Identity

This week, I have been coming to grips with the idea of getting a bit serious about trying to find a textile design job and doing things like creating an identity/brand for self promotion.  The thing I am finding most difficult at the moment is trying to convey creativity, while still looking trustworthy and professional.  Resources such as IdN magazines, creative peoples websites and blogs have been helpful in starting this process.  Noticing that even the more colourful, far-out designers have a slightly pared-back, corporate look when it comes to identity…  I suppose their work and folios can speak for itself!  As a graduate, I am not entirely sure who my target audience is going to be when applying for jobs.  Is it going to be an agency?  Head designer of a commercial company?  A client for freelance work?     All images below are from artist/designer websites.

Themes and styles I am feeling good about at the moment include:
-stand alone fonts in distinct hand writings with interesting personalities.
-simple text set below a thumbnail design or illustration
-indication to what the person does - eg textile designer.

To Blog or not to blog? That has been my question of late.  During my uni semester, I have to write a reflective blog (not public, to my relief) as part of my assessment.  This is a weekly task, so I know I am quite capable of committing to something like this, but never get around to it…  This is a fairly common complaint/apology in blogger land, with many a post starting with the familiar cry of 'it's been so long!'.

Since I'm finishing uni soon (feels so amazing to say that… comparable emotion to being in love), I am going to make a leap of faith and start posting my weekly 'private' blogs here and a few snippets from earlier posts. 
It is really distracting being so close to the finish line with study.  Often, I trail off into daydreams about what I am going to be doing next year.  Many of these things are quite normal to most people - You see, against what most people believe, being a student is an extremely consuming, life restricting experience and seriously lacking of the constant partying of this demographic portrayed on films and Today Tonight. For the most part of my 3 years doing this course, I have been studying 5-6 days a week and working as a waitress in a few Melbourne cafes the other days.  This has meant no weekends.  I have developed a little 'to do' list for when I graduate which includes 'go to Camberwell markets'.  What a joyous day that will be!

There will definitely be things I miss eg, hanging out with an awesome/creative bunch of people who have become good friends every day; getting to take my time in the mornings reading blogs with a cup of tea and cat on my lap; being as ridiculously conceptual and somewhat full of crap in dreaming up/ creating projects that don't have to please anyone; getting student discounts and CENTRELINK! Centrelink, oh Centrelink/free government money.  We have had our ups and downs but I shall love and miss you forever. 
In my daydream state, 'Pinterest' has become my greatest friend.  I see it as 'visually planning for the future', plus, it sounds more productive in this context than what it really is.  This week I have been particularly consumed with the idea of holographic stationary, image shopping in anticipation for Full Drop Collectives Harvest Residency (happening in February 2013!) and delicious knit swatches.

 

via Sheila Hicks

 

via Knitloop

 

via Tin and Ed

Besides my constant pottering about, I have been doing some real life work and fabric swatching.  I really, really love the project I'm working on a the moment- It's for interior knitted outcomes.  I'm thinking blankets at the moment, all jacquard knitted with beautiful space dyed yarn.

 

Of Late

Many, many knitted swatches for a fun project I have been documenting here...

Winter, oh winter.  I love winter, but it seriously has the habit of sucking me dry of enthusiasm and burning me out!  I think its somewhat normal to feel a little weary approaching the half way point of your final year of uni.  Similar to the feeling of running cross country.  It is exhausting, but you are nearly at the finish line where much hydration exists.  Analogies.

I have to write a reflective blog for a subject uni and will say that it has really made me look at what a design blog actually is.  In a recent entry, I admitted to this blog being a bit of a 'brag book' where I would post pretty pictures of my most favoured work and write somewhat shallow insights/my day.  Is this a negative thing? For people that do it well and create an enchanting world of design beauty on their blogs, no.  They are a means to my hours of internet joy.  On the other hand, I do it quite badly and think I have made a recipe for tedium.  But really, what else can you do on a 'design blog'? Is it about posting things you make that just aren't right? eg; a geometric pattern which for some reason has a very obvious swastika shape in the negative space…  Maybe not a good option.  Until I figure it out, I'll keep attempting to post pretty pictures. 

