Wrestling with my headless chicken!

Well, long time no blog because the very real work of finding my style has to take priority.

This blog was not started entirely as a means of self promotion (far from it) but because my previous blog, (supporting a sponsored swim for a small charity I then chaired), became a therapeutic way of reflecting on my progress. And I enjoyed it. And other people seemed to enjoy reading it.

But while others on the course happily commented on heads & eyes full of patterns (as mine had been for two years), all of a sudden my head was full of the urge to blog about how difficult I was finding it.

None of the following is a reflection of the course itself (which is excellent), it is just how I personally responded to it. Trying to keep up with blogging as well as the course meant I did neither well. I paid lip service to some of the exercises, and posted designs and drawings I wasn't at all convinced about eg:

Hideous, isn't it!

Something had to give!

Pre-course explaining to my Mum, I said: 'You work on it and work on it and it doesn't work & it doesn't work and then all of a sudden there comes a moment when the design.....becomes.....itself!' It is a slightly mystical thing on occasion and my work requires a certain period of gestation and reflection. The demands of the course (with the demands of normal life too) made this requirement nigh on impossible to achieve.

The demands of the course? To read something online everyday, to create every day with new exercises most days, to browse for inspiration online, to scan in your work and upload it (can take ages), to take photos, upload them (really takes ages with my equipment!), to file all your hand-created work to protect it (& I created a lot).

And (if you are dutiful & caring and supportive of others) to comment & give thoughtful feedback on other people's work. There are 237 members of the private Facebook group and at one point I realised I was trying to keep up with 37 of them! Can't be done!

Also if you upload something yourself, the urge to keep looking to see whether anyone else has commented on it is quite strong. Many of us fell behind and went through periods of feeling somewhat fraught - but we picked each other up and got through. If you are thinking about doing the course I would say 'yes, definitely do it, but go in with open eyes - and manage yourself! Log on once a day only!'

This particular module has no requirement that you have Photoshop &/or Illustrator, but they do provide 'Bonus Technical Workshops' covering basic parts of these, for those who are interested. I've been using Photoshop Elements v2 (ancient) but just before the course I upgraded to the Creative Cloud version (blithely thinking 'how different can it be?' - I soon found out!), as well as Illustrator CC, as I am aware that a particular design might be used on different surfaces and at different scales. I cannot (yet?) find a way of changing the scale of a Photoshop design without it damaging the digital quality of the image.

Cue more headless chickening about:  I like the subtlety of what I produce in Photoshop and cannot seem to replicate it (yet?) in Illustrator. On the other hand, there are things I used to be able to do with Photoshop Elements that I can't seem to do in the upgrade (yet?).

In Illustrator I like the relatively straightforward way I can now do a box repeat and I like the security of the digital quality. But I don't always like what it does to my art work when I image trace it. For example, I like the pattern I made below (I'd even say it might fit whatever my style turns out to be) but when I zoom in I'm not so keen on the artwork - which I liked in its original state. I'd love to know what you think of it.

'Stark trees'

 So many learning curves to travel at once - what of the purer pleasures of the course?

• Drawing & painting much much more
• Having a set of structured exercises through which to develop my style
• Learning the principles of putting pattern collections together (although the stripe needs work):

'Deco windows'

• Creating some work I am very happy with (although - because it's in Photoshop I still worry about it's digital integrity):

  

  'Lungwort ribbon weave'

• Discovering how to add one of my designs to a scarf 'mock-up' - although I don't yet know how to create such a mock up in the first place. Looking again I like both of these....

  

  'Abstract lines'

  

  'Blue Roses'
  Originally a design for my sister's birthday.

• Receiving positive & constructive comments both on current & past work. I've 'met' some wonderful and very supportive people (some of whom I can tell already are going to go far)
• People appreciating my sense of humour, as (confessing to dreading doing 'characters'), I uploaded the following scary page!

Hmmm - some way to go with this exercise, I feel!
Though it's not something I'm 'drawn' to anyway.

