Stepping Out Business Documentary by the BBC early 90's

Newsreel Fashion Business O.S early 90's Footage

Arts and Craft Movement :Philosophy

   Arts and Craft Movement :Philosophy

Stones well, Copt Oak, Leicestershire, England.

Art and Craft furniture :Stoneywell.

Stoneywell,National Trust

Stoneywell: Desk and type writer.

Interior door bespoke craftsmanship.


Cut rock staircase traditional cave Arthurian tales.Stoneywell, National Trust.


Traditional deep window ledge, Stoneywell, Leicestershire.


" The beliefs that a well designed environment -fashioned with beautiful and well crafted buildings,furniture,tapestries and well crafted buildings-would serve to improve the fabric of society for both producers and consumers. Together with the idea that the material and moral fabric of society were connected" (Arts& craft movement by Steven Adams, Apple press 1989)


Arts and Crafts artists and designers philosophy links to contemporary fair trade consumer interest that a product was also the result of contented labour disregarding the manor of production created by the industrial revolution.
The Arts and craft movement started half way through the 19th century incorporating a variety of different art practices including , artists, crafts people, writers and poets.
They were interested in the revival of medieval-ism and christian values.
In the late 1870's Arts and Crafts were being exported across the globe.
In America, the Arts and Crafts movement and it's homespun appeal was inspirational for the infinity of the american population who were pioneers, building and making,cutting out their new lives within a new landscape full of Nature and idyllic live styles of simple living.

Shaker communities in the USA were creating simple furniture and buildings which echoed many of the creative and social ideas of the Arts and Craft movement. It's interesting to note the link between social and religious beliefs that run parallel with social and religious values.
Ideas resonated through the material and moral fabric of society were connected and linked to societies harmony and moral framework.  
Thomas Carlisle (1795-1881) and Ruskin wrote about the horrors of the industrialism and the romanticism of medieval rural idyllic England.
William Morris wrote that Art is Man's expression of his joy of labour, an expression that the industrial factory life removed.
Ruskins values of a crafted medieval society which had none of the engine turned precision of modern industry retain a sense of humanity.As Ruskin says "Men were not intended to work with accuracy of tools , to be precise and perfect in all their actions.If you will have that precision out of them and their fingers measure degrees like cog-wheels and their arms strike curves like compasses, you must unhumanize them". 
Pre-industrial society retained an understanding and element of humanity that the industrial revolution removed.
Similar to shaker values arts and crafts activities occurred inside of communities were their was a shared passion within a community.

Retrospective Research of Personal Practice.

Retrospective 

research of personal practice.

I am a textile designer/accessories designer who has previously worked with yarns to create knitted fashion accessories for the upper end fashion industry including supplying to designer lead stores.This is the job role I since leaving University with an honors degree in Knitwear design. I have since freelanced for a number of years and have spent the last 5 years teaching on a supply basis in order to raise my daughter and enjoy my family life a bit more.

                 1989-2003 Designer Director Original Sample Ltd                                                                         Nottingham                  London                               

·         Designing and selling designer lead knitwear to a World Market.

·         Customer base- Paul Smith Ltd. Harrod’s Ltd, Selfridges Ltd, French Connection, Oasis Stores Ltd, Japanese Department Stores, United Arrows Ltd, Hanku Department Stores, Small independent designer Stores, U.S.A Macy’s Stores, Sax  5^th Avenue, Barney’s Stores, Parisian designer Stores, Gucci Stores, Et Vous, Rue Rennie Stores. Celebrity Customers-   

·         Ralph Lauren, Paul Smith, Christian Lacroise

I started my previous business using a Princes trust award and I won best small business award in the 1990's for all the business's sponsored by the Prince's trust. The price was a top trade show stand in London which started my lucrative wholesale business selling my products across the globe.
The following news reel and business documentary shows the early phase of my previous business which  gives a glimpse of previous working practice.

