Hogwarts...Nope! It's Hereford College of Arts

Hogwarts? No its Hereford College of Arts.

Since my last blog post, wheels have been turning and I've been full steam ahead and feeling super productive and organised. It's amazing how things can really turn around on it's head once you click with something! 

I had the pleasure of visiting Hereford College of Arts and WOW, what a wonderful place. It felt like home just pulling up and parking my car and it's like stepping into a miniature version of Hogwarts. My first impressions were very good, inviting, warming and inspiring. I didn't want to leave BUT I have to consider the long journey (around an hours drive) and the impact it could potentially have on my family life..I struggle on a daily basis as it stands. Visiting Hereford really did reaffirm my growing love for textiles and how much I enjoy incorporating my photography work and skill into my designs and it's something I'm embracing and experimenting with in my latest brief...........

I'd touched on last week that we have a live brief in collaboration with the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and I've spent the last week and a half designing my print from a photograph I had taken whilst visiting there. The greenhouses are filled with tonnes of tropical and semi-tropical plants and inspiration is a plenty but for me I was really looking for something outside the box and it just so happened what I was looking for was underneath my feet the whole time. 

 A small water feature was throwing out excess splashes of water out onto the floor and in turn was creating this beautiful reflection...There it was, I was taken by this immediately and knew exactly where I wanted to go with this. In . my fairytale portrait work, I use a lot of split-toning to change the colour of the highlights and shadows and this was my train of thought for this image using the colour palette from a flower in the greenhouse. 
Using the gradient map tool in Photoshop and the eye dropper tool, selected two colours from my colour palette source image (not pictured)  and added them to the gradient map. One colour for the highlights (green) and one colour for the shadows (pink). My first response was very exciting and I love this change alone, never mind developing on it!

I'm  pleased with my first response to this print and over the last week I've really developed it......Worked on it some more in photoshop with leaf stamps, reversed the gradient map, sublimation printed and then printed again over the top of it. It's coming to life and I'm really connecting with it, It feels good and I'm passionate about using my photography as part of it. 

Something else exciting happened...My husband came home with this for me...A gin advent calendar! It's nearly Friday and I can't wait to open the first box..*hic-hic

Overall I'm pleased with how this brief is going, I've planned my work load very well and I've connected well to it and I'm feeling positive. 

Year 2...Feeling blue!

Well Hello Year 2 and welcome back to my blog (or weekly whinge....)  

  

Crikey...I don't even know where to start as since breaking up from year 1 so much has happened but what I will tell you is this, I had built up a lot of anxiety about returning back to Year 2. This anxiety has had a huge impact on my first brief (which I've just handed in....Hence the happy poo face. PHEWWWW) and my outlook in general, something I'm hope will start to resolve over the next few weeks. It's really not been easy and I'll be honest, I struggle, I struggle on a daily basis but 6/7 weeks in and so far so good. I've only cried driving home about 50  times! :-D

It's not helped either that our family lost our dear 'brother' Brendan, unexpectedly at the start of October and without getting the chance to say goodbye, I've been faced with feelings and emotions very alien to me and have put me at times into quite a "dark" place. Luckily I was able to channel some of what I was feeling into my work, quite literally!  

Going to miss you so much Bren.

Looking back on my work that I have produced for my first brief back...Although I'm pretty pleased with my final outcome and what I had achieved in constructed textiles, I'm not happy with the paperwork side of things and I know for certain this is going to let me down and affect my grade.....Grrrrr! Got to be top form for the rest of the year if I want to hit distinction targets...Not putting myself under any pressure at all *winkwink. Here's a couple of pictures of what I've been upto....I've been working hard, Promise. 

Add caption

Last week I've been given my new brief which is going to take me up to Christmas and this one is pretty exciting. We are collaborating with the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and being commissioned to design a capsule collection which conveys the attraction and to develop a tropical inspired print...EEEEEKKKKK....So exciting. A day out last Thursday to the botanical gardens with my trusty camera has filled me full of inspiration and I'm raring to go. I've got print ideas flowing and a range plan ready to put down on paper (which I'll show you next week). 

