black cat

new blog

2011-08-12T10:42:00.004+01:00

Just in case any followers think I have disappeared off the face of the earth I have a new blog attached to my website at www.rowenaardern.com
Up and coming exhibitions include an exhibition at Trebah Gardens in Cornwall near Falmouth in September . www.trebahgardens.co.uk

Rowena Ardern - 'Natural Interiors'

Monday 12th September - Sunday 2nd October

Rowena is inspired by the fragility and beauty of the natural world, working from drawings and photographs to capture the essence of a place. Key elements of her work include her passion for vibrant colour, print and embroidery. Drawing from her inspiration at Trebah, many of her designs featured in this exhibition, are applied to fabrics, furniture and ceramics, combining the latest technologies with traditional hand techniques. She uses sustainable and up cycled materials whenever possible.

She recently completed in 2009 an MA Design (Textiles) at University College Falmouth, where she developed a body of work entitled 'Flora and Fauna: the Cornwall Collection'.

Also you can buy my work at the one day sale at Craft Central in London :

30-35 St Johns Square

EC1M4DS

www.craftcentral.org.uk

Pick up distinctive interior products and
accessories from contemporary designers
to make your home the envy of the street.
Meeting the designers makes shopping a real
treat. With work on sale at a value un-matched
in the shops, this event is not to be missed!
Monday 19 Sept 2011
12 noon – 7pm
Admission Free

More cushions

2010-04-19T22:08:00.004+01:00

Two new cushions hand made with embroidered details .
Magnolia and Glendurgan Fox had an outing to the Pergola Garden in Golders Green for an out door photoshoot . Digitally printed onto silk viscose satin for Magnolia and linen union for Glendurgan Fox .

Swans and Blackthorn cushions

2010-03-19T14:15:00.004Z

Front view Back view

Using my digitally printed Swans and Blackthorn Fabric I have made some beautiful cushions . Each one is individually embroidered and has a flap opening .The front shows the original fabric print on linen union, the back is embroidered ticking with a vintage fan design fabric that complements the design . At 46cms square and with a duck down filled cushion pad these will retail at £86 . If you are interested in these please contact me at rowenaardern@googlemail.com .

Back on track

2010-03-19T13:03:00.003Z

After a long absence from my blog its high time I started sharing some of the adventures ,interesting discoveries and new work that is happening for me now.

I moved to London just before Christmas and am now in my rented studio flat in Golders Green and on an Immersion Course at Central St Martins about getting the work out there!!

I wont try and catch up on the numerous things I have been up to so this is starting now !
I am looking to update my website soon and so looking at other people I admire who have the same philosophy as me .

Selvedge is such an inspiration .

In this months copy so far I have seen Haven workroom who are showing at the Mid-Century Modern Show at Dulwich College on Sunday( and may be useful as a future event for my own work ) and Ellie Evans a graduate from my old college MMU and such a sweet girl . So glad things are going well for her .
Check out the Papered Parlour in Clapham as an interesting website and classes .

MA Final Show

2009-09-09T10:57:00.010+01:00

Images from the final show .

The Cornwall Collection

Spring/Summer

Autumn /Winter

The Cornwall Collection includes a range of interior products from textiles and ceramics through to a full size oak routed screeen from designs inspired by the beautiful Cornish gardens and coastal paths . There is a mixture of upcycling alongside contemporary pieces .

Sampling for backgrounds

2009-08-24T19:25:00.001+01:00

Having realised that I needed a more subtle fabric length than the Glendurgan or the Magnolia for the Spring Summer part of the MA Show I have been sampling backgrounds for the Map and Hydrangea Turquoise fabric in digital print so that it fits in with the other fabrics on the stool and chair . Having sampled several colours I have finally found the one and have printed a length on linen jupiter,

Hanging shade

2009-08-23T20:24:00.000+01:00

The new lamp and shade have arrived in the nick of time and look good . The lamp design is not completely cylindrical but was never going to be given the vertical lines running through the design but surprisingly hold the shape much better as a hanging shade . The manufacturer this time put a much lighter base on which works better . I havent had the time to photograph them but have the shade from the last delivery.I do love the shadows / shapes cast by the shades.

Ceramics

2009-08-23T10:35:00.000+01:00

Finally found the time to photograph the ceramics . The decals work well with the main body integrating into the original decoration and create a beautiful up cycled product ready for the show.

Auction finds

2009-08-22T20:04:00.000+01:00

I am thinking to wards the future looking for new ceramics to apply the decals to and visited the David Lay auction preview and found these items . Unfrotunately the auction date tied in with the dates for putting up the show but at least I know that there are more coming up and they are a good source for the future.

Parralels with Crysede

2009-08-21T20:31:00.000+01:00

Parralels with Crysede have become more apparent as I have been mounting samples for the presentation next week .Although there are big differences in colour and subject matter there is an element of Cornwall and in the simplicity of the designs that somehow tie them together . The one on the right is one of my Euphorbia designs

New small screen and tray.

2009-08-21T20:10:00.000+01:00

I have now constructed the new small screen in an "Oak" design that has been laser cut and the supports constructed in oak . It still needs oiling but works much better than the original although it doesn't fold flat as I wanted it to be more of a containing screen rather than a divider . The laser etched "Hydrangea "tray is also completed to display the ceramics on. This is customised from a new IKEA tray.

Why has everything already been done ?

