed your understanding of basic colour theory and the colour matching exercises gave you the opportunity to put theory into practice. The seersucker fabric presented you with certain challenges, notably the unevenness of the surface and the shadows this created. Nevertheless, you achieved very accurate match. When working from the photo image, you might have found this easier of you had carried out the colour matching against the side of the image. The physical closeness makes it easier to achieve the match. You included a small number of samples relating to the power of colour to create contrasting moods and feelings but I felt that these would have been more effective if you had used an alternative medium such as watercolour or gouache to achieve the subtleties needed for this exercise.

Your work with optical colour mixing was very successful in creating secondary colours from the optical mixing of two primaries, especially with the first sample when I had to look really closely to check that there was indeed no orange thread in there! You also took on board the principles underpinning pointillism and conquered the challenge of the French knot. Another alternative to try here is fly stitch for overlaying colour and building up the illusion of a greater tonal range.

I loved the machine embroidery sample with the metallic thread. The colour combination worked very well indeed and the structure you created is certainly worth returning to the future, perhaps as part of the constructed textiles assignment.

Understanding the textile world

This was an intriguing choice which I would have liked to learn more about. I think your speculation regarding the date of the blouse is probably fairly accurate. It would have been good to extend your research to include reference to old photos of the Edwardian era or museum/costume collections in order to validate your opinions.

Project 4 Developing design ideas

Aim:

To help you to develop your compositional skills
To help you to understand the interrelationship of the elements of design
To use a design process in order to develop your visual ideas

You made an interesting and contrasting selection of possible starting points. I think this reflects your enthusiasm and emotional response to particular styles and images. This is something to think about for the future, as you set yourself a considerable challenge in attempting to develop three ideas simultaneously.

Alexis Lask’s Cliff Harbour is a very atmospheric work and I liked the way in which you took selected parts of the image to work with as shown on your sheet. You commented on your focus on shape and composition and I think your drawings reflected this. It would be useful to extend this commentary in order to come to some conclusion as to which you felt were strongest in this respect.

The Afghan textile was a very different starting point but one which I felt you explored very well, particularly in relation to the use of a variety of media. The two samples which I think worked very well were the ones where you returned to a very textural way of working with sgraffito and flat colour and fine liner.

In total, I think that your responses to project 4 have really strengthened your understanding of the design process and have made you much more confident with this way of working.

Interlude experimenting with printing and painting

A good range of experimentation here with some associated challenges. With the collagraph, you need to ensure that all surface additions to the block are roughly the same height. You are correct in your assumption that the surface needs to be sealed. Watered down pva will work as well as varnish and is less messy. Did you apply the paint with a roller? This is better than brushing the paint on.

The sponged effects were great and a good way of showing how using very basic printing tools can give you some highly textural effects. If you decide to return to stencil printing at a later stage, try using artists’ layout paper for the stencil. It is thin, yet strong and doesn’t tend to wrinkle as much as cartridge.

Project 5 Painting and printing.

Aim:

To help you to develop design ideas through the use of paint and print.

Sample 1: Fish tails

When I saw your first attempt, I was unsure as to how well this would work but the overprinting really helped to break down the very hard edge shape and the use of white softened the colours considerably.

Sample 2: Seascape

I felt that this was the strongest design of the three. The simplification of the image down to basic shapes helped you to focus on the compositional elements and this was enhanced by the use of the textured appearance of the background.

Sample 3: Waves

This was a very competent piece which relied on a simple repeating shape for its impact. Your controlled use of colour also made a significant contribution to the overall success of the image.

Larger sample

This was a very interesting interpretation which made good use of earlier experimentation and incorporated references to further imagery. I could see where your idea for the combination of background and snake came from. Although I liked the effects you created with both elements, I was unsure as to how successful they were when combined. You also comment that you felt that in the image of the red rat snake, it appeared as though the snake had been ‘plonked on top’ This was my feeling when I looked at your interpretation. However, both elements were successful in making full use of a range of painting and printing techniques and in producing some very pleasing textural effects. I think there is much here that you could use in the future.

Learning Logs/Critical essays

Your ongoing commentary relating to the development of your ideas and the final outcomes indicates that you are learning a great deal from your experiences to date. It would be useful if you could responded to the request at the end of the assignment by making a summative report relating to your overall learning to date.

Sketchbooks

This is an area which I feel you must try to develop further, particularly if your work is to be submitted for assessment. Although you have undertaken some drawing as part of assignment requirements, I think that you need to go beyond this to include some work in a separate sketchbook.