Thanks for reading you lovely folks. Until next time. XXXX 

Finally found something I don't need any help with #partytime!

Good evening Loves..How are you doing? I'm feeling pretty rotten at present. Think this cold bug/virus has caught up with me but I'm soldiering on as any awesome mom-wife-student would do. Got quite a few photos to show you as always..I like to photo document some of my work as I go along..It also means I can use the photos in my portfolio when I hand in each brief (no...I don't mean pants lol)

The start of last week started out with doing something I've found out I absolutely love...Basic block drafting and Pattern drafting. I really love the technical, mathematical precision of it. Something I never thought I would say but there is something so satisfying with starting with a blank piece of dot and cross paper, working through the 'recipe' and then you see your pattern. It's certainly the way of working I like best and as creative as I am, You give me some fabric and a stand and ask me to drape and hang with no pattern, Well I just can't cope. It doesn't come natural to me. I like it constructed and precise.

The postman delivered these beauties too last week from devere yarns I've been waiting super patiently..Actually I may have stamped my foot on few occasions but they are here...The orange one is photo luminescent thread..IT GLOWS IN THE DARK *WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT. Yep, It glows in the dark and the silver one is Sterling silver thread, I know right! Sterling silver. I'm super excited to be using these threads as part of my textile element for this terms brief. I'll have some piccies on my next blog to show you what I'm doing with them but in a nutshell..Im going to be hand embroidering constellations onto my garment. Watch this space...hahahaha..Get it, Constellations-Space ;-)

 Now don't ask me how I have done this but I've only bloody drawn something that actually looks half decent..This bloody skeletal hand. Calm yourselves all down..I'll be taking commissions very soon. Hehehehehehehehehe! I'm a messy artist, quite the opposite to when I'm pattern drafting funnily enough. This skeletal beauty was drawn using dipping ink and a basic calligraphy pen. They are going to become my new best friends when it comes to drawing..

My week finished off with being the model for my college buddies University portfolio. I was modelling her wonderful creations. It was great fun and I really enjoyed being on the other side of the camera for a change.

Talking of being on the other side of the camera, My self portrait project is coming on really well. Week 24 can be seen here and Our igersblackcountry page is going really well too..If anybody is interested you can check it out here. We are so excited to showcase our amazing region and although its only been one week in the making, we have been featured on our first blog...You can view that here and read all about us!

Nighty Nighty Folks...Thats enough talking from me. Abi

Have we all stopped saying Happy New Year yet?

Well I'm going to say it...HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE. Welcome back to my super honest, shambolic blog of a 30-something, mum to one and student.

It's been a funny few dasy back to be honest-The course has seen some changes in staff and structure but as always I'm trying my best to embrace these changes and tackle them head on. I'll admit, Yes I've had a good moan and last Wednesday saw me in a full on breakdown, tears and snot (Huge Thank you to Mark my contextual studies tutor for being my rock!) but I guess fear, coupled with the anxiety about change had manifested over the week and I had bottled most of it all up. I won't be doing that again and will really start to make an effort to discuss my fears or worries sooner rather than let them bring me down. Anyway..With that said and done, Overall I've been having a bit of fun too.

I've been embracing my inner Pollock in the studio and creating galaxy-like, paint splatter pieces of art for our new brief titled-Opposition. I've made a little 7 second time-lapse video. Hit that play button! With my earphones in, listening to Euphoric dance music (I think the exact song was Synth and Strings) I was well away and In my element or should I say..In my own world. Music really helps me to focus and also gives me inspiration. I kind of let myself go to the music. These creations are all part of my design development and will go toward the inspiration for my final curated garment piece, which is going to be a sweatshirt of some description.

Splatter away! 