2009-08-13T21:37:00.002+01:00

Whilst researching for my essay I also discovered the work of Johan Carpner
Extract from the Design Blog 2007
"The next design is one of his latest creation. Glanta is a sheet metal and acrylic pendant lamp which he designed for Blond. The Glanta hangs proudly and presents a soothing sight to the beholder. The light sifts through a beautiful foliage pattern. Its like having a garden right inside your living room.
Ah well just as well I am not going to put my lamp into production.

Two books to look out for

2009-08-13T19:49:00.005+01:00

Have got these two great books from the library as research and enjoyment . One by Bradley Quinn Textile Designers at the Cutting Edge 2009 Laurence King Publishing is split into two sections Body and Space and features 36 of the cutting edge designers of our time . In particular Natalie Chanin who recycles t shirts into high end fashion embellishing stitching and hand dyeing them and has moved from New York back to her home town and created a whole home industry in Alabama using local labour . The Project Alabama and her blog are fascinating reading . Something else to look into further after the MA.I do want to investigate the upcycling of unwanted or discarded table linens more . Also Hil Driesson ( there is such a lot of excellent Dutch Design around) who is a textile designer who also works with glass metal and ceramics. My favourite piece of hers is a wall mounted vinyl sheet with a raised stitch tree with a background shadow of real trees .

The other book is Chloe Colchesters Textiles Today Thames and Hudson 2007 " a global survey of trends and traditions" p126 has an Ely Kishimoto design that is the spitting image of a part of one of the Crysede designs .See below !!

Chairs recovered

2009-08-11T11:54:00.001+01:00

Winter Collection

I have had the Ercol chair and stool recovered in my Glendurgan Fox fabric (see first image for details)and they look great . I had the chair done in the Jaquard weave and the stool in the digital print but crossed over the piping to pull them together . This should look great with the rest of the products including the canvas which has now been framed .

Autumn/Winter and Spring /SummerCollection Space

2009-08-09T12:00:00.000+01:00

A preview of the space where I will exhibit the two collections . The idea is to have the Spring /Summer by th window to provide more light
The stool will combined with a hanging lamp which I have tested at home and casts really lovely shadows .

The new Oak Screen

2009-08-07T12:07:00.000+01:00

I have now collected the finished screen from Aaron Moore who has been framing it for me and putting it together and it is looking great . It is very heavy though as the frame is solid oak but that could be an advantage as it ir more stable also this one folds flat due to the Hafele Soss hinges .

The Fox Family

2009-08-01T11:46:00.007+01:00

Part of my research for my fabrics has been on the Fox family who were Quakers and not only instrumental in the setting up of the local gardens around which my designs are based but also very influential in the development of the town of Falmouth and were known all over all over England from the 18th century onwards .
My Glendurgan Fox design has as a feature the stone fox seen on the gateposts of the Gardens and the house with plant references to the rhododendron collection ,rhododendrons are one of the main features of Cornish gardens, due to Cornwall's relatively mild climate and early spring and flower from late winter into spring .The gardens at the Tremough Campus also contain one of the first hybrids to be produced and have their own famous collection .
"The cultivation of the choicer types of rhododendrons really dates from Joseph Hooker's travels in Sikkim, when seedlings raised at Kew were sent for trial to some favoured gardens. At Tremough, Richard Gill, the Shilson family's gardener, produced 'Shilsonii' (R. barbatum x R. thomsonii) A.M. 1900, 'Duke of Cornwall' (R. arboreum x R. barbatum) A.M. 1907 and 'Ernest Gill' (R. arboreum x R. fortunei) A.M. 1918. His finest hybrid however has been 'Beauty of Tremough' (R. griffithianum x blood- red R. arboreum) made in 1893, which was awarded an F .C.C. at the Truro Show in 1902."
These flowers have significance for me from my childhood days of playing in the grounds of an old house in BenRhydding in Yorkshire that was full of rhododenron bushes and have proved a fascination ever since for the size of bloom and variety of colour and species .
The winter hellebores included in this design came from a drawing made at the tea rooms at Gweek but are a feature of most winter gardens and remind me of Silverdale where I lived for a few years .
Images shown are of the design in repeat on a white background the same with a turquise background and the lates design in greyscale for a repeatnow printed on hemp and ramie to be used on a cushion on my Ercol stool.

Ercol chairs

2009-07-28T06:58:00.001+01:00

After the search for Ercol chairs to recover in my fabrics have got these images of the before state . I managed to get a chair and stool from near St Ives first but they are both rather dog chewed . I suppose this would be genuine up-cycling were I to use them . The one on the bottom right however is the latest find from Newquay and is in much better condition . Have decided to go with this one and the stool for now . I got one through Network Cornwall and the second from an advert in the West Britain both much easier and more successfull than trawling the salerooms and worrying about carriage on Ebay .I have also tried them out in the actual space for the exhibition for the Winter Collection and they will be fine . I am taking them in to be covered next week.

The Drawing Room

2009-07-26T21:59:00.002+01:00

Whilst researching the term withdrawing room as a title for my work to emphasize my continued interest and influence of drawing I came across an artists space / gallery in London called the Drawing Room .

“The Drawing Room supports drawing as a practice intrinsic to visual creative life.

As an institution that celebrates and investigates this essential expressive medium

it is a resource for all practicing and aspiring artists. It is an important enrichment of London’s artistic life.”

Antony Gormley (artist)

THE DRAWING ROOM opened in 2003 as the only public, non-profit gallery space in the UK and Europe dedicated to the exploration of contemporary drawing. We place importance on supporting artists' practice through new commissions, the production of publications, in-conversations and educational events. Our international exhibitions tour to museums and galleries in the UK and Europe.