Career Achievements

·         Awards.Uk Business Award Princess Youth Business Trust. Courtauld’s UK Competition Runner up.

·         British Fashion Awards-Winner as a Freelancer designer manufacturer for Paul Smith special emphasis on Knitwear Accessories. French connection –Special emphasis on knitwear Accessories.

·         Bespoke knitted hat designs for Prince William and Prince Harry

·         Freelance work. Window Display Design-Selfridges London. High Street Windows.9-17

·         Freelance Costume design consultant-Rolling Stones Concerts 1995

·         Freelance Costume designs- Play house Nottingham. Freelance Costume designs-Spice Girls.

·         Showing Globally at international trade Fairs. Pret-a-Porter Paris.Sehm Paris. New York Coterie,London Show, Birmingham Menswear Trade fair,Harogate fashion fair.London knitwear Show.The London Show.

·         Overseas Marketing Missions-Osaka,Tokyo Hilton hotel .Japan

·         Overseas Trips Forecasting and buying Shows Fabrics yarns and forward trends Florence Italy.

·         Market Stall Camden Market London 1990-1997 Retail Sales knitwear -Mens, Ladies and Children

·         Retail Storesx2 Nottingham. Designer Clothing and gifts- Mansfield Road and City centre 1990-1993

·         Handle all merchandising, inventory control, ordering, cash control, and maintenance functions.

·         Coordinate special promotions and events. Hire, train, and co-ordinate a staff of 12,

I am currently studying a Master’s Degree at University Lincoln England where I am studying Design. My interest is in print making for home with some hardware detailing using different technique’s incorporating CAD, my theme is Natures Armour (outer protective casing, inner protective castings). This area would be hardware and I would attach metal and wood detail to fabric and paper to add uniqueness and tactile artisan detailing.
The name Natures Armour is feeling a bit too limiting some how. I looked online and there are sites that link to herbal remedies and this is not what I want the range to seem to be about.Also I have had a number of people ask me what Natures Armour means? .The hardware elements of the project to add elaboration links better to the title natures armour as it is fitting to use this theme for 3d or haberdashery detailing onto surface design to add detailing.
I have a broader themed title which may fit better and that is Evolution. It links to a development of design practice from fashion knit to print for home. It also still links to nature which is however a broader statement that links to natures glorious splendor through time and genetic developments scientifically explained in the meaning of the word Evolution: with a sub heading of :Patter-nation, Armour and Embellishments.

      

    

Project Brief and Presentation

Project Brief Presentation

I am currently working on completing my own project brief for my Masters Degree in Design .I am specializing in Print including fabrics wallpapers, wall art and hardware for accessories fashion and home.

Initially I have had a number of different pathways and I have been looking at and amalgamating ideas into one project brief. Arts and crafts are of interest to me and I have choice the late 19th century/20th century and more specifically William Morris and his home and his love for Arthurian mythology.

I will be looking into IT and traditional techniques creating an integration of different techniques from contemporary to classic in order to inquire how to incorporate artisan heritage beliefs and values into a contemporary practice. Questions that I am looking at are how vintage , warn out historical weathered patented effects encourage mood and feeling within the viewer point of view. The main point of the brief is to experiment with different techniques and effects to create a tactile vintage artisan crafted art process. 

I am honing in on my creative practice and it is not the theme or subject that is important nor the product. It is the effects created by different processes and juxtaposing these together to create uniqueness and opulence in order to evoke harmony and beautiful indulgence for the viewer (customer)clientele.  

The inquiry for my project is to look at the methods of print inside of digital and traditional processes ,therefore it's the processes that evoke the questions for my design practice.

One of the questions is to evoke a response that creates a human handmade process to a modern contemporary process (machine made).
Looking into tactile ,vintage,warn away, heritage feel process to evoke nostalgic references of grand lifestyles and harmony of days gone by. 