Releasing my inner Pollock

Close up of paint splatter-added salt
to give extra dimension

                                

There is one thing that really did put a smile on my face this week and that was attending my first ever life drawing class. I was so nervous because A) I can't draw B) I was going to see a naked penis in a room full of other students and C) What If I burst out laughing...Well I didn't laugh and I saw a penis and My drawing is getting better. I really enjoyed myself, despite being very nervous and I was more nervous of everyone seeing my shit drawing, I can't wait to go back again. I struggle with body proportions when doing my fashion illustrations so I'm hoping that the life drawing is going to help me with this and to understand the body and body shapes a bit more,whilst improving my skill overall.


I've also been able to include my own photography as whilst away for New Year I photographed The Milky Way, These images has proven to be great primary sources and Im hoping to further develop one of the images for a possible print. You can head on over to my page here and check out my astro images and If I've still got your attention..I hope so then please check out a new venture I've started with my buddies..We have set up the official #igersblackcountry instagram account. Here's a link to our page on facebook. Read all about it and perhaps see you on Instagram.

Abi xxxx

And that's a wrap...Signing off for Christmas and saying Goodbye!

Hello my loves...My last blog post for 2016 and I can't believe I've actually written 9 of these since September. It may not be a lot in the world of blogging but It's great for me as I had never blogged before.

The run up for assignment deadline day has been crazy and so stressful. I've learnt so much about myself during this process-I'm such a flipping worrier and could do with an extra large bottle of chill pills but with all the worrying aside, I did make it to deadline day :-)

I really don't know what I was thinking when I decided to design a shirt dress that could also be worn as a coat too..I mean It can't be that hard to make? Gosh I was so wrong but despite it's huge challenges..I did it...I MADE IT!

Nearly finished!!!!

 In fact, whilst I'm sat here writing this I've just realised a couple of things I have forgotten to do like-Overlock the inside sleeve seams (on shit!) and blind stitch the seam that I had accidentally pulled open on my small collar. Hmmm What can I do about it now but I know my tutors will be reading this so *WINK-WINK KISS KISS*

As always I like to fill up my post with lots of visuals along with a brief explanation.Here goes.....

Large outer collar in pink Chenille
Very hard fabric to sew!

Darts in bust line. Originally
had shoulder darts but removed
them as the bust darts looked
nicer

Plackets added as grow on
in pink Chenille

Although I've found these last couple of months extremely hard..I'm super proud of myself for actually getting this far as I really was ready to quit (as I've mentioned before) but seeing my garment go from first design concept to an actual wearable garment, that I have made,  has just made me hungry for more GRRRRR and even more determination to carry on a gain my degree! Especially as I've also found my illustration 'style' and my confidence in drawing has really improved.

3 portfolios of design development
ready to hand in, along with
fabric and print samples

Final fashion boards with flat, technical
drawings and fabric samples.

My final illustration of AM 2 PM
collection-Can't believe I drew these!!

Last week we said Goodbye to our fashion tutor-Kerry. She is going to be missed so much. Kerry is such a wonderful person and has really help build my confidence and find my illustration style as well as teaching me construction too and thats only a fraction of what she has taught me..She literally walks, talks, eats and sleeps fashion and when I grow up, I want to be her. I'm 33 and far from growing up yet but having had the pleasure of knowing her for only a short time even though it feels like a lifetime, She has ignited a fire in my belly to make it in the industry. Thank you Kerry <3

L-R Debbie, David, Kerry and Me! HND 1 gang

Pretty sure most of you know my other passion is photography and I have my Facebook page. This weeks self portrait is here and Its one it took a couple of  months ago, I just hadn't found the right words to use alongside it. Well my loves...Cheers and have a wonderful Christmas. I'm signing off for 2016 but I'll be back in 2017 with more fashion studying shenanigans. Abi xxxx

Cheers Everybody and Merry Christmas

Highlights and Low lights...I'm not talking about hair either!

Designer mom hard at work!

Good evening. It's getting flipping dark isn't it!

Kicking off this weeks (rather late blog post) is this iPhone shot of me in action because I don't just sit around at college for 3 full days drawing, looking through magazines, playing with textiles and generally having a good laugh with my tutors and studio buddies.

Drafting my garment pattern from scratch!