They have an excellent website and interesting publications .
A place to visit on my next trip to London .

Trelissick garden goat cloths

2009-07-20T07:19:00.000+01:00

The latest in the embroidered cloths are two tray cloths or possibly napkins with designs taken from a drawing done at Trelissick Gardens cafe area some time ago . There is a life sized carved wooden goat there nestling amongst the plants .As a totem animal goat has these qualities
Goat-Tenacity, Diligence
must be why I was drawn to draw it and then choose it as a cloth .
Machine embroidered with some cut work one cloth has just the plant the other has the goat as well . I do have two more blanks in the same set so could have a set of four . The flower/leaf in the bottom corner has been incorporated into the design .

The story of Stuff

2009-07-10T18:24:00.001+01:00

Take a look at this .It may change the way you view the world !

Putting a collection together

2009-07-04T21:59:00.010+01:00

Selecting out elements of designs to look at how they fit as potential Autumn/Winter
Spring /Summer collections . These include Jacquard pieces that I have had woven using the Glendurgan fox motif and the daisy design. There is a cohesion about these pieces that I am pleased with and a colour palette emerging .

Decals

2009-06-30T21:42:00.001+01:00

At last the decals have arrived and I have had great fun placing them onto the gold tea-set whose provenance is still a bit of a mystery. The colours at first seemed too dull but apparently they should brighten up when fired. The name and date fits well around the gold crown mark on the bases.The bird image looks great on the teapot and I have hidden one or two small motifs under the plates and saucers. I had them fired but don't have images to show yet as the majority went off to be in a photo-shoot for Brides For Cornwall magazine straight from the kiln.
The image opposite shows the process of application. First the image is cut out carefully fairly close to the edge . It is then dipped into warm water and then slid into position on the pot . All excess water is removed first with a rubber kidney then a gentle dab with a paper towel . The ceramics are then fired to 850.
Postscript : 11/6/09 It looks as though the tea set is circa 1950 and a Japanese import and may be valuable. The Geisha in the bottom of the cup is a lithophane applied to the porcelain at the slip stage .

London June 2008

2009-06-14T20:12:00.005+01:00

Three very different exhibitions I visited that show something about my influences and passions.

Exhibition Super Contemporary “fifteen commissions from some of London’s most dynamic creative’s" alongside Brit Insurance Designs of the Year .
Cabbage Chair was commissioned by Issey Myake to reuse the paper used in pleating his fabric and comes in a compact roll that you then peel .
From shaved sheepskin aprons to plastic electric chairs to rabbit rubbish bins designed by Paul Smith

Also at the Design Museum I found this great book “New London Style” by Chloe Grimshaw on eclectic interior design.( Thames and Hudson 2008 )Excellent pictures of the private dwellings of the most exciting current young creative’s in London.
A new way of creating interiors is about the creation of something original it takes years of looking dreaming and collecting before a house finally becomes a home.

Tracey Emin “Those Who Suffer Love” at White Cube, Masons yard (near the Royal Academy) from 29th May to 4th of July.
I love her drawings and this exhibition has been put on to celebrate and coincide with the launch of her new book “One Thousand Drawings” a collection of her drawings and monoprints. Another book to buy. Some of the larger figurative pieces are stitch onto blanket with beautiful line qualities and expressive mark making that evokes an honesty of vulnerability and emotion .She is a superb draughtswoman and as she says “there is a simplicity and modesty about this show tat has made me feel very happy and complete, like I have gone full circle and I’m back to what I really know.”

Richard Long Tate Britain 3rd June to 6th September
“Heaven and Earth “
I only went to this exhibition because my work is about drawing on the exploratory walks I do around Cornwall and his is about recording his walks. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as I have seen bits of his stuff before and not been very impressed but this one is fantastic.
He walks amazing distances both in England and abroad (eg 603 miles in 19 days)being in and observing nature and sometimes making an ephemeral mark on the landscape and recording it before moving on or recording lists of sights and sounds to then display as a piece on his return. I have been discussing some form of written material to accompany my designs and now understand the power of this as an art form in itself.
For example:

RAILWAY LINE
A PAIR OF BUZZARDS
THISTLES
IRISHMANS WALL
WHITEHORSE HILL
STATTS HOUSE
WINNEYS DOWN
EAST DARTS RIVER
SANDY HOLE PASS
A DEAD SHEEP
BROAD DOWN
SHEP BONES
COTTON GRASS
CLAPPER BRIDGE
MIDDAY
GORSE
GRANITE BOULDERS
SECOND FOX
SMALL WOOD
WEST DART RIVER
NAKERS HILL
OLD CHINA CLAY WORKS
RED LAKE
PONIES
FIRST SUN
CAIRN
BRACKEN
STONE ROW

“A Straight line northward walk across Dartmoor ENGLAND 1997

In the middle large gallery he had assembled installations of large stones from a variety of sources, which contrasted dramatically with, the interior space and were the most amazing colours.
STONE LINE 1980 slate
NORFOLK FLINT CIRCLE 1990 Flint
RED SLATE CIRCLE 1988 slate
ALPINE CIRCLE 1990 basalt
BLACK WHITE BLUE PURPLE CIRCLE 1998 Swiss stones
BASALT ECLPISE 2000 basalt

Living and Giving

2009-06-13T19:49:00.003+01:00

Living and Giving (Mary Queen of Shops) 8th June 2009

A haven amongst the glitz and glamour of the newly opened chandeliered Westfield Centre in Shepherds Bush is a Charity Shop raising money for Save the Children , MIND and Trees for Cities only open for three weeks Mary has transformed the interior into a clean well presented friendly place to visit with bargains to die for. They have approached celebrities, designers and top end shops to donate goods and a lot of things are brand new and therefore total bargains! My bargains were an embroidered and printed (totally inspiring see opposite) blouse from Monsoon , a still in the box classic shirt from Margaret Howell and a beautiful black sleeveless evening top (that I gave to a friend) plus a box of 3 rose soaps.