• Discovering new artists & designers - like Charlie O'Sullivan and Matthew Willamson who do very different but interesting work.

The positive & the negative: it's all is part & parcel of doing what I love (patterning) and an aspect of what I love about it is the intellectual challenges it presents. If I am not challenged to think & create - who am I?

I now have a few weeks grace before the start of module two so I'm afraid you won't be hearing from me for some time.................. :-)


Love

Catherine

Just wanted to share.......

We had a day out last Saturday. Youngest son had gone to stay with eldest at Uni - perfect excuse!

Finally made it to Gallery Pangolin in Chalford near Stroud, a gallery based on the premises of a metal foundry specialising in casting metalwork for artists (including such 'luminaries' as Damien Hirst for his work 'Verity' - sited at Ilfracombe).

Detail of plait - Verity by Damian Hirst

Detail of Hand - Verity by Damian Hirst

The most impressive discovery I made there was Terence Coventry - someone I was unaware of - but truly love his angular take on things. It reminded me of my angular rose sketches:

My take on the roses bought for my birthday.....

The real thing

After that we made our way through little lanes to Cirencester - a bustling Cotswold market town - with lots of little shops full of pattern inspiration!

Patterns I like - although I'm a little old for bright yellow footwear....maybe! :-)

Patterns I feel somewhat neutral about - they're okay and in the right circumstances I'd buy

Patterns I dislike - - the cats are cute but I don't buy cute!

As well as a wander round Brewery Arts, there was also a little 'pop-up' studio gallery next door. Through the doorway I spotted a pattern.......had to venture inside. Admiring the work it became obvious that the two - well, do we call them women, girls, ladies - people? Obviously people, but forgive me I took to them straight away which means they feel like friends and colleagues.

It's the second time that, when chatting to artists curating their own work, there has come a curious sideways glance and the question: 'Are you an artist, too?'

Cue a childish little skip of pleasure and excitement from me (my inner child is still there, 49 or not!). Perhaps I sound like I know what I'm talking about - but I think it's the joy and enthusiasm that pours out when I talk about these things. Anyway, we chatted courses and tastes and Illustrator versus Photoshop.

Meeting them made my day, so I'd like to introduce them to you now: Jan Jay & Shelly Perkins.

Enjoy,

Catherine

Defining moments

As I said  in a previous post, I'm partly doing this course because it promises to help me pin down my style. I get so bowled over with the wonders of possibility that I want to sample everything. I am some half-starved wretch, making up for years of not properly feeding myself artistically.

Last week's exercises were about loosening us up and trying different approaches. Seeing what felt good, what felt contrived. What produced a pleasing result, what didn't. For example, mark-making:

I can't believe I'm 49 and have never systematically explored my brushes like this before - it was so empowering (and sooooo chilling!).

I think I have identified three enjoyable lines of enquiry so far:

• doodles in pen eg:

• free, flowing paintwork

• and digitally transformed photographs like the one I showed you in an earlier post

Guess what! I think I was doing all these before!

But rather than frustration building up, I find it reassuring that my 'self-taught' approach turns out to have been valid.

Another exercise we've 'done' (and by that I mean I've started!) is build up a collection of images of patterns we love and attempt to define what it is about them that works for us.

So far I find I tend towards a softer colour palette based on the natural world (although, my favourite colour is a zingy turquoise - work that one out!). I favour designs that have an overall fluidity and sense of movement to them. I frequently prefer abstract. I like subtlety (whether colour or detail).

I've started a Pinterest board to hold it all and aim to start another called 'Patterns I don't like', to view the contrast. Still working on it - not ready to share it yet.

Rather than pinning me down this course continues to widen me out. And I love it. I just wish there were more hours in the day.


Make sure your day is as good as mine,

Catherine

Patternheads United

Just a quick post today - I want to get back to the course.

I cannot praise this course enough, even after only one week. I do not know where it will take me eventually and I know I have masses still to learn so I'm being open minded but wow! The simple power of it!