A lot has gone into getting me at this stage in the photo....Design development-20 pages of inspiration and my own development and interpretation on the words Stripped, Striped and Strapped. Our brief for this term. Then came customer profiling and market profiling and a client/creative muse. Who can I see wearing my garments? Where can I see them in the market? High end high street? Boutique? or cheap and cheerful? In between all of this I touched on my colour palette and initial ideas for fabrics and then designing a collection of garments.This is just a very brief overview of what we've been doing and It's really opened my eyes up to what goes on behind the scenes of fashion. You don't just make clothes..There is a whole 'science' and process behind it of which I'm learning and very much appreciating!

With my initial garments drawn...I've now selected a few to delve into a bit more and further develop for my collection and selected one garment to make! Eeeeeekkkkkk...We are making in this brief. Now this is what I came on this course for..to construct and make garments. It's so exciting! Although it's not all been singing and dancing...I've been very frustrated too and had some great highlights but also been feeling rather low and useless and I'll admit that perhaps I just can't do any of this...Studying full time, all the work we have to do outside of college hours and all my parental and home responsibility too. It was really getting on top of me last week but with some organisation put in place and a good chat with my tutors, I'm in a good place and have a more positive attitude. I don't give up easy and I'm having to remind myself that it's been 14 yrs or so since I was in education..Go easy on your self, girl!

Manipulating on the stand

In the photos here, are just some initial ideas regarding details to my garment designs...We are encouraged to physically 'play' and manipulate with the fabric on the stand and this has really helped me with my initial concept and determine some details in regards to our stripped, stripped and strapped theme for the brief. Can anybody see a relation to the theme?

Free motion embroidery

Over in textiles I had a go at some free motion embroidery and loved it. It took some getting used too and I lost my thread 4 times and broke a needle twice which quickly escalated in me wanting to throw the machine out of the window but finally I was happy to have produced this piece of textile art. We were asked to collect white items only and visualise a landscape so here is my all white, free motion landscape...TADAAAAAA      

In textiles we are also linking up our fashion brief I've talked about  and exploring pattern ideas. I know at this stage my pattern is going to be a naive, crude, distressed stripe so I had a go using dispersed ink with different items...For this one I used a cheese cutting wire, dipped into the ink and dragged along the paper. It's created almost the stripe I am after.  Using the dispersed ink means that I can test this out on some fabric on the heat press and see what It will look like as a print. Watch this space!

      
 Well as always I do a lot of talking. Thank you again if you read this to the bottom and following my journey. For those who follow my photography, my latest self portrait is up and can be viewed here.

Thanks my loves. Abi xxx

Inside all of us is a winning, bestselling novel..Could this be true for artists too?

Hi lovelies..Is it just me or Is Christmas....(YES I SAID THE C WORD) only around the flipping corner. Jeez, it only feels like yesterday we were celebrating Christmas 2015 and this year I am just not on the ball, completely unorganised with unorganised being a very key word in my life at the moment. If anyone out there can give me a few homelife, parenting, student organisation tips that would be great *kiss kiss.

Hmmmmm..So what ave I been up to at college this week? Digital Art on +Adobe Illustrator This was my first ever time doing this! Last Tuesday I had a meltdown and could not get to grips with Illustrator at all AND then I had to draw, manipulate images and put my own creative stamp on them. Easier said than done. I think I had a defeatist attitude before I started and had told myself, You are going to be shit at this Abi my dear. It really was downhill from there. This weeks digital art session was a whole different kettle of fish and I smashed it, found my groove, different attitude and rewarded myself with chocolate for being a good girl. I'm pleased with what I produced and they've been pretty popular over on Instagram #Happydays

  

It's been a week of ''firsts'' this last week, so exciting! Screen printing and watercolour painting. Kerry really pushes us in fashion illustration and I do really need that. I feel so silly saying this but I'm so flipping scared of making a mistake. I'm fearful of doing it wrong but slowly learning and trusting that there is no right or wrong when it comes to creativity, when it comes to fashion and illustration. In the illustration we have been doing, it's about impressionism and our interpretation. I just need to harness a little bit more self confidence and let myself go with the paintbrush, felt pens and fine liners.  I read somewhere that inside all of us is a winning, bestselling novel..Could this be true for other forms of art too? Do we all hold deep inside of us an inner Picasso we are just to scared to let go and give in too? Just a little thought for you.