The staffs has been brought in from charity shops around the country to give them the experience and help them to go back and transform their own shops. There are also plants for sale and shoes, bags, etc good service and a good experience. There is an Oxfam shop in Manchester that has a similar experience but not as friendly. So lucky I just happened to be going there to do the Li Edelkort seminar .
See the programme about transforming shops on
BBC2 Mondays 9 until 10pm.

The finished apron

2009-06-05T19:00:00.002+01:00

The apron
A great pattern but far too big for me and unfortunately instead of testing it on cheaper fabric first I made the finished piece . Still it will fit someone even if it wont fit me . At the moment it is pinned ready to alter but I think it would be better to leave it and make the pattern smaller . An interesting quirk to the pattern is that there is one long length of piping that goes all the way around and the cross over at the back means it can be slipped over your head with no fastenings .

The New G Spot

2009-06-03T19:29:00.000+01:00

June 3rd 2009 Peter Cross Lecture “The New G Spot”

A fascinating lecture by the business partner of Mary Queen of shops all about the new way of shops and retail and also the new way to create design.
“Innovation through creating value through sharing, giving and collaboration.”

They have an advertising agency that also deals with shop launches
As in the programme Mary has on television on revamping failing businesses.
The three important things to look at are
The EXPERIENCE you provide for consumers.
The SERVICE provided
The SPECIALISM your shop provides.
Creativity improves a brand and during a recession the strong brands get stronger and far from people wanting to cut back they are more likely to dress up or spend on luxuries to cheer themselves up.
There are three lanes of shopping:
The SLOW LANE is considered deliberate and is about the experience and specialist goods with good service.
The MIDDLE lane is about replenishment, topping up of goods.
The FAST lane is impulse buying the want it right now, now products.
Or in other words must haves, need to haves and nice to haves.
As a designer it is a good idea to define oneself by high quality service providers and ask the question is this good for my world and me.
INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH HE SAYS THAT THE WAY TO INNOVATE
Is not by asking the consumer what they want but by following a deep-seated hunch about a brand and its consumers.
GIVING IS THE NEW TAKING.
From greed and gain to generosity and giving.
The new rule of engagement has three core principles
SHARE
GIVE BACK
CO-CREATE AND COLLABORATE.
Being open and honest about where the product was made, materials etc sharing the story of the product.
Advertising is then word of mouth which may well be on a blog, face book etc as well as literally, painting an environmental/ ethical picture as with Starbucks shared planet theme giving people the right to reply and also giving things for free.
Making shops places for selling and dwelling i.e. a place you want to be rather than feeling put off by bad sales people and poor layouts etc. We need to be real and authentic.
As an aside Mary has set up a charity shop for 3 weeks in the new Westfield shopping Centre at Shepherds Bush London for Save the Children with donations from celebrities a must for my visit this weekend!
I like this recession it is cutting out the crap and bringing us back to real values and good life experiences

Painting the Warmth of the Sun

2009-06-02T19:20:00.000+01:00

Painting the Warmth of the sun 2/6/09

A DVD presented by Patrick Heron on the experience of painting Cornwall through his eyes and those of his contemporaries.
This is well worth a watch just to glean the insights into the creative process as much as any thing and hear some very poignant statement s and phrases such as

“We have infinite possibilities if we just let it flow.”(Alan Davy jazz pianist and spontaneous painter)

“Experiencing the totality of the landscape “ (Patrick Heron)

“Three foxglove summers.” (I love this comment this year is a foxglove summer!) (Peter Lanyon)

“Love imagined into paint” (Peter Lanyon)

“A needs to see and discover.”
(Terry Frost who went to Camberwell and drew his boat shapes at Mullion Cove on the Lizard where I have been recently to view the amazing array of cliff top wild flowers)

“The spirit of Cornwall” (Patrick Heron)

Lovely weather !!!!

2009-05-31T20:54:00.005+01:00

Oh what a lovely weekend the promise of a long hot summer , clear blue skies and sunshine . These photos were taken at Trebah on saturday where I went to draw and get away from the wind . I love to go there at the end of the day as you can stay in the garden until 6.30 .

Karen Nicols

2009-05-31T19:07:00.003+01:00

I really admire the work of Karen Nicol. I have seen her work at Designers Guild in the form of a tablecloth with print and stitch on linen and her work is in "Textile Designers at the Cutting Edge " a book published by Laurence King a book I must get hold off . Her work is very painterly and quite representational with an eye for detail and scale .She designs for lots of top design houses.Her work is featured is the May/June issue of Embroidery which is worth reading .It seems she studied at Manchester as I did but then went on to the Royal College of Art .

Apron

2009-05-31T18:02:00.002+01:00

I have now found an apron pattern to try out with my "Hydrangea and map" Pattern which is printed onto linen this time in a small repeat I also have the same pattern in a larger repeat so am thinking of combining the two.

