de de design

I picked up some ideas from my exploration work, then made them with my own painted paper.
I'm quite happy with those designs, and feeling all the primary research is coming together and having started forming some shapes now. Surprisingly, the process until coming here was smooth, though the first few weeks were a bit of stress, and I hope I can work like this when I become forth year, the final year of my GSA life!
Unfortunately this project doesn't ask us to make the actual textile samples, so I'm not doing embroidery but I just imagine what kind of stitches I would use for my designs—applique, running stitch or machine sawing???—and that is really exciting too.

My friends looked at mine and said that some of my designs are alternate to knit and weave patterns. It made me realised that I am a surface textile designer but a very structural person at the same time. I don't know if it is good or not, but maybe good ? —yes, I'm an optimist :)

2D and 3D exploration in colour

Pattern explorations with photocopies of my collage drawing.

It's really handy and I can get better results than developing on a screen.

Handwork is always the best for me!

paint paint paint, cut cut cut !

At the last tutorial, my tutor suggested me to use my own paper instead of colour cards from the artstore. This is really a basic thing, so I was embarrassed that I have bothered painting paper by myself and bought them only for saving time.
Now I got my own paper which is much better in terms of colour and texture compared to the one from the shop, and I'm happy with it.

With the paper I made, I have done small pieces of collage (approx. A5)
I cannot believe I hated collage so much, it is now a necessary part of my design process. 

Before cutting and paste paper, I try not to think too much, and just decide composition as I like it. It sometimes works, and sometimes not, but at least I can move forward anyway.

The quality of colours of those photos below are, unfortunately, very disappointing, so hope you imagine real, lovely colour.

The biggest event this week was a super short trip to London.
There are too many exciting exhibitions going on at the moment, among all, Matisse Cutouts exhibition at Tate Modern Gallery is the best in my opinion. It was a surprise that he originally applied his cutout techniques to oil painting work so that he can try out many different compositions. The scale of cut out pieces were stunning, the colour was well-considered, and lots of pin holes suggested that he put paper on and off many times before he pastes it in right place.

Anyway it was amazing !

add some colour

Colour is fun but difficult.

I wanted to show off my colour palette but the colours in those photos are completely wrong...sad.

who's origami legend?

I knew that origami is now international word, and loved by people across the world. However, still not sure what is the definition of it. For me, origami is for children, or a kind of gift for foreign people who are not familiar with it—until I come here. Origami workshop in my first year in art school changed my attitude toward origami from the very bottom. What I learnt there was completely different from what I used to play with, it was more technical and abstract, later I knew that it was a type of origami techniques called tessellation. I've never tried or seen or even heard about it before, but origami tessellation is amazing, and now I understand that origami is appreciated as a type of art among people in particular disciplines including textile design.
Despite it, I haven't been usnig origami techniques for my textile work since this academic year started, because simply I didn't need it, and also I felt that I don't want to be seen like I do origami  because I am Japanese. It is really ridiculous reason but I often think about that kind of things and suffered from unexplained shame. Oh stupid, stupid me. . . . probably I'm still immature than I expect. I really am.

B&W printed copy paper, hand manipulated

an easy tip for being a great embroiderer

PATIENCE

people keep saying this, and I agree with it, but there is exception of lucky person like me who just enjoy time consuming work.

images of paper cut outs, gray scale printed tree bark photographs

sunlight is greater and far more effective than a light box.

 

TEXTUREEEEEE

Doing more and more drawing for a couple of days, and managed to find some exciting texture!

I'm not 100% happy with some of them because of colour and compositions but I feel much better than last week. The problem with colour will be sorted out when I start applying right colour from my colour research, so I decided not to worry about it too much.

Compositions are really important for me, so I must consider about it before getting  in the next stage!

tomorrow :)

It's been unproductive days after the beginning of this term. There are only few 'rather better things' from a lot of wasted challenge and time. This is really disappointing for me, but it won't make me give up everything. tomorrow is another day I believe :)

get started

more colour work here

Finally I got my theme! Tree bark!