At the start of the project I assumed that finding a subject would be relatively simple; within the first week it became clear that this was not the case. In the last project I was given something to research into whereas this time I had to first choose a subject before any research could be done. From the list of ordered opposites I chose 'Order and Chaos'. In the introductory lecture we were advised to try to make the project personal to ourselves and choosing my ordered opposite was the first part of that. After looking in to what those words meant to myself, I decided to look at whether there was similar things out there. I eventually got to the idea of a 'hidden mess' or an 'organised mess'.
Being in the Weave workshop as an intermediate has been really challenging, almost as though I was learning the whole process again. As I have had two warps to work with I have had to grasp new structure patterns, these have been really useful in getting across the ideas I wanted to portray. My weaving so far has consisted of differing patterns on a block threading system, which has enabled me to create small pockets - a way of using my 'hidden mess' idea. I felt there was a few issues during my last weave workshop that have so far been improved second time around such as tension problems and weaving too tightly.
Sometimes I feel as though I do not use my sketchbook as often as I should and honestly feel as though I have taken a step back from the progress I initially made on the Origins project. Using my sketchbook effectively is something that I really need to work on, I think it is always a fear of the blank white page. For the rest of the sampling unit I am going to try to use my sketchbook in the way I know I should be.
I have been slightly more adventurous in weaving this time around, I have been using a variety of yarns, paper and different fabrics to give the samples more texture. Learning the new techniques has helped me to achieve the effect I was after and I had success when stuffing pockets in my pieces to make it look more three dimensional.
This unit has given me the drive to experiment a little more on the next half of the brief and to try to step out of the box, which is always quite a challenge for me. I have chosen Knit for my next workshop and I am hoping that i can carry over the constructed skills that I have learned during weave. I am hoping to be able to try out different methods and hopefully the experimental nature will be reflected in my sketchbook and future samples.
If I were to have the chance to start the project over again, other than my sketchbook, the main change that I would make would be how quickly I selected my whole colour palette. It was quite rushed to begin with and then it took me a long time to find a colour palette that complemented my warp. If I had have chosen this faster then I would have been further along in my samples.