New fabrics

2009-05-31T17:02:00.006+01:00

Repeat trialled on paper for "Magnolia Trewithen " and "Blackbird and Euphorbia."

I have been refining designs and creating new ones from my drawings using photoshop to play about with the colour and and the step and repeat programmes to create tiles ready for printing.The one above "Blackbird and euphorbia "shows the original at the bottom amd an inverse image at the top . They were printed onto linen to test the colours .

This has been inversed and then a colour dropped into the background (pale turquoise ) . Some of the colour washed out when printed onto silk viscose but the repeat worked well . This still needs refining but has potential.

Designs onto Ceramics

2009-05-31T15:57:00.005+01:00

I have been experimenting with potential decals to put on my charity shop and auction finds , upcycling / recycling .
This is a mark impresssed on the bottom of a cup in a tea set from the auction at Redruth seen when held up to the light .The gold pattern on this may burn off when fired but it is worth trying .
(above)Using the new Magnolia Trewithen design to create pattern.
The same china but this time with the Hydrangea and Map pattern .
(above)Whiteware from a charity shop in Penzance with the Hydrangea and map pattern arranged on one of the latest cloths from ebay.

I prefer the Hydrangea pattern as it has a very classic look .

Scilly

2009-05-11T07:15:00.006+01:00

For the first time in my life I visited the Scilly Isles last week for an overnight stay with friends who were there on holiday for the week . After a very calm crossing I transferred by smaller boat to Tresco to visit the gardens and then spent the night on St Agnes where we explored the island the following day finishing up at the pub that has to have one of the finest views in England before catching the ferry back from St Marys . I did get a brief chance to see the main street before an equally calm crossing back to the mainland . Tresco Gardens were inspirational and although I was only there for a short time I managed two quick drawings of the amazing tropical plants and brightly colored wildlife (a pheasant who came to drink from the pond where I was drawing ).I intend to go back in September or October for a week to continue visual research to develop more designs from these amazing gardens.
The islands themselves exude a feeling of calm and space and it is palpably warmer and drier than the mainland with exotic succulents lodging themselves in wall crevices and displaying themselves in abundance alond lanes and in gardens . The sea is a beautiful turquoise tinged with green and the birds even friendlier than Trebah . An amazing place to get away from it all without having to fly abroad , a unique environment .

Recycle,reuse reinvent .

2009-05-11T06:35:00.004+01:00

Alongside my digital print designs that I am working on from my drawings I am also translating them in applique and embroidery onto antique linens bought through ebay . Many of these have small tears or rust marks or some other imperfection that have rendered them less than perfect . These prove to be a perfect canvas for my own designs and also take them from their own era into the 21st century. Alongside this I have been looking at other textile artists who are working on a similar theme such as Jamie MkIntosh ,although her work is fashion based , and Zoe Murphy who is using recycled wedding dress silks to create interior pieces using print and stitch.
I will also be using print alonside the stitch techniques on the larger pieces.
So far I have translated "Gulls and daisies onto a small table cloth piece and "fish and fuschia " onto two tray cloths that have a side embroideres inset . The fact that the piece is already "finished " creates a perfect canvas for my work.
Having been brought up with mealtimes where we always had a tablecloth and our own linen napkin (and individual napkin rings ) perhaps developing this side of my work may encourage people to once again sit down at the table and enjoy meals together . A dying art or not ? Discuss!

Alec Walker and Crysede

2009-05-06T07:48:00.000+01:00

Following a discussion about how my work is inspired by the Cornish gardens and countryside I was introduced to the work of Alec Walker . His designs were inspired by the countryside of Cornwall as mine are with drawings simplified and transferred to woodblocks for printing using discharge techniques .
( Extracts from Penlee Museum website).

"Crysede was set up by Alec Walker who was born in 1889 in Mirfield, West Yorkshire. His father was a well known textile manufacturer and in 1912 Alec was given a rundown mill by his father, which he turned around to produce the highly acclaimed 'Vigil Silk'.

The following year saw him purchase 'Sambo's Row' in Newlyn to convert to a textiles works
Plant and machinery were brought down from Yorkshire and local labour was trained; 1920 saw the formation of 'Crysede'.

Vigil Silk from the Yorkshire works (which was now being run by his brother Gerald) was printed and made up in Newlyn. The silk was printed on long tables using hand carved wooden blocks. In 1921 Alec Walker became involved in 'Group X', a Vortists revival.

In 1923 he visited Paris and met Raoul Dufy, who encouraged him to create his own designs. These soon became very popular and that year the company had over 3,000 mail order customers from places as far apart as Paris, Australia and America. In 1925, Walker held a one man exhibition of his textiles at the Independent Gallery, London. In that same year he invited Tom Heron (father of the painter, Patrick Heron) to join Crysede as manager. "
The designs on the textiles are extremely colourful and varied and were available in a wide variety of colour-ways. The company printed on silk, silk georgette and to a limited degree on cotton and linen. The designs were applied using wood blocks, a method of printing which in the main had died out. A different block was used for each colour, sometimes as many as seven. The ink was applied and the printing process is known as discharge printing. The ink bleached out the ground colour. The patterns were often given evocative names such as 'Dancing Flowers', 'Flying Fishes', but Walker also used the names of local places, 'Ding Dong', 'St. Buryan', 'Zennor', 'Penberth' and 'Isles of Scilly, for example."

A finished item!

