"Maria Collection"

To push my work forward I have gone even bigger scale, for the stew gallery I suggested that I would need at least 2m wide as I would be creating large scale stitch illustrations made up of my fabrics. Using the prints I have made already I have started to play with compositions and place them within their contexts.

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Using the same colours and scale to see how it would work when blown us as I appreciate objects and colours look very different in different scales.

"Maria" Collection

So as my title to this post suggests my first mini collection is named 'Maria' named after herself as this is the house I have chosen to concentrate on first. I am going to make mini collections within a 2 week period so I can draw, sample, and produce within a quick time frame giving me the energy to keep going and get used to the tight deadlines that are awaiting me after university life.

From my drawings; I have further progressed with them, developing them until they work visually for me.

I have been trying to make drawings that I can then translate into print, I want to take my work into a digital format, so this would work as devored circles over the image, however I realised after I had done this that the colour would be on the reverse of how I have positioned it.

Large scale repeat motifs is something I am interested in undertaking to capture Marias personality: she is both structured and routined, however has the fun, carefree side to her. Therefore layers to prints will be important along with the print content (ie.imagery) so the colour are neutral to mimic the contrast in characteristics, not using colours that are typically stereotypical, both calming and as they repeat are routine.

Taking my repeats one step further with different coloured backgrounds to accentuate colours within the drawings, and to contrast to highlight the details. The checks have been inspired by her bed linen which is a checkered spread, it also contrasts with its harsh lines in comparison to the organic feel of the flowers.

This is probably one of my favourites, and is very kitsch which is something I don't want to be associated with, however it does pick out the layered contrasting elements I want to capture within Marias identity.

Drawing development.

I have taken some of the patterns distinguished from my linear drawings and previous drawings and started to collate them together in my blue/yellow/orange and green colour palette to see how the different styles of patterns relate with one another.

I want to try to create a slightly different check from the standardised ones within the market, by bringing in my imagery as the vertical line.

Subtle checks work well against the organic contrast of floral watercolours. It means the imagery can intertwine with one another, merging the layers and creating a flat pattern.

The pattern and imagery has been taken directly from my primary sources. I think this method of working works well for my way of thinking and helps me to create mini collections around my whole final collection of prints; that all tell a story.

Back to the drawing board.

So now I have developed a colour bible I have put what I have learnt about mixing colours to the test by creating more imagery to richly inspire my work.

I have looked at objects and depicted patterns and imagery from these to create collections based on a person and their objects. I have taken the idea of a floral, a ditsy and a stripe/check from jills workshop.

Colour has given my drawings another depth to appreciate and the tones and colours are rich in intensity. They pop out of the white background and come alive taking on the personality of its user.

Flip book

From going to Poland it was advised that I make myself a colour book to help with my use of colour to develop my work. I split my a5 book into watercolour and gouache as these are primarily my mediums that I use ! I think it has really helped and allows me to flip between the colours to identify tonal colour stories and see how they work with one another and improve my use of colour and mixing my own shades.

I have kept a written record of the colors so that I can use this as a reference guide.

'Doing' my idea

Instead of continually thinking about it I thought I'm just going to get on and do it and see if it works !

My idea was to create rooms using machine embroidery by asking people to look into their homes and photograph gere favourite room/corner/object/collection anything that's personal to them so I could translate it with a modern take on the word stitch and highlighting objects within that room using fabric I have designed printed and made to translate their personality !

So here are some of my line drawings so far ... 

Ellen's dressing table 

Original photograph.

Saskias favourite book- original photograph.

My drawing.

Marias bedroom - original photograph.

Linear drawing.

Machine embroidery of linear line. Easily translated into stitch ! 

This is a print from ba7, I will use these to cut up and incorporate into people's room to express personality....

The blue isn't really working here due to high contrasts that does not compliment ...

I like the delicate looking pleats here adds a feminity to the piece which incorporates a watercolour digital print and traditional hand embroidery to encompass the skills I have learnt. In doing this Aswell it contextualises my prints into a interior context. 

Inspiration: Laura McCafferty

Laura McCafferty is inspirational similar to Tori Murphy due the fine black lines highlighting shape within their work and with their shared interest in interior objects.

I am particularly interested in Lauras work due to the large scale machine embroidery illustrations that have slightly more character due to the print choices that make it more personal to the user. This is something I am interested in doing within my work- to try to depict the personality of the user within that interior environment through the use of print and pattern. These of which I can then use within my own large scale textile illustrations to highlight the importance of objects and build up a visual collection of character.

Inspiration: Tori murphy

Tori murphy is an illustrator and I found her work on 'WGSN's sister website : 'homebuildlife' and have fallen in love and it has given me some of the best initial ideas that suit both my style and ideas. She works within the interior and focuses on still life (something I am very much focusing on throughout my dissertation and the idea of bringing objects alive through print)
She has beautifully photographed houses in a creative way…

From these thoughtful compositions she has translated these further into her illustrations which I absolutely love and can see these as stitch, and have the thought of starting my initial ideas of as stitch drawings that can later be framed within my degree show.

I feel very much motivated to start my project off well. As previously I have not connected with my work as much as I would have liked to have done. This already has a strong personal connection with myself as a person and that is what my work is all about - the connection between objects and the viewer, so to have my work connect with me through inspiration strongly supports this.

How do you gather inspiration?It could be while having a cup of coffee and simply appreciating the silhouette or glaze of a mug, or spending time in a hotel and observing how people interact with the furniture - I like to see the personality in objects and scenes.  Interiors magazines and books are constant sources of new ideas and stores like Liberty and 10 Corso Como always inspire me to see how beautiful things can be. Most of all though, I am a true believer that our environments are an extension of our personalities and by seeking out inspiring people, you will find inspiring things around them.

http://www.wgsn.com/content/report/Trend_Analysis/HBL/2011/November/tori_murphy_stylelifestyle.html

By Lucy Hayes, WGSN, 18 November 2011