Pointers for the next assignment

The work for this assignment moves towards working more directly with materials and techniques. You may find it easier to submit samples separately from your logbook/sketchbook. I think as you move through the module, towards final assessment, you will need to give some further thought to the presentation of your work and clearer linking of logbook/sample work. I am still finding it quite hard to make the connections at times.

Another important thing for you to consider is how you might consciously restrict the breadth of your choices in terms of developing your ideas further. I think you would benefit from being a little more focused and developing your ideas in greater depth.

Assignment 3

Overall Comments

A significant development is the extent to which you have recognized the importance and value of sketchbook work. There is now a much closer relationship between your observational drawing and the developmental work you have undertaken in order to explore a new range of techniques, skills and processes. Your enjoyment of the latter is clearly evident and I think that now you have gained confidence in using these skills, you should not be afraid to take a more creative and imaginative approach to your work in the future. There are many samples which could be developed further into more resolved pieces of work. Your research work indicates that you are aware of wider issues relating to art, craft and design. This is something for you to work on in terms of taking a more in depth view and illustrating your reflections so that some more concrete links can be established in terms of the points you are making.

Feedback on assignment

Project 6 Manipulating fabric: Creating shapes and 3D forms

Aims:

To explore how work from your sketchbook can be used a starting point for the development and realization of your ideas
To explore different ways in which stitch can be used to assemble fabrics and hold structures together
To experiment with a range of 2D and 3D fabric manipulation techniques and processes
To gain an understanding of the diversity of style and design in textiles
To consider why craft produced textiles maintain a place in our society,

Stage 2: Developing Ideas

You have really taken on board my comments relating to sketchbook work and in this project, there are clear links between your drawings and the development of your design ideas. You have selected appropriate starting points and explored these through observational drawing as well as starting to abstract elements for use in your fabric samples. You could take this approach even further by annotating design developments to indicate how you think you might begin to adapt and use your ideas.

Stage 3: Appliqued surfaces

The pineapple gave you some strong shapes to work with. When grappling with new techniques, try not to lose sight of overall design considerations. In this case, how well do the shapes relate to each other? Could you have created additional visual interest by varying the scale of the shapes? You make a very good point when you say that you prefer your stitches to become part of the design. I agree with you. Could you follow this through and use some spiky irregular stitches to suggest the surface of the pineapple as well as their function in holding the layers of fabric together?

The reverse applique is a great technique, particularly when you want to experiment with combining different fabrics and textures. I think you could push this further by stitching round the shapes in a darker thread, maybe with several rows of stitching to draw the eye to the shapes and fabric layers themselves.

The leather sample was an interesting experiment in terms of achieving maximum contrast of materials. I liked the shape you created and think this would work very well as a multiple repeating shape. I did wonder whether by wrapping the leather frame, you disguised the surface rather more than was needed and therefore hiding the surface, but I did think that the wrapping technique worked very well in creating a raised texture.

You clearly had fun with the tyvek and the layering/distorting of fabric. I would like to see you carry this experimentation forward and to link it more closely with sketchbook work.

Your large applique sample was compositionally sound but I agree with your comment about building up the surface further by incorporating additional textural stitching. The effect at the moment is a little unbalanced between the top and bottom of your design and there are some quite loose areas.

Stage 4: Raised and stitched surfaces

The garlic bulb was such a good starting point for this exercise. The experiments with slashing could be extended to really exploit the fraying qualities of the fabric you used. This would create similar delicate layers of threads as in the later final sample. The tucked samples also have potential for taking further. A very quick way of achieving this effect is to use a twin needle and tighten your top tension. This pulls the two lines of stitch together to create the impression of a tuck. How about working some more tucks at right angles/diagonals and flattening the first line of tucks in different directions?

The scrim surface created great differences in surface height. What might you do to maximize this effect? Could you begin to work into the lower areas to create pockets of contrasting textures maybe?

Your gathering experiments really highlighted the properties of the fabrics you were working with some surprising results. For example, you were right in your observations regarding the fluidity of the velvet. The polyester sheers by contrast appeared stiff and unyielding.

Final sample

You worked very hard on this piece and succeeded in creating some lovely surface texture. Your choice of fabric and thread echoed the qualities in your drawing and the use of a traditional yo yo patchwork technique for a non-traditional construction met your needs evry well. In total, this piece brought together earlier experimentation in a very satisfying way. I did wonder whether you might feel able to take this idea further and to work on a 3 dimensional form. I think that you could also use the same layering and stitching techniques on a larger 2D textile piece. Food for thought here!