2009-04-28T18:28:00.003+01:00

At last I have the first completed item for my show unfortunately I forgot to do a before photo but this is the finished article . A stool circa 1950 with wooden legs bought from a charity shop in Cambourne for the princely sum of £3. Upholstered in digitally printed ramie and hemp fabric by my local upholsterer (Perhan Upholstery is in Treverva a mile away )from my own "hydrangea and map" design. The design was developed from a drawing done at Trebah Garden close to where I live in Cornwall.All very eco and beautiful as well .

Lloyd loom chair

2009-04-25T16:46:00.004+01:00

I may have found the chair to go in my show in the summer . I was looking for a 1950s chair but the prices and the distance to collect had been prohibitive but the other day I came across this one on Ebay which just happened to be in Falmouth . It is genuine 1930s with a date stamp on the base . Slightly worse for wear but only a bit of paint missing and a few strands of what I thought was wickerwork( but turns out to be wire covered in paper ) damaged .
This one suits me as it is light to transport and will probably be enough to show off one or two of my fabrics .
Lloyd loom weave is woven from twisted kraft paper and wire invented by Marshall Burns Lloyd in 1917 to replace hand woven wicker or cane furniture . The company in Spalding resurrected the process in 1981 the original factory having been destroyed during the war in the 1940s and are still running today using sustainable timber supplies for their frames . One of the few remining British quality furniture makers they launched their all weather range last year .All in all it ticks lots of boxes re the eco side of things . I just need now to decide how to cover it .

new lampshade

2009-04-18T20:07:00.001+01:00

combining laser cut paper with fabric
sample1
light on
light off
Still needs working but an interesting combination.

quote for the day

2009-04-18T19:51:00.002+01:00

"When things are too defined it leaves few possibilities in life."

Toord Bontje View on Colour 23 p46

Hemp

2009-04-15T18:09:00.005+01:00

The possibilities of using hemp paper for my laser cut lampshades led me to finding this website www.thehempshop.co.uk/why-hemp.php with a variety of hemp products for sale .I have ordered some to try out .
I have also been perusing the book Hemp Horizons by John W. Roulac which discusse the origins , use and current attitudes to hemp production.

Why Hemp ?

Hemp is a member of one of the most advanced plant families on earth, capable of using the sun's energy more efficiently than virtually any other.

Originating from Asia, it has been cultivated by mankind for more than 6000 years and until the late 16th century was our planet's largest agricultural crop and most important industry. Almost every part of the plant was used to provide the overall majority of our fibre, fabric, lighting oil, paper and medicinal needs, as well as being a primary source of essential food oil and protein for humans and animals.

Hemp flourishes without the the use of pesticides (having few natural enemies) and grows so fast that it literally leaves other plants in the shade. This means herbicides are not required either, making hemp ideal for organic farming. Cotton, on the other hand, uses vast amounts of chemicals both in its growing and processing.

Hemp produces up to three or four times more pulp per acre than timber, and produces higher quality paper. There are no environmentally damaging bleaching processes in hemp paper production and it recycles many more times than wood pulp.

At present we are over-reliant on dwindling fossil fuel reserves and are still busy chopping down forests at an alarming rate. Hemp is a sustainable alternative and also one of he most effective convertors of CO2 to oxygen - cleaning the air, improving the soil and helping to fight global warming.

Apart from living in a healthier environment, using hemp is beneficial to the individual in many ways. Hemp fibres are porous so they allow your skin to breathe, whilst also being softer, stronger and more durable than cotton.

Hemp seed is one of the most complete sources of vegetable nutrition known to man; it is 33% high quality protein and a rich source of essential fatty acids (EFAs) including Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9 which are present in the ideal ratio for absorbing into the body.

Hemp seed oil also has amazing skin care properties, moisturising and replenishing it with those important EFAs. Clinical trials have shown that Omega-3 and Omega-6 in hemp oil helps dry skin defects and are beneficial for the treatment of eczema and psoriasis.

New textile blog

2009-04-15T16:17:00.002+01:00

Vic sent me this link to a textile blog with particular reference to Design Miamis laser cut tent . Laser cut into vinyl and covering the top of the building referencing a lace edged tablecloth which ironically will be in Milan from which I have had to withdraw .Ah well !
Design Miami/ and FENDI Present
Craft Punk
Design Performances

Spazio FENDI
22-24 April 2009
16:00h-20:00h Daily
Free to the public

In response to new currents in design practice and the present state of the world, Craft Punk is a celebration of tenacious creative expression, unruly experimentation, and brilliantly low-tech design processes.

Work in progress

2009-04-15T15:24:00.006+01:00

My work over the last two weeks has been to attempt to combine my fabric with the screen panels . I had developed the new cut but only executed it in card intending to construct a table top version for the university stand at the Milan Furniture Fair and display it alongside my fabrics .It was then decided that I needed to combine the two. Unfortunately I was unable to complete the assignment in time for various reasons , the main one being time, as it was a complex process requiring time to resolve satisfactorily . However I learned a lot through the process.
Initially I had ordered MDF to make the screen but then canceled the order as I had not realized the problems with the content of formaldehyde used in the construction process.I changed the order to oak ply and found that the price of this has almost doubled since last July due to the fact that it is imported from the USA and the whole global financial impact on manufacturing , the pound /dollar thing etc etc ( where does that leave its carbon foot print ?).

