When I selected the original theme of the Ocean this seemed like a very broad topic (a thought echoed by my tutor!). However, using the mind maps was a really useful way to "download" ideas and images as they came to me without the pressure of analysing or refining them. Once I'd done this it was easier to sift through the random assortment of ideas and thoughts and to rationalise them into the areas that were most interesting.
Having narrowed down the wider theme to just Waves this quickly led to a whole series of further ideas which again I captured using a mind map. The beauty of this approach for me is that it is a repository for all my initial ideas that I can come back to and work on in future. It is also a good way of forcing me to think freely without a pre-determined plan.
Going from the mind map to actual images was quite natural and exploring the symbolic nature of wave imagery made it relatively straightforward to simplify and refine my waves into a workable design.
I have many more ideas just around the basic wave motif that I would like to explore further and if anything it became quite difficult to know where to stop!
Do you feel you made the right choices and decisions when selecting at each stage of the project? If not, what would you change and how would it alter the outcome?
I did decide on the idea of a garment quite early in the process so this influenced the nature of the materials I chose to work with (see, for example, the reasons for rejecting the felted sample). It also had an impact on the scale of the image and the nature of any repeating pattern. It would be interesting to re-focus on a larger piece to see how the wave imagery could be translated into other media.
Are there more ideas you would like to pursue that have come out of this project? Are they similar in feeling to the direction you took, or different?
There are many ideas I've pencilled in for future exploration! I've noted a number of them in my learning log posts about the theme book and the experimental work. I also have additional drawings and ideas in my sketchbooks. There is also plenty of scope for future development of the mind maps.
Which stage did you find the most exciting? Which stage was most arduous and difficult to get through?
The most exciting stage was exploring the samples, trying out different techniques and media, seeing how a simple motif could be interpreted in so many ways. The hardest part was gathering source material. I wanted to try as far as possible to source material from a range of places but it is difficult to ignore the lure of the internet! I did use my own photographs, magazines, some drawings and postcards but even with my own images I much prefer to photograph and save images to the computer so I can use them later for image manipulation, colour manipulation, printing and collage etc. I do, of course, keep found objects, fabrics etc. for textural and tactile study but even these I like to photograph and record details online.
Do you like your finished textile? Can you say what its strengths and weaknesses are?
I do like the finished sample. The colours are perhaps more delicate than I would personally wear but I think the silk paints give lovely tonal qualities that really capture the variety of shading in waves. I like the repeating shape - it has movement and rhythm and it appeals to my passion for ancient symbols and traditional patterns in textiles, art and architecture. I also think that the beads add a nice touch.
In terms of weaknesses, I am not sure how easy it will be to repeat the pattern over a larger area and I can't be sure that the silk will be sufficiently robust for regular wear. It will also be necessary to ensure that any wadding is fine enough to allow for drape and movement so that the wearer doesn't look like a Michelin Man!
