So, yesterday after 8 weeks of hard work, it was finally time to hand in my print & embroidery collections. This module was a big learning curve for me because it involved alot of getting to grips with all the different dying and printing techniques. Many hours were spent in the dye lab, looking attractive in my apron, gloves and mask, mixing acid and procion dyes (to dye my fabric) and experimenting with a variety of printing methods including: metallic, opaque, reactive, discharge, expantex and foil. On my foundation art course(Sept 08 - June 09) I had specialised in print, producing lengths of wallpaper for my final exhibition, however, moving on to Cleveland College of Art and Design to study for my degree has enabled me to challenge myself and produce more advanced prints due to the more industrial style facilities. Screen printing is such a fun technique, the possibilities of the prints you can produce are endless, aslong as you keep an open mind and be creative with what you have to work with. I produced 2 A3 abstract screens & then took it from there - masking off parts of the screen, moving the screen around, and combining my favourite elements from both screens, to produce visually interesting prints. The module required a minimum of 6 prints, in total I produced 10 - a main collection of 6 and a mini collection of 4(this collection used heat transfer as a starting point). In addition to this I kept a technical file, including a boat load of technique samples and designer research from my favourite interior designers, including the likes of: Missoni Homeware, Cole and Son, Designers Guild, Erica Wakerly, Osbourne and Little, plus many more. I haven't uploaded my entire collection, but as you can see from the examples, colour is a major theme of my work, always has been & probably always will be.
Phillippa x
