Journal Day 87

Wow Day 87. I just read that.

So had a very successful tutorial day, and have been assured that any of my worries about not producing art and being an 'artist' are silly. Having someone with experience look at your work and be able to judge your character and potential from it is really quite something. I have now been able to establish that I am a surface pattern designer. Not a textiles artist- yay! I don't really care for fabric, it's just the means to an end and it is the pretty patterns and colours that interest me more than the texture and fabric itself. Which is great, because it means I now have a direction with all the explorative work I have been doing and can sketch possible outcomes for the fabric or patterns that I design. A whole series even. And the great thing about that? Well, it links perfectly to my future business, where I plan on selling such items, made by me or not they will be very similar. So that is perfect! Very happy reassured and have lots of work to be getting on with!! Next up on the experiment list- watercolours and ink (both fabric and paper)! Here I come :)

Abiento x

Art Inspiration: Watercolours

There is something about water-color that is just so dreamy. I've been told to experiment with watercolor for my project and I have to say I've been avoiding it. I don't like paint, never has and so I'm resisting it- even though I feel that watercolor may be different for me... Anyway here is a small collection of beautiful watercolor pieces that I've been staring at, willing myself to be this good. Sadly they have been sat in my inspiration folder for so long that I have no idea who did them or where I found them. If you know- let me know!

Abiento x

Journal Day 86

As lacking in writing here as usual, and as stumped for words as usual. However I am feeling stuck with the project. I am done worksheets and worksheets of illustrations; generally repeating the same patterns and the same illustrations with variations of pen and ink, collage and pen, fabric paint and ink and will continue with watercolor and pen. However I am repeating the same illustrations over and over again- it feels stagnant but I have few illustrative ideas that will work for this manner, and many of my other ideas involve layers that I'm not sure how to execute into samples. So far I have made them with simple pen drawings on tracing paper, that create layers put together to create one whole image. Interchangeable parts to add to or tell a story from one of my photographs. I can only think that glass would therefore be the best way to move that kind of work forward, but have no idea where to start with that or how to add colour- do i simple scratch the designs into the glass as if I were going to create an etching? I have no idea! Plus I would love to be able to turn my illustrations into a piece of fabric or a surface pattern of some kind but don't want to screen print it. I can, I just don't really want to. I would however like to try printing it with a digital fabric printer.

As for a final outcome, I once again am stumped. I like the illustrations and feel that they could form quite a few retail-able products but time and time again I seem to choose colours that scream 'child'. Last term in my project with the house I chose the same colour palette, and only realised it today. Even then, in that project, I chose to use pastels and bright colours with cute patterns on, as I often did during my A-levels. Why is it that I choose to emulate the colours of kids. Am I obsessed with kids- or just the sweet and happy colours that so easily represent them? Do I just want the happy colours to rule over? Why do I not design with sophisticated colours- adults shades of grey with smaller hits of bold colours such as orange and pink? Why the pastels? It is starting to feel slightly repetitive when I look back at it like this, and am not sure how to push myself and it further. My photography is so different to this- so why did I choose to be creative with such a soft style of art? Why am I even in art school when I am so focused on creating products suitable for a small business. I know I am focusing on planning a business and know what I want to emulate for that, but I am creating art- or even designing products. I'm designing for toddlers, children and families. Essentially. What does that say about me and my creative drive or focus!?

I am however highly enjoying finding my own style of illustration and of telling a story with simple line and colour drawings. Translating that into a textile is nice, although I really don't want to be stitching and hand printing it all myself.

Abiento x

It's Monday! (Again)

Oh it's Monday again! I feel like I'm dragging my feet a lot at the moment- taking time off has been a really bad idea to be honest. A month off at Christmas, followed by Berlin and a week of illness has totaled in 6 weeks in chilling out. Plus with the mr having two weeks off from work he has been a huge distraction to me; it's much more fun to hang out with him than do a project I don't really care about all that much...!

Anyway, it's monday, and so there is work to be done, tons of work to be done, friends to catch up with, a cold to get over and an essay to write! Eeek! Anyway, I'm gonna crack on and come back later :) Good luck with your week, wherever you are, hopefully it will be less stressful than mine!

Abiento x

I have a tumblr!

I wanted a place to randomly share images I love and find inspiring, so I started a tumblr! Click here to see it and follow me! :)

Abiento x

Friday Fun

Sooo late in the day, but hey, it's been one of those days! I woke up at a reasonable time after a night out, to a phone call from work to go in and cover. At 4pm I left, made it half way home (mind you it's only a mile drive) and my car broke down! 3 hours later I finally made it that other half a mile home with no car. However on the plus side I did manage to get a pizza (my first meal of the day) delivered to my car! soo good. So anyway, here we go; sadly not one I can show you here, but follow the link and watch this funny video of an adorable little girl!

