Unit X - Evaluation..

My projects are becoming even more colour focused. I am now dying my own yarns; previously I had been piece dying my work. I wasn’t quite achieving the depth and vibrancy of colour I was looking for and I'm also dyeing the warp and weft separately. The outcome is a more of a professional cloth. There is a natural progression to experimenting with how the dye takes on different yarns. My aim with this brief was to develop my colour palette significantly; to learn about the dyeing process; to experiment with depths of colour; to try different techniques; and I believe I've achieved that.

I'm now inspired by colourful surfaces and colour in abstract places. My research took me eventually to images of ‘colourful rust’. Previously I had been brushing and teasing my weave to blend the fibers more effectively. I loved the way that the colours ‘bled’ into each other and weren't as distinct. The ‘colourful rust’ images behaved in the same way. I'm also focusing on ‘natural light’; the way light changes, reflects, colours and brightens what we see around us and I wanted to attempt to recreate that light impact in my work.

I began to research current weavers and the vibrant colours of Ptolemy Mann popped up. I've interpreted this by adding a coloured strip in my own weave. I also love the fact that her work covers the complete spectrum of interior design but also includes gallery work. I looked separately at distressed surfaces; depths of texture; flaking paint revealing colourful under layers; cracks in pavements showing shadows of colour. I discovered the photographs of Welter Seven Star close ups of 3D surfaces that have a luminescence and texture. I felt I could translate this into my own work - my spin is to add the colour explosion and a light effect. Two strikingly different artists inspiring me.

n terms of my practice, my first piece is influenced by an image of flaking rust in bold merging colours of orange, aqua and purple. I've achieved a deeper, richer colour by using direct dye on the cotton yarn and by leaving the yarn in the dye bath for a longer period of time. For the second piece it was cracked surfaces using my photographs of peeling layers of paint and textures on an old wooden sea boat in teal, blue, white and rust coming together with Welter 7 Star influences; with direct dye on worsted wool. Finally for my third piece I have been inspired by the astonishing colour combinations and patterns in Moroccan tiles. I've seen the geometric patterns in rusted metal railings along the seafront in my home town. With this final piece, I’ll use many techniques covered this year. I was planning on using acid dyes and thinner yarns such as viscose, silk and cotton.
My target market continues to be the contemporary interiors market with my designs being suitable for both upholstered and soft furnishings.

I believe that you need to touch and feel each piece of bespoke fabric; a photo wouldn't be adequate. My final pieces will be stretched over rectangular canvases as I am exploring the tension of colour and  weave these pieces. They will be displayed on a wall in a vertical ‘stripe’ of broken colour; the aim is to appreciate the colour impact from a distance as well as  being able to see the weave detail and the colour blending up close.