The construction of a double lampshade ,one inside the other(one fabric and one paper or steamed wood laser cut ), was also considered but timewise would have proved difficult.I am still considering the possibility of using the cut on paper and bonding it to fabric to make into a lamp shade as the latest email from the lampshade manufacturer said that they do have a paper substrate that artists sometimes use when they want to decorate both sides of the shade. Amazing what you find out when you refuse to use pvc or plastic.
One week gone .
The other possibility were panels with fabric on one side then laser cut almost like samples or decorative hung pieces . (Another design constraint it had to be hung.).The hydrangea design was the fabric choice althought in retrospect this does not work with the oak pattern but to develop a new fabric design that would again was time bound.
I developed an etched pattern that reflected the hydrangea fabric that was glued to the other side of the ply with (in the end after various experiments)carpet glue spray .The fabric was initially linen but the flaws of the wood show through .Also the colour of the fabric , the pink,varies depending on whether it is linen or the Ramie mix and whether it is washed or not . Washing makes it too pale .
Weighting down the slightly warped ply caused problems . The initial laser cut cut the outside first and so the wood sprang up and I had to get help rearranging the cut . The ramie /hemp mix works but then when it came to laser cutting the cut setting did not allow for the thickness of the new fabric .I then realised that one panel was not going to be enough and that given the time and my lack of energy I was not going to resolve it in time to produce three panels that I was happy to present. Also the money constrictions as the fabric is costing £34 a metre to buy and print .
Lots to resolve.

image 1: Card screen with fabrics.

image 2 :Etched oak ply with laser cut edges.

image 3:Laser cut panel part cut due to thickness of fabric.

image 4 :Four samples of fabric all with the same design digitally printed on linen / linenwashed / ramie / ramie washed .

Milan image

2009-03-28T09:26:00.003Z

The image that started the process.

Final thoughts from Cradle to Cradle

2009-03-25T09:09:00.001Z

I have at last finished reading Cradle to Cradle and would like to share these quotes :

"Design is based on the attempt to fulfill human needs in an evolving technical and cultural context . We begin by applying the active positive list to existing things , then to things that are only beginning to be imagined , or have not yet been conceived. When we optimize we open our imaginations to radically new possibilities . We ask : What is the customers need , how is the culture evolving and how can these purposes be met by appealing and different kinds of products or services. "(p180/181)
"
"Ask :How can we support and perpetuate the rights of all living things to share in a world of abundance ? How can we love the children of all species -not just our own- for all time? Imagine what a world of prosperity and health in the future will look like , and begin designing for it right now . What would it mean to become ,once again , native to this place , the Earth- the home of all our relations ? This is going to take us all , and it is going to take for ever . But then thta's the point . "
(p186)
(Donoghue W., Braungart M., Cradle to Cradle ,2002 New York , North Point Press .

Visual Research for Spring

2009-03-20T11:25:00.008Z

Spring has arrived and with it the sunshine and dry days to walk and draw and visit gardens otherwise unexplored (by me ) . One of the most beautiful recent find is Caerhays near Mevagissey which has 450 different species of magnolia and many magnolia and rhododendrons.Described as a horticultural treasure trove it is the garden to visit in the spring . Because it is only open for a short time (February to June ) and is so well established the atmosphere there is very powerful and special . I became fascinated by the structure of the branches and having not taken my camera deliberately had to try to capture this in a drawing .I will definitely go back and draw again . The day I went was a wild and windy sunday but I still managed to get some good drawing in .
I have also recently been to Burncoose Gardens and Nursery which is linked to Caerhays when I did take my camera and this time made both photographs and drawings .This is a compilation of the two places both of which deserve a revisit soon before the beauty fades and changes ,

Ethical Fashion Forum"Sustainable Fabrics Master Class"

2009-03-20T10:53:00.005Z

At RICH MIX Bethnal Green Road on 17th March
I found this very useful and have full notes in my journal on the ins and outs of different fabrics and the various sourcing possibilities and had a talk from Kirsten Samuel of MUMO a company who are working with various cooperatives in Brazil who are at the forefront of sustainable fibers and fabrics for fashion and interiors .

You can get colour ground cotton from Maggie's Organics and Fox fibers.
LOOP fabrics UK do a range of hemp and cotton blends
Also found that Smarts do a hemp/ramie blend coated for digital print that is probably suitable for furnishing/ interiors and am going to sample that . A good group to keep in touch with and some useful connections for the future .

London- design museum

2009-03-20T10:44:00.007Z

A visit to the Design Museum to see the Hussein Chayalan exhibition and the Design Award nominees for 2009 .
Loved this piece by Duckie Brown and this dress by Husein Chayalan .Also saw the original dress that had been buried with iron filings that started Husseins career

Interiors

2009-03-09T11:05:00.004Z

I have started to look at how I can use my products in an interior setting for the final show .Started by looking at the way other designers/shop use this to convey products in an effective way and how elements of designs can be utilized and then building up different scenarios and scales of designs in photoshop . I have also looked at the new Designers Guild Collection to see how they convey their products .

Mid Century Modern

2009-03-02T11:41:00.006Z

On the look out for a 1950s chair I have realised that I am hooking into a new trend without realising it . I just wanted a chair to show off my fabric and to tie in with my designs and being a 1950s child ..... Perhaps I have been subliminally influenced or maybe Lucy's interest in Ercol or my attraction to her work( Lucy Turner of Higher Market Street Studio Penryn with whom I have an ongoing work experience and have recently had a day sourcing furniture at the St Day auction and various second hand shops in the area .)
I find it fascinating how trends arise . Is it the whole economic make do and mend culture reemerging as from the post war years ?
This one was on EBAY since then I visited a new shop in Falmouth on Killigrew Street ,Elephant and Monkey , run by Rowena (namesake) who is selling Mid Century Modern furniture and bits (mags, ceramics , cards ) 1950s . It is an amazing shop well worth a visit and who should be in there browsing but Lucy Turner !
Rowena said that the design I am looking at would be difficult to reupholster and that if I want to resell it the fabric and filling would have to be fireproofed but that one way out of this was to sell it as a collectors piece not suitable for domestic use and then the emphasis is on the consumer and you are covered . Very useful information and I also found out there is a second hand sale on the last Saturday of each month at the WI in Falmouth which may have useful things , fabrics etc .