I started back at school this week.  Four new briefs and plenty of research to do.  This is never a problem for me with the amount of amazing people and projects that I get to look at and write about.  At the moment, I'm looking at 'the digital craftsperson' and just had to share some of my findings.

1.  Chloe McCormick's warped tapestries (image courtesy of i-d online)
McCormick's structures are made with traditional tapestry techniques using 3D thermoplastic moulds.  The prototypes have possibilities for furniture, jewellery and numerous other forms.

2. SUGRU! Seriously, if you haven't already, please look at how crazy this putty is.  Their website explains everything and will make you want to attach it to everything. 

3. Piet Hein Eek's scrap wood wallpaper (images courtesy of designboom.com)
I first saw Hein Eek's mastering of scrap wood materials in Vogue Living a few months back and fell in love with the colours and texture.  How excited I am to see he has now made digitally printed wallpaper:

I can safely say I am feeling excited and inspired.  Asides from getting back into typing and photoshopping this week, I have been planning what to put in the veggie garden next.  I just got off the phone from my Nan who has an incredible garden and really knows her stuff, so I got some solid suggestions from her way!  Some gardening stallholders at the Sydney Road festival gave Laz and I some parsley seed today.  Here's hoping that winter gardening will be as successful as the rampant summer tomato crop.

Holiday snaps taking me back to last week of super relaxation and nature.  Even though I'm from Tasmania, which I think has the most beautiful, secluded beaches (especially on the Tasman Peninsula), Wilsons Promontory was an undeniably incredible beach adventure.           

 

                       

I was quite sad that I wasn't able to spend longer there.  At least I know it's a place I would like to visit again.  Exiting this area, and entering phone reception once again, I got a peek of the first photos of Full Drop Collective's latest project, a zine compiled of patterns entitled 'Shape and Staple'.  I think everyone did an incredible job and the results are quite striking. Have a look for yourself in these photos I pinched from the Full Drop Collective Site, courtesy of Sophie Curtain.

 

Pendant Party

A personal project I've been plodding along with slowly has come to fruition this week.  It is an 'end result', but the materials and techniques have been so enjoyable to use that I think its just the beginning.   I get to experiment a lot with tactile mediums, and it was great to extend this to wax, leather, clay, shoelaces and bronze. 

I wanted to make a million things and had so many ideas, but my budget restricted this.  I was so torn on a recent visit to a Melbourne leather superstore (Lefflers) about not being able to buy all the colours I desired (all of them) !  Overall, the restricted budget  is probably a positive thing, as I tend to get overly excited and idea-crazy when I'm doing something new, sending my spending through the roof.

Knotting, braiding, twisting and manipulation of  yarns and brightly coloured kangaroo leather translated into wax  became the basis of the pendant I got cast into bronze.

So many tomatoes.  They won't stop growing!

Pink girly happiness

So many of the blooms in my neighborhood are this colour at the moment. Maybe because of the heat... Or the rain.... Or the bees...

These photos are taken just above the gate to my house. I love wandering around the block looking at peoples gardens. There's some really great ones around Brunswick west. My favorite make their ways onto the nature strips and seem to conceal and protect the house they belong to.

Harvest Textiles Christmas market

Work today was boring, boring, BORING! Yet I am excited, excited, EXCITED for Harvest Textiles Christmas market on tomorrow.  My class mates and I have been producing some very special products for the occasion including screen printed wrapping paper and a Full Drop Co. limited edition riso calendar which was included the thousands gift guide this week.   The calendar features textile design inspired illustrations from the clever Full Drop Co. gang, including a little something by myself.  I can't wait to browse the goodness supplied by other stall holders and do some not-too-last-minute Christmas shopping!