Fabulous Felt

Week 5

PDP

We learnt about study skills and good study habits we have and bad study habits and how to improve them.

Drawing

We took drawings from our sketchbook and experimented with negative space. I worked on a drawing of lights taken from above, I made the background dark to make the lights stand out more and extended lines from the silhouette of table to make it more interesting.

Specialist Skills

I have left some nectarines to rot in the kitchen. Different fungi have been growing on them, and also there have been a few, small fruit flies on them. I have been taking photographs to document this deterioration   They then had to be moved outside, because the fruit fly numbers were growing and were starting to annoy the family. After a couple of days I went to check on them again, the nectarines clearly have no food left in them as the flies have started to die, and there is dead larvae underneath them. The fungi are still growing and another species has begun to grow. 

I have also been researching some artists who have been using the same techniques that we have been using in the workshops.

Felt after plastic disk has been removed,
and the felt shaped more

2d felt

The 2d workshop was felt making. In this we placed different wool and weaved different layers on a voile and then covered this with another voile, we poured with warm soapy water and then rolled it up with a sushi mat 100 times and flipped it and rolled it 100 times in the opposite direction. This process was repeated until the wool came together to make felt. For my colours I stuck to greens, yellows and browns to create a moss like effect and before it dried I threw it against the sink to make it knobbly. Also by using a plastic disk we were able to make 3d felts by placing the disk in between layers of felt and followed the same process. I enjoyed this process more than the silk paper making, however it is much more hard work. I'm not sure if I will use this process later in my work, as, even though it was fun, I prefer other methods to craft work.

Creative Concepts

I am developing my ideas of my fruit design and have chosen three to develop further. My first idea was to have the fruit to be the first life on Mars, and had to come up with ideas on how this fruit was able to survive without the need for water. I have yet to come up with use for this fruit. My second idea was for the fruit to have developed from a cordycep that infects humans and monkeys, this fruit can be use as an antibiotic. My last idea was to have the fruit grow in the dead sea that rots almost as soon as it is ripe and falls off the plant. I have been experimenting with different colours and for the cordycep fruit I researched colours that poisonous/ dangerous animals and plants posses, warning colours for any threats or predators not to go near. These colours are normally red, yellow, black and white and so I have been looking for different ways to combine them, but so far I haven't come up with any that I like.

Contextual Studies

We had a guest lecturer from the Glasgow school of art who talked about branding and design. He talked about the concept of not just buying a product or brand, but you buy into a lifestyle, and also mentioned how brands are as much about exclusion as they are about inclusion. For example companies normally advertise their brand and welcome everyone into that brand, therefore it being inclusive, however if you do not buy into this brand you are excluded from this social group. He also talked about the identity the brand or products have and mentioned a 90's furniture chain, Muji. Their identity was based on a 'Zen like' Japan, a Japan that does not exist. The stores were very minimalist and anonymous and the company did very little advertising.

I feel I'm starting to get into the swing of things now and am starting to think of more ideas. I found the felt making interesting and fun and thought that my 3d felt turned out really well.

See you again on Sunday 

Roisin -x