I said in the last post that I'd tell you more about the people on the course. We're a bit like this:

In other words there are multiple ways to categorise us and most of us belong to more than one of those categories - hence the overlaps. 

There are people in their 20's, 30, 40's and quite possibly 50's - maybe older. There are people who have graphic design qualifications and who work in that field; there are others who, like me, have no artistic background. One person said it never occurred to her she might want to have had previous artistic experience. There are single people and people in relationships. There are parents of babies and young children and parents of offspring who are gradually leaving the nest. I'm sure there are people who haven't had and never wanted children. There are a couple of legal professionals and others with work backgrounds unrelated to visual art (like me, a professional librarian). There are people working full-time and fitting this in and around. There are people who are doing this in an attempt to widen their portfolio of skills; others who want to redefine their working life; those who want or need a change of career; as well as those just doing it for interest and fun. One thing that does - as far as I can tell so far - unite us, is that we are all female.

But what is this simple power I talked of? I believe it is the power of community. And it is so unexpected.

At 14 I dutifully went to confirmation classes at chapel but was then able to be quite open about the fact that I had no sense of faith. There are two things I have always vaguely missed from my childhood upbringing in an actively Methodist household. Firstly the singing and secondly that sense of belonging and community. That sense of there being people around who were part of your wider network who were rooting for you, who were there for advice and were concerned for your well-being (please don't think me friendless though - I have some wonderful friends!).

And so it is with this course. Yes, there are the creative exercises we are set and the information and knowledge we gain. But the private Facebook page that comprises our community meeting place is so supportive. Scary to put your first pieces of work up on show - is anybody going to like them? Is anyone going to think them worthy of comment? Especially scary when some people are such very very talented artists already. But when you do screw up your courage and do it, getting feedback is amazing! 

I already feel I have some clues towards what my style comprises, because of the words people use about my work. And once you have done it, you aren't scared again. You get braver. Many of us are admitting that some of these exercises are pushing us way out of our comfort zones and sometimes we are perplexed by that - what is wrong with me today? Why can't I get the flow going? And just seeing that other people are feeling this too is reassuring. The other day someone said 'what if I never get it?' But she will - I know she will.

Dying to get back to it now though................. :-)   

Catherine

(PS - thanks to the member of the course who first called us 'patternheads' - not a word I'd heard before but so apt considering the way it invades your brain...)

Today's the day, hip hip hooray!

When I took redundancy, I was looking for a different way forward in life but I wasn't sure what that would be.

My sensible side said 'build on your existing skills & experiences (management, interpersonal etc)'.  I investigated various possibilities, all proving unworkable, partly frankly, because my heart wasn't fully inclined to wander far down any of those avenues. Increasingly my artistic side kept barging in, demanding to be heard.

Despite a fairly strongly held belief in the impossibility of making a living from art, there is also quite a loud voice that says 'Catherine, if you want it enough, if you work hard enough at it, then why not you, why not your designs?'

Module One began today but they opened the 'classroom' on Friday so we've all been on to start introducing ourselves and sharing our excitement...... more about my new colleagues (& hopefully new friends) in later posts. Suffice to say that, though I can still look at other people's work and feel intimidated by how good they are (and Beth and Rachael, course leaders, are very good at how not to let this feeling stifle you), I have also been bowled over by the response to this blog. Biral Unjia said she couldn't believe I was so new to pattern design so.....time to come clean: I am in fact 49 and have been teaching myself for two years now. But unexpected circumstances post redundancy meant I couldn't commit to developing it properly and without some kind of formal training I knew I didn't have the confidence to take it further. But now I can. And am. And will. 

I wrote the rest of this post almost a week ago, so that I could mark my beginning point with an insight into how I've sometimes worked on developing my designs so far:

A while back, I visited the V&A for the first time. Lots to see & sketch, including the internal architecture. Very quick impressionistic sketches of archways and tiled floors led to.....