I think I touched on textiles in my last bog post but I'm loving textiles....It's just so hands on, touchy, feely. Sourcing, playing, testing and trying. I produced this screen print last week and had a go on the knitting machine, producing this beautiful sample of lurex and acrylic yarn combo. I'm kind of picturing it as the start of a sleeve of a jumper. What do you think? Again my first time and I was thrilled with what I had produced. Just great to have a play....Definitely not scared to let my inner Picasso out *wink

Well It finally happened, HE LOST HIS FIRST TOOTH!!! Bloody hurrah and about time. I thought he was going to burst with excitement and I think he did do a little excited wee in his pants. Bless him..All say Aahhhhhhhhhhhhh.

I mentioned being unorganised at the top of this blog post but actually I am trying to gain some kind of organisation especially when it comes to birthdays as I've been rather crap of late. My lovely friend Sarah Allington from Sarah Ellen Designs Facebook and her webpage Sarah Ellen Designs Web makes the most amazing bespoke cards for all occasions so I commissioned a very very special birthday for one of my best friends whose birthday is at the end of this month. Sarah has nailed it and I'm so flipping excited to give it to my buddy. Not only does she do cards but also makes the most stunning silver jewelry and has recently won an award. If you're struggling with perhaps a special Christmas gift for somebody..Check her out.

Once again..If you have made this far, then I thank you for keeping up to date with my student journey and ramblings on. Abi xxx

PS..I think i'm getting the hang of this blogging business xx

So It turns out that I can kinda draw :-)

The love-bugs

Yo yo yo....Evening folks. Pinch, punch, first of the month! I missed a blog last week but it was half term and I was super poorly so this is going to be a 2-4-1. Yayyyyyyyyyyy.

What couldn't be better than spending a week with these 2 love-bugs on the left but I got a horrendous virus and kinda put me out of action for most of the break. Still on a  brighter note at least Ryan wasn't at school and we spent a lot of time, cuddling up, watching films. Bliss.

  

Fine Liner in one continuation

I was meant to do lots of collage work but that got left by the wayside. Nevermind..Lots of catching up for me.

Pencil designs on layout paper

Check out my drawings on the left and right....I did those *shock-horror. I couldn't draw 6 weeks ago and I'm not at all overly confident in this area and my skill set as of yet but I'm really flipping chuffed with these. I knew before I started that this was going to be an area of weakness for me. My dad is an amazing artist but sadly didn't pass on even half of the skill my way. Thanks for that Dad!
As much as I roll my eyes when Kerry tells us to get the pencils and sketchpads out...I'm enjoying it as I can see weekly improvement.

Something I have really learnt about myself especially when it comes to illustration is that I'm afraid to make mistakes or that I'm doing it wrong. I've been overthinking it so much that at times it has taken some of the joy out of the creative process. I've set a target with my tutor to work on my illustration skills but most importantly..I just need to work on my confidence and remember that there is no right or wrong when  you are a creative person. #peptalk

Can you guess what it is?

Gold star to the first person who can tell me what I was trying to imitate. This funny looking thing on the right happens to be my first time trying out wet felting and believe it or not but it was rather brutal and took the skin off one of my knuckles lol. 

The textiles part of my HND comes quite natural to me and I'm picking most things up with ease as its quite hands on and not a lot of ''academia'' involved...We are doing, making, feeling, touching and experimenting with all matters of materials, yarns and fibers. The best way I learn and I'm really enjoying textiles because of this. I guess, I enjoy it a bit more than the fashion element  as I'm a lot more confident. 

As always over on my photography page I'm doing a self portrait series..I've completed another 2 portraits since my last blog week 16 is here and week 17 is here..I'd love for you to take a look if you haven't already. 

A huge thank you if you have stopped by and had a read of my blog. Lots of love Abi xxx