Preparation for Project 7: Theme book

In principle, I see no reason why you should not take New Orleans as your starting point but I think you need a narrower focus for your theme. Ask yourself what it is that really excites you about the city. Is it the colours? Is there some particularly imagery you associate with it? Is it the buildings maybe? I would start by gathering together everything you have and laying it out to see if any one thing begins to emerge. You can include a wider range of material in your theme book at first and then refine it gradually. Use annotation to give insights into your thinking about the development of your ideas.

Learning Logs/Critical essays

Research point

Your commentary raised some vey pertinent issues relating to the decline of everyday fabrics available to the consumer, particularly in smaller towns. This did however, prompt you to undertake some internet research and it would have been a good idea to include some illustrations/photographs to make reference to in terms of illustrating the diversity of styles and design available to the consumer. A comparison say, between Ikea and Laura Ashley would have been an interesting one.

Your consideration of craft based textiles also highlighted the growing market for such product as well as sustainability issues. You could perhaps have given further consideration to the design issues which arise in this debate and the extent to which, as a particular point, art, craft and design merge. The Nuno fabrics you refer to is a case in point.

Pointers for the next assignment

The next assignment involves working directly with constructional aspects of textiles. Some of the processes are quite time consuming so you might like to give careful thought as to the scale at which you choose to work. The planning of your samples is also crucial as it is very time consuming to back track if you feel something is not working as you had hoped. My advice would be to keep things quite simple but continue to make clear links between your sketchbook designs, perhaps abstracted and simplified for the purpose, and the final samples.

Assignment 4

Overall Comments

This is a sound assignment in which you have demonstrated your commitment to mastering and then exploring the potential of a new technique. The work you have sent me shows an appropriate choice and sensitive handling of a range of yarns and threads and a willingness to experiment with some more unconventional materials such as metal and wire. Your weaves are technically good and show your ability to choose a particular weave to suit your purpose. If you are intending to present your work for assessment, I would like to consider how you might showcase these in their best light.

Your learning log and research task shows a thoughtful approach to the way your learning is progressing and the extent to which you are able to make impartial judgments regarding the wok of others. A good assignment, Lucie. Well done.

Assessment potential (after Assignments 1 and 4)

Feedback on assignment

Project 8: Exploring Structures

Despite your initial reservations, I think you really enjoyed experimenting with rope and braid structures. You quickly discovered that by varying the combination of yarns and threads, you could create a very diverse range of samples which fully exploited the textural qualities of each. It’s very interesting to compare the same structure executed in two different materials, say, fine cotton and then heavy jute. I particularly liked the letter. This is worth returning to if you could get hold of some coloured jute to work with. As you found, this separates out the structure which then exploits the regular pattern qualities. You might like to try coiling your braids (have a look at www.braided-rugcompany.co.uk ) or stitching them together to form a flat textured surface. Another approach might be to intersperse the rows with bands of fabric or flat yarn. What about distorting the braided structure to create a more irregular structure? This works well with thin wire.

I loved the Kumihimo braids. The 7 strand had tiny dots of rich colour which really stood out and separated the braided structure.

Your first square made good use of the fabric properties to build up areas of transparency and opacity. The addition of fine cotton threads made a pleasing contrast. There are warp threads here. What about weaving small sections within the wrapped structure?

Several of your samples, the red wrap and wooden grids reminded me so much of Michael Brennand Wood’s early work where he used a combination of fabrics, threads and wooden structures to build up layers within his work. He has a great retrospective at the Ruthin Craft Centre at the moment.

Like you I look at eyelash yarn and am immediately drawn to it but in practice, it can be very challenging to use it successfully. Congratulations- you did it! The structure of the yarn mirrors the square shapes created by the wood and the colours blend very well indeed.

I was itching to get my hands on some of your fine chicken wire. Although I wasn’t altogether convinced by the threading through of woollen fibres, I did think that the hexagonal wire structure would make a great readymade frame for some miniature ‘weaves’ within a small number of hexagons. You could work them almost as small darns

The copper sample was very interesting indeed. The combination of wire, solid copper, knitted elements and vertical horizontal threads combined very well in this piece and gave you a number of contrasting textures. I think you could work with the knitted looped idea further. Could you use it as a structure to weave through with highly lustrous threads? It also made me think about chain mail and armour. You might like to look at the Leeds Royal Armouries library website. Some of chain mail garments are very akin to sculptural forms. You might also like to try embossing the sheet copper by drawing onto the back. If it’s thin enough, you could also punch holes and stitch through it. If you want to experiment with distressing the surface, you can suspend over ammonia in a sealed container for a few days and a verdigris will very quickly form. You can then buff the surface with wax.

In total, some great experimentation within this project. You have learned so much. Your statement about transforming line into surface said it all.

