It has been a while since I last posted something on here, that does not mean I have not been creative though. I have been quite the opposite actually. Making lampshades, drawing, sewing, weaving and playing around with my photo editor. Its all been very colourful, monochromatic and a 3 dimensional exploration of what I can do with just about every idea that pops into existence.
I've been recycling old clothes into something new, I learned how to weave them into strips and then sewn them together into a round thing, first of all I'd set out to make a round rug. Not realising that strips repeatedly sewn around themselves, would not remain a flat piece unless I put some kind of support on the back. So as it rounded on its self I decided it was evolving from a rug to a bag. in the midst of this project which is on going.
I have also been doing a bit of portraiture, started with a portrait of my Brother and his Wife, for their wedding anniversary present.
I created a couple portraits made up from within to practice skin tones and rendering of the tonality on the face. Ive been drawing a portrait of myself and my Fiance.
One of the many things I have learned from delving into a bit of portraiture is that I've not to narrow down my ability's by thinking I cant do it. For years I have said to myself that I cannot do portraits, that I'm not good enough, which stopped me from trying at all, which hampered me in my creative development.
I have told myself that I can only do one type of Art, which has stumped me from moving anywhere else in my creative exploration. Now my mind is more open to just trying things out and not getting stuck in one place with my art. I am finding that I can just about do anything I set my mind on.
The feeling is awesome knowing I make something from nothing.
I have been making sculptural style lampshades inspired by the wire sculptures I done during my HNC Contemporary Art Practice. I have created 6 experimental pieces.
Firstly using bamboo sticks masking tape and paper machie with wall paper and wallpaper glue just to see how these would behave. Then I moved on to wire as I love manipulating the wire into many forms. I created an inverted shell like spiral frame, which I then used cling film, tissue paper and pva glue to make the shape part. This medium does take me back to my routes as a child at school, getting very stick and messy. There are no rules to how this is done it can be smoothed together or just crushed on, depending on what kind of texture you want. The glue once dried between clingfilm and the paper makes a nice affect when aluminated.
After this I decided I wanted to make a secondary spiral frame with an edge on the bottom of the frame, to create a lip inward on the lampshade, this was made more like an actual shell with the sides plumming outward rather than inward.
I experimented just with the paper and glue alone casting it over a ball and a balloon. This has inspired me to create more shades just from the paper and glue. With enough layers it will be strong and sturdy enough. I had tried out some old dress fabric on a small bamboo frame I'd made but felt that it wasn't what I was looking for. Maybe I could go back to that one.
Upon putting up my second wire frame to see if it would hold onto the light cable, seeing the pattern it made on the ceiling. I realised that I can also play around with how the light it cast around the room, through how I design my shade.
Playing around with the wire I have used glass beads and crystals to create some pretty window hangings. Then I made some tooth brush holders with the same idea of the crystal hangings. Using the idea I had for my shades to hold on to the light cables. Using a coil of wire that can be tighter or looser depending on what I decide it's purpose to be.
My ideas are evolving constantly the more I create and produce. There are some other things that I'm working on just now which I will share upon completion. The only thing about having all these ideas, is that I can often find myself overwhelm with too many projects at once. So I have to pace myself with them. Definitely should get them down on paper or sketched down, this would be very beneficial for my future studies which lie ahead.