Click here :).

Abiento x

My Week in Photos (365) Project (TWICE)

Two weeks worth of photos as I missed last weeks.... starting off with my week in Berlin and then my week back at home. Ill. So much fun. To see my photos on a daily basis, follow me on instagram (Lucylu456). Added in a few photos for each day as quite a lot has been happening!

13/01/12

New day, new running shoes :)

14/01/12

New perfume! yipee!

15/01/12

feeling festive at work

16/01/12

Off to Berlin!

17/01/12

Oh hi Em!

Mr Warhol.

Disco ball time :)

18/01/12

Shopping vintage

Shopping vintage fur

19/01/12

Jewish museum- installation art

Jewish Museum

20/01/12

Falafel!

and a coffee to relax with before flying home:)

21/01/12

home, house-sitting and a bath! What could be better!?

22/01/12

Night in with the boy :)

23/01/12

Meal for 1

24/01/12

Bath again! Love this

25/01/12

Mr Mango Tango

Home made pizza and salad-with wine of course!

26/01/12

My view today :)

I've got the munchies.

Over the weekend I semi moved into my friends parents house in a small surfing town on the north coast of Cornwall. Sunday night, Mike came for the night- we cooked dinner together, watched Michael Macintyre and had an early night :). We are both ill at the moment so a big bowl of  tomato pasta was perfect for us! Last night I decided to use up some of the leftover sauce and flourish up the same dish a bit.

Overall delicious and filling- plus I made a large portion so that I have some for lunch tomorrow! Here's my recipe :)

A handful of pasta
1 chicken breast
a handful of peas
1 large (and I mean BIG) mushroom
a few slices of chorizo (or salami, or other...)
some sort of cheese
tomato sauce (I used a tomato and herb store bought jar)
A handful of spinach plus another handful of rocket
Any salad veg that you like- I chose to use cucumber

Start by cooking off the pasta in a small amount of water, keeping it at a rolling boil and adding more water when necessary.

When nearly done, add the peas so that they cook with the pasta.

Meanwhile in a frying pan, cook off the chicken, followed by the mushrooms.

Drain the pasta and peas, replacing them into the saucepan. Add the tomato sauce and return to the heat. Chop up the chorizo and add that too.

In your bowl create a layer of salad then combine all the warm ingredients and pile up on top! Finish off with some yummy cheese :).

I believe that when it comes to Italian food, we all eat far too much of the carbs. The pasta in a pasta dish should not be the main ingredient, it should be about a third of it. So I tend to double most of the above ingredients (except for the chicken) to save some for another meal, then eat it with the salad. This way it is more nutritious, healthier and just as filling! This was a meal I really enjoyed and it was oh so simple. I love to just add lots of random veg and meat to a meal for a yummy combo. Next time I might try it with some kind of seafood as apparently cured and deli meats compliment seafood perfectly!

Enjoy and let me know if you try to make a similar dish! :)

Abiento x

Journal Day 82

I haven't written in my journal much lately... over christmas I did lots of little sketches and ideas and began taking an interest in adding simple patterns onto plain objects from daily life to make them prettier. One of these in particular was street signs, something that I often photographed in Canada for comparison photos. With this I have been exploring a more illustrative style that I am really enjoying. Alongside of this I have been writing lots of notes next to the illustrations, therefore exploring more of a typography interest and style. I am discovering new ways of incorporating text into the work, and also designing fonts for myself (many of which I'm sure already exist somewhere!)

Some of the sketches also included simple designs for prints- of the type that could be screen printed and sold for art work in a home.

After christmas I began playing around more with color work, as suggested by my tutor. I struggled to come up with ideas before christmas and felt restricted to creating the colors myself with paint which would not only be a lengthy process but would be a huge struggle for me as I do not enjoy or succeed much with paint. So, after being inspired by these designs;

I decided to create my own.

From here I will spend some time removing the stripes from the images to create just color images that can then be fiddled with to show how different colors affect each other; brightening the other or making it seem darker. Once I have completed this digitally, I will attempt to recreate some of these designs with paint; whether that be water-color, fabric paint or both I'm not yet sure!

Meanwhile I am developing the street sign ideas by adding color and collage- creating texture and brightness to the designs. Color is my main focus for these designs and is something I have been striving to enhance in my work.

I am really enjoying this process at the moment and am pleased with how everything is going!

Abiento x