.......a more structured and developed idea, using the loose sketch as a jumping off point but not creating a literal image.

When scanned in, a lot of painstaking neatening work has to take place, to remove smudge marks and ensure satisfying edges:






Doubling the design sideways and adding colour.

(Colours were taken from this photograph: a gorgeous golden pheasant that appeared outside my back door one day. I love his enquiring expression and I'm sure he'll come in handy again!)

Here's another colourway

I'm currently wondering whether the further adaptation to the left is effective or not? I think of it as a border, perhaps with a plainer, more 'scattered' design of elements taken from the border, in the main expanse of fabric. I don't think I like the colours as much though.

I've enabled comments for this blog now, so feel free to give me feedback. 

Think (as the judges of the scholarship did): originality, awareness of colour, quality & any trend awareness you have. 

Also what would you use a design like this for?  Is it marketable (feel free to say 'no'!)?

I'd be so interested to hear from you.

Many thanks

Catherine

A kid running wild in a sweetie shop!

One of the aspects of the course I'm really looking forward to is that they promise to help me hone in on my personal style. In a world crammed full of wannabe designers, this will ultimately form a large part of my USP. I've just this second read a post from one of the course alumni that really reinforces this.

I started designing with Photoshop elements - just as a toe in the water. But ooooooh! The possibilities it offers are endless. Here are a few early ones.

On a day out to Quenington Fresh Air sculpture exhibition I'd taken lots of photographs. I didn't like to use the ones of the actual sculptures, but there was a ramshackle shed across the stream......

.....and just look at some of the things you can do with it!

Discovering I could reduce the number of colours in an image, I also experimented with smudging the surroundings. With much trial and error I even mastered  putting this one in repeat.

These are purely photographically based and I'm barely doing much more than 'ooh, I wonder what happens if I press this!' with lots of 'oh wow!' moments to accompany it. Not really designing, more 'happy accidents'. But a good way to get comfortable with a new piece of software.
I have also experimented with my painted and hand-drawn work:

Scan from original painting

Playing with the tree element

More playing

Fully worked up design

This is what my husband believes will lead to the development of my 'style' - he thinks how I paint and doodle is often different from what he sees around and about. And I do think what's in this post shows more of my originality than did my scholarship entries, when I got waylaid attempting to fit a trend.

Scan of original 'doodle'

Refined and colour added

Changing the pattern then mirroring for repeatability

But do you see what I mean? There are just so many options to discover, pinning myself down is going to be hard. I want to taste & try it all. Less of a personal style evident here, more a 'pick and mix'!

I didn't win....yet :-)

I paid my fees last night, having realised I wasn't shortlisted for this year's ABSPD scholarship contest. As I said in my application, I almost needed to have done the course before applying for the scholarship!  

The judges look for originality, sense of colour, awareness of trend and overall quality of design. But as a self taught designer, just exactly what does define quality in pattern design and how do I know if I've got there?

I worked very hard on my entries to ensure they were as pixel perfect as I could make them and that they would repeat properly. I think my use of colour was okay (and yes, obviously 'okay' is not going to win). But awareness of trend and then interpreting that in my style is more tricky.  





I think my entries came out looking derivative, maybe a bit 'pedestrian', and weirdly fuzzy-edged. I don't really like the digital flowers but I thought I was following a trend. I'm going to redo it with drawn flowers, I think.

It also doesn't work as well in repeat as I thought when I sent it in.  It repeats without obvious join lines but the overall effect isn't quite right.

So - learning point there straight away: I need to build in reflection time.

I do still like the 'ombre' effect on my second entry. In fact I like it all and could see it on oven gloves and the like. My only caveats are:

•  scale. Certainly on a tea towel I'd want these images to be bigger.
• I'd like to add a cafetiere and posh coffee mug plus a gin bottle and cocktail glass. To my mind, it wasn't possible to develop the theme enough.

Anyway, let me know what you think and compare mine with some of the shortlisted entries.....they are very different.

And hey-ho - I can only get better.



Catherine