I have also been researching converting my blog into a blog book and I have found a company in the U.S.A
called blog2print. They are printers to hardback or soft back. I have choice to create a number of volumes which I will number as part of my final Masters Degree presentation. I have noticed however that some of the headers on  my posts have become incripted in the print so  will need to edit these areas.
William Morris described himself as an Artist and a designer and this is an aspiration of mine. I have been a designer for many years and printing imagery for paper and fabric gives me a new direction into the field of print maker artist artisan which is of interest to me. I hope to create a series of wall Art and exhibit in the hope to gain feed back on one of my inquiring questions which is about how different techniques effect the viewers perceptions on how they value images. Specifically looking at historical heritage view points.

Blog2Book front cover.

Initial project brief

Photograph of William Morris.

Page from Blog to book . 

Screen Printing Screens

Screen printing

 Screen printing the Cherub image in different ways and effects.

The first screen I made using traditional light effective paint using a digital image which I took using a canon SLR digital with a high pixel level. I was able to put a large image and smaller images of the same cherub in a repeat pattern . I have also used photoshop to create the same image with different background colours and grey scale effect adding colour in 18 different colourways printed using the Ma Maci suit fabric system.

                                                                       Header Card for fabric swatches 

Header card in two colours.

Header card printed to fold over fabric swatches.
Initial computer text and hand painted filagree.

Headers being used with Memaki cotton and cotton/linen fabric prints 
Meemaki photographic cotton fabric prints

Warn out faded vintage background test

Sketch book image

Sketch book work showing hand drawn cherubs.

Mixing scale and colour of cherubs onto paper.

Sketch book showing swing ticket developments

Example of sketch book research and journal reflective notes and development.

I have chosen Evolution as a name for the fabric collection as the previous title was too long. Evolution represents the journey of my  ideas and also the development of the natural earth which also links into theory and context of my working practice previously discussed within the title Natures Armour.

The Evolution text is Georgian text , however I think the letters could be improved by squashing the letters together and trying bold text. I looks fine for my presentation brief review in a couple of weeks. 

Hand drawn Cherub screen print

I am currently developing a new repeat pattern taken from the photograph of the cherub reading that resides in my garden. I am wanting a small repeat pattern to add to a scarf design/dress fabric.

I think the drawing needs more developing possibly try painting it to make it more fluid and simplified.

The cherub on the left has been created into a screen for printing.

Rough sketch of stars,need to develop more detail/precision. 

Hand drawn star, a rough sketch idea for a second colour and detail on a matching fabric to co ordinate a range of fabric within a similar motif design. Choosing the same image helps to reflect on the characteristics of all the different printing techniques available and which applies for the best design choices.

Honing in on Project brief

Lino Print

I have been experimenting with lino printing since November last year. I have cut my hands once or twice doing it, it takes a certain type of skill which is interesting and rewarding and I think this lino is one of my best so far. It has been taken from the photograph I took over Christmas using a good quality SLR with a micro lens. This image which has a lot of historical references I have chosen as it gives a spiritual blessing to those who visualize it,similar to the cherubs have been painted over the centuries and angels have a lot of symbolic meaning. This sort of imagine has a lot of longevity and meaning. 

I would like to print this in the negative of what I have printed it and compare the two together.Also changing the scale would also be interesting, I have only been working on A5. Another idea would be to reflect image so they looked in different directions. Creating a mirror image and playing with some sort of repeat maybe adding another motif. This image was picked out as an endearing, however it doesn't link to Evolution: patternation, armour and embellishment.

Drawing used to mark image onto lino using pencil on the back, traditional tracing technique.

Lino print using an interesting duck egg colour with more green than previously mixed to add a more vintage feel. Paper is just old news print.
This is the drawing I used to create my Lino cut.I put a lot of pencil on the back   lined it up on the Lino and pressed down on the the paper with a pencil to trace on to Lino. I then cut Lino background away so what is left is printed. I choice to cut a halo effect which is similar to some day of the dead crosses I have previously seen within altars.