Book Making Workshop

This Monday I had an amazing workshop with Marian Eliot learning about different forms of book making and book arts. Starting with an informative power-point I was shown a range of different books, giving an introduction to the basics of book making. During this workshop I got to make four different books. I learnt a pamphlet bind to stitch together folded sheets. I tried this with long envelopes and different sizes of pages. I thought the envelopes were a very interesting addition to the book, making pockets in some of the pages. Second I revisited the flower or star fold I had learnt from a workshop last year with Becky Adams and explored vigorously when looking at paper manipulation. When making this flower folded book I put thought into the types of papers and the formation of colours together. After making the three books I found I had made a series of different books that all shared a similar colour scheme. After making my books I requested for a demonstration on how to bind single sheets as I had an ideas for my sketchbook. Before I was struggling to work in a sketchbook as whenever I thought of it I paniced about the formation of pages and just didn't do anything. After this workshop I had the idea to work on separate sheets and to then bind them together at the end. This demonstration showed us how to stab bind sheets that I now plan to use for my sketchbook at the end of my project to bind together my sketchbook pages. These books were made without a purpose and more to look nice on their own without any thought about the content but with these new binding skills I can put a lot more thought into book making.

Wally Gilbert

Today we had a gravity lecture from Wally Gilbert. I wasn't to interested in the process of jewellery making and how complicated it must be to make it but I really liked the patterns he made in his work. I specifically liked the natural shapes in some of this work. I was quite interested how he had touched on so many different areas, whether it was print making or iron casting. I really liked his unique style that you can see in each piece of his work. I also liked in the lecture how he mentioned all the people he'd met on his journey of being a maker and the places he had visited. I thought that was quite nice and sentimental.

Anne Gibbs

Yet again another lecture from a ceramics artist. I wasn't too interested in her ceramic work I found it a bit plain with not a lot happening. I liked the idea of having a collection of items together but I found Anne's collection uninteresting. I liked the places Anne visited whilst on her artist residential  I would find these places very inspirational. Her lecture showed me what artist residentials could entail giving me a better idea of what they are and give you.

Illustrator workshop

Today I had my first workshop in using illustrator to use the laser cutter or vinyl cutter but mostly for the laser cutter. I found it to be a refresh on what I'd already learnt in a introduction in foundation.

Quilting

Carrying on from my dyed fabrics I had decided to cut them up into hexagons and stitch them together on a fabric backing giving a quilted effect. I really like this but I feel like this needs adding to but it's certainly my favorite sample yet. I could use a different shape to hexagon and try segments of leaves

Tutorial: Claire

Since I talk to Kate about my 3DSP and DD work, I have been so worried about whether my sample are DD or 3DSP. Unable to work out for myself which was what I need to find help. I discussed my problem with Claire and cleared it all out for me that if I when I was making it was new and to try out then it's 3DSP but then if I were to then explore that process with my DD themes then It'd be classed as DD. I found it really difficult to differentiate between the two as I had used elements of DD as subjects when testing processes as I had no other images to use.
Afterwards we talked about how my DD is coming along and I got an interesting idea to add messages within my textile pieces but they don't have to be seen.

Bev Milward

Again we had a ceramicist lecture, this time from Bev Milward. I'd seen Bev Milward's work before at craft fairs around Hereford and Rather liked it's sentimental element. What I liked about Bev's work was how it was all self narrated and changes as her life moves and changes. You can certainly see a development that has changed with her drawing/mark making in the work that always add more to the images she creates. I very much like her style of drawing and colour choice that make it very much her own. I also liked how she kept a similar style that she knows works like "two figures and a landscape".