Project 9: Woven Structures

Basic techniques

Your first sample was good learning experience for you as you were able to see the extent to which the thickness of the chosen yarn created very different surfaces. For example, at the top of the weave, the tightly packed fine yarn gave a very dense matt surface with no visible sign of the warp threads. The next section, with its use of coloured yarns showed how the combination of this and fabric can give a much looser, softer feel to the surface. It also raises questions regarding your choice of warp thread. One option here is to consider dyeing the warp if you wish it to become a more integral part of your weave. In this case, I quite liked the fact that it contrasted and contributed another dimension to the weave.

As you discovered, rya is a very quick way of building up a heavily textured feel to a surface. It can get a little overpowering, especially if used in a small sample. You also need to give some thought as to what you are weaving either side of it as it can very effectively obscure sections of your weave which you may have intended to be seen

It was a sensible idea to execute your second sample in just two colours. As you commented, it becomes easier to identify the particular characteristics of the stitches and to see how it’s possible to gradually build up the height of a woven section by progressing from plain weave, to soumak and then rya.

Experimenting with different materials

It was such a good idea to work with smaller samples here as this allowed you to very quickly recognize the potential or limitations of varying materials or combining them in different ways. Changing the warp thread for instance can have a dramatic effect on the final piece. Choosing a soft warp can create difficulties in terms of stretching and distortion but you managed to handle this very well. It also helped you to make decisions in terms of when you wanted to create a firmer structure as in your final piece.

This was such a delight. The sisal served the dual purpose of supporting your weave and the giving it a very distinctive quality. I loved the contrast with the soft reds and creams and the spiky raffia. I sometimes have reservations about the addition of beads to a weave but in this case, it served to emphasis the strong tribal feel of the weave. I think you should look at Tadek Beutlich’s work as I think there are certain similarities here. Sheila Hicks Weave as Metaphor work is also worth following up in terms of its small scale and use of similar materials.

Developing design ideas

What a wonderful photo of such a gruesome subject! I can see why you were drawn to it. It was like a readymade textile piece. Your cartoon of the design helped you to organize your working method. Whilst this is very helpful in terms of keeping your work to scale and to consider compositional issues, it is sometimes necessary to deviate slightly from the original as the work progresses. You make your decisions and refine as you would with any other technique. I agree with your reflective comments regarding the choice of green. I felt that it should have been a more mossy or yellowy green. With the surface itself, you went for broke in terms of trying to achieve maximum contrast. I think this worked up to a point, especially the flat background with the incorporation of tiny beads of texture. However, I was not entirely sure about the felted shapes which seemed a little heavy and overpowering. I began to think of alternatives and wondered whether you could have used a bulky yarn, like chenille, and stitched loosely in to the surface or maybe through slits created in the weave itself. In the original photo, the pink shapes look very much like loose running stitch and I felt that somehow, the surface of the raised shapes should be more lustrous.

Despite these reservations, I think that this is a technically accomplished piece. You have mastered the difficult task of straight edges to your weave by keeping the tension looser on the turn and moving smoothly between different materials without losing the flow of the weave. I think you are becoming a convert. For further inspiration, have a look at West African Kente cloth.

Learning Logs/Critical essays

Again, thorough documentation of the progress of your thinking and ideas as well as an exploration of more practical issues. Please try to continue to document visits to galleries etc. as this will further enrich your thinking about your subject.

Theme book: Mosses and Lichens

I think this has great potential, particularly given the way your work is developing. You mention a collection of items/specimens. This might have bearing on how you choose to present your work. Maybe a series of boxes, or a collection in one box with compartments? This could be just a simple wooden structure. You could also think about how the box might become an integral part of the overall design. Have look at Joseph Cornell’s work for some ideas. In terms of decorating frames as part of the work itself, Howard Hodgkin has done this with picture frames which then become part of the painting itself.

Research point

Your choice of Abigail Dean and Amy Cross gave you the opportunity to make comparisons between the works of the two artists. Although working in very similar genres, the outcomes are very different. Which do you prefer? I feel that Amy’s work is a more coherent and considered approach to her subject matter, whereas Abigail’s has more of an assemblage quality. You made some very general valid points regarding the work of textile artists and your chosen artists reflected the increased blurring of boundaries between fine art, craft and design.

Sketchbooks

There is evidence of continuing improvement of your ability to engage with sketchbook as a means of recording what you see and what you are drawn to in terms of imagery. This one was particularly interesting as it recorded a specific period of time. I hope that some of this will feed into future work.

