Becky Adams Workshop (Part 2)

Another amazing day with Becky Adams, we had a day long workshop with her making more books. She brought us loads of things to play with, papers, fabric etc. even some old metal pocket watches she didn't want. She demonstrated to us how to make the lous flower fold book and a pocket book before we shot off to fold, cut, tear and glue again. Not knowing of what to base my book about Becky wanted to breifly look through my recent work to see what I was interested. While quickly looking through my sketchbook she instantly fell in love with my paper cut out designs and started me off with the idea to make a book with the pages all with cut up patterns. WIth my inspiration I began cutting away into many layers of pages making sure I repeated the patten to match the following pages. After cutting my paper I glued all the pages together and made a cover by covering some cardboard in fabric and sticking it either end of my pages. I added a little ribbon to the front corner to indicate which way to open as it is a very delicate piece.  At the end of the day we all got together to display what we had all been working hard on to everyone and becky. There were some very beautiful and inpiring pieces made and it was so interesting how different people had had changed and adapted their ideas to a simple piece. Watching everyone's reactions when they saw my finished piece put a smile on my face and really made all that hard work worth while.

I found making these books to be really interesting and that making my own books isn't as hard and complicated as I had imagined. The lotus flower old has certainly inspired me for patterns I can make and play with for my dress skirt. If I get layers and layers of them or make a string of these could work as the lotus fold makes my flat paper cut outs more 3D and sculptural.

Textile Curtains

For the last few months I've been creating these three linear 3m long curtains each describing a process I've looked very closely at within my project. This idea is branched from when I created shadows with with maps because i'm intending to shine light through these three curtains to make shadows; creating an installation piece.

Paper:

I started this project cutting out maps from Karen O'leary and I've already used cut out maps to make shadows so cutting out a map from paper seemed an obvious start. Tord Boontje's work inically inspired me to create my curtains starting with cut out curtains with his 'Screen/Streamer' from his Wednesday collection, Until Dawn Curtain and Fallen Flowers Curtain/Screen.

While making this I had to hand cut it all out so like Tord I folded the paper to get a repetitive pattern that also links the the roads together creating one whole strip of map that is cut out.

Print:
One of the ways I created shadows before was from shining light through screen printing onto translucent fabric. From this it seemed obvious to do it again but on a much larger scale. ust one repetitive print was too simple and not as appealing so i printed another thinner map over the top. I tested different colour combinations stcking to the colour schemes within my sketch book.

Strips:
Looking through my sketch book my imitation of Sandra Meech strip pieces was something i looked quite deeply at and was the most adaptable from my other work to this.
Using this technique wouldn't give much light through but i could use different tranlucent fabric in the spaces inbetween. I tested four different types of translucent fabric, looking at: cotton scrim, netting, unbleached muslin and a looser weave bleeched muslin. I chose to use the cotton scrim and unbleached muslin because it didn't ruffle up when i sewn over them.

To make this i've used loads of different materials for strips all with natural colours like cream and brown, I used maps, route cards, squared paper, parcel paper, hand made paper, lino printed paper, textured wallpaper, old book pages, dress patterns, dress making pages and lace ribbon.
I intended for my curtain to be hanging up as an installation piece i needed to cover the back of this curtain. So I used cocoon stripping on the back for it's cream and natural colour and texture.

Tord Boontje

I dont think i have fell in love with anyones work as much as Tord Boontje's work. It's so beautiful. what I love most about is it's link to nature and how he makes eveything look so fantasy and fairytale that is one of my favorite things ever. Where and how he sets his work is so lovely. Words can't describe how much I like this, when I was looking through his book I wanted to hug it. Even his book is pretty with tiny holes punched through making the image of a bird and flowers, oh delightful.

I've actually seen some of his work last year at the telling tales exhibition they had at the V&A in London. i loved this exhibition, its was like it was put together for me.Tord Boontje Website
Telling Tales Exhibition

Cut Out Map Photography

I created my own cut out maps like Karen O'leary and used them in photos in front of different backgrounds. I walked round my village looking for textured backgrounds, views of roads or things related to travel to take photos of through my cut out maps.
My next idea in shining light through them to make shadows.

Karen O'leary: Cut Maps

Karen O'leary creates these hand cut city prints across the world. O'leary cuts out all of the land leaving delicate webs of streets. I was instantly drawn to these, such a simple idea that I wish I thought of first. I also liked how they cast shadows and that you can view through the piece.