Assignment 5

Overall Comments

Your selection and subsequent development of visual material for your final piece shows a pleasing level of visual awareness and an understanding of how you might draw upon your design and compositional skills in order to realize your intentions. You have made good use of the design process although on occasions, you maybe need to be more explicit in terms of how experimentation and sampling have led you to make key decisions in terms of taking your designs further. You could do this by extending the debate in your learning log and providing a fuller evaluation of final outcomes. Further reference to key influences on your work would also provide evidence of your ability to reflect research, analyse and synthesize information.

You final outcome shows a reasonably effective grasp of the initial idea and demonstrates your ability to present this in an imaginative and accessible form.

Feedback on assignment

Stage 2: Focusing on a theme: Cryptograms

This is a fascinating choice of theme which you have researched very well. I like the way you have annotated your images and suggested various ways in which you could interpret your ideas. Some of the coloured images are really quite startling and slightly surreal but I think that this challenged you to think about revising your original intentions in terms of colour choices. At this stage, you could have considered maybe making some further drawings from the photos or perhaps combining several cryptogram images to see how the different scales and images might relate more closely to each other. This may also have been the place to make direct comparisons between your ideas and the work of Amy Gross whose miniatures clearly inspired and enthused you. For example, some of her work is contained within the dimensions of a small petri dish. Is this small scale something that may have been viable for your design? How might you have then revised your design decisions in the light of this?

Stage 3: Developing a design

You made good use of sketchbook work and sampling to explore the various ways in which surfaces could be manipulated to give you the desired effect. I thought that some of the experiments with the heat gun had great possibilities and wondered why you didn’t pursue this further? I also liked some of the samples where you tried out various combinations of wet/dry, wet/wet techniques on fabric and paper. The colour blending you achieved were subtle and very similar to some of the colour combinations in your cryptogram photos. At this stage, it may have been a good idea to extend your choice of fabrics and to use them to try out a small number of prototypes. This would have allowed you to make further judgments relating to their suitability and to consider issues relating to the overall scale of the various structures and how they might relate to each other in the final piece.

Stage 4: Making a textile piece

Your final piece was a complex structure and technically very challenging in that it can be viewed from all angles. Compositional elements are therefore very important, particularly as you are dealing with a 3D piece. I think that this is where you may be needed to give some thought as to your final selection of the individual elements. Some of these e.g. the rolled tubes were very delicate in appearance although actually quite robust. The smaller capped mauve structures with their wrapped stems and simple stitched tops complemented the tubes very well as they were of a similar scale.

By contrast, the larger mushroom shaped structures seemed to overpower your composition and appeared very heavy by comparison. If you look closely at Amy Gross’s pieces, the various elements are of a similar scale and weight. She also limits the number of different components in her designs, but develops them in slightly different ways. By doing this, she creates a harmony within the work. Another artist whose work you might look at is Tadek Beutlich who uses wrapped sisal in some of his smaller works to create very similar structures to your cryptograms. I will send you a couple of images.

You could consider reducing the size of these mushrooms and then explore the possibilities of using further materials such as fine cotton jersey and scrim for their construction. Both of these would be more malleable and receptive to dyes and some of the textured stitches/heat treatments you experimented with earlier.

I would also like you to think about the number of different structures you have used in the piece. The cage structure is interesting in its own right, but appears to be somewhat out on a limb. You might try removing it and then reviewing the piece again as a whole without it. Sometimes, less is more!

A more radical move, but one to think about, is whether you group the separate elements i.e. the tubes, on say a 10cm small separate base. Some of the effects you created on your original base with heat distressed materials and stitch embellishment were lovely. How would a small square base treated in this way work when set with your tubes, placed in very close proximity? You could adopt the same approach with the mauve shapes, thus creating two related pieces. Maybe this would closer in spirit to your idea of ‘tiny little worlds’?

Learning Logs/Critical essays

You mention in your covering letter that you don’t have much of a learning log for this assignment. If you are intending to submit your work for formal assessment, then I would strongly advise you to make fuller notes on the development of your ideas and the decisions you made regarding the final piece and ensure that you have responded to the self-reflection questions at the end of each project. Please refer again to the OCA guidelines on this and keeping sketchbooks.

Finally, re-read the assessment criteria and ensure that the work you submit evidences the extent to which you have met the criteria.

Sketchbooks

This continues to support project work and serves as a useful record of experimentation with techniques and processes. I would suggest that you make closer visual links, either here or in your learning log, with artists who have influenced the development of your ideas, such as Amy Gross.

I have really enjoyed tutoring you on this course, Lucie and wish you every success in subsequent courses.

Lux Learns

Tutor Reports

Tutor Reports

Assignment 5

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