Mid-Century modern is an architectural, interior and product design form that generally describes mid-20th century developments in modern design, architecture, and urban development from roughly 1933 to 1965. The term was coined in 1983 by Cara Greenberg for the title of her ground-breaking book, _Mid-Century Modern: Furniture of the 1950s_ (Random House), celebrating the style which is now recognized by scholars and museums worldwide as a significant design movement. Mid-century architecture was a further development of Frank Lloyd Wright's principles of organic architecture combined with many elements reflected in the International and Bauhaus movements. Mid-century modernism, however, was much more organic in form and less formal than the International Style. Scandinavian designers and architects were very influential at this time, with a style characterized by simplicity, democratic design and natural shapes. Like many of Wright's designs, Mid-Century architecture was frequently employed in residential structures with the goal of bringing modernism into America's post-war suburbs. This style emphasized creating structures with ample windows and open floor-plans with the intention of opening up interior spaces and bringing the outdoors in. Many Mid-century homes utilized then groundbreaking post and beam architectural design that eliminated bulky support walls in favor of walls seemingly made of glass. Function was as important as form in Mid-Century designs with an emphasis placed specifically on targeting the needs of the average American family. Examples of residential Mid-Century modern architecture are frequently referred to as the California Modern style.

Pioneering builder and real estate developer Joseph Eichler was instrumental in bringing Mid-Century Modern architecture to subdivisions in California and select housing developments on the east coast. George Fred Keck, Henry P. Glass and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created Mid-Century Modern residences in the Chicago area. Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House is extremely difficult to heat or cool, while Keck and Glass were pioneers in the incorporation of passive solar features in their houses to compensate for their large glass windows.

Portable shrine screen

2009-02-19T17:20:00.003Z

A few years ago whilst visiting the Kagyu Samye Ling Tibetan Buddhist Centre in Eskdailemuir in Scotland I bought myself a portable shrine in the form of a folding card screen around A4 size with images of the buddha and lotus flowers on the front and a buddhist teaching on the back . It has travelled with me to many places and at Christmas I accidentally left it behind . This prompted me to make my own shrine screen from objects and images in my own home .The result is this which I have since sent to various frinds with a variety of quotes or words on the back the simplest one being NOW.The only moment we have is the on we are experiencing at this given moment."This very moment is the perfect teacher."
I am going to develop this as an addition to my current routed and laser cut screens and a lecture last night by Sian Bonnell ( an artist who uses the landscape through photography in her work and has taken objects from her home out into the environment ) has given me ideas to take shrine objects out with me on my explorations and drawings in the landscape.

Nature Cure

2009-02-19T17:16:00.000Z

Two quotes from this fascinating insight into our connection and need for the sustenance of nature that relate to the way I hope my work will be received.

Nature Cure by Richard Mabey, London Chatto and Windus 2005

P12 the wood and the water, the ancient and the opportunist are I suspect the two poles of natural rhythms. Life begins in the water and reaches its full maturity in the forest and then it all goes round again…
Fitting in sharing territory discovering a niche making with luck a contribution and trying to do it all with a modicum of grace and inventiveness looks uncannily like the challenge our species is facing as it tries to find its own settlement in nature. The difference is that ecologically and globally we are bucking the whole emotional aspect of that settlement So often we are lectured that the great environmental crises of our time are just problems of household management writ large. If we are less greedy, stop breeding, budget our energy use recycle our waste, make compost then everything will be fine. What a hope! Who could ever run a house (if we must use that bossy domestic metaphor) while ignoring the unquantifiable tastes and habits, the needs and motivations of all its occupants? The list of our disastrous failures, from forest obliteration and oceanic pollution to the raising of the extinction rate a thousand fold bears all the marks of a species which no longer believes itself to be a part of the animal world at all.

P19Despite our science and our humanism our whole culture is infused with myths and symbols of landscape and nature, emblems of the seasons, of decay and rebirth, of the boundaries between the wild and the tame, myths of migration and transmigration, of invisible monsters and lands of lost content
We constantly refer back to the natural world to try to discover who we really are. Nature is the most potent source of metaphors to describe and explain our behaviours and feelings. It is the root and branch of much of our language. We sing like birds blossom like flowers and stand like oaks .

Tea and cakes

2009-02-16T19:31:00.000Z

A few images from our fundraiser for the Milan trip. We raised almost £130 with a little help from Maisie . A high class presentation with embroiderd tablecloths , beautiful teacups (thanks Sue! ) and even more delicious cakes . Well done everyone. Love the shadow of the cake stand but then I would !

2009-02-15T10:29:00.000Z

Digital print and a new laser cut.

2009-02-12T19:37:00.001Z

New prints of the originals. Map and hydrangea with different coloured backgrounds and interesting combinations to print over as a development from the overprints from December.

A new cut

2009-02-10T19:42:00.000Z

I am developing a series of new cuts which are based on the interconnection and a celebration of the diversity of organisms supported by the oak . The idea is to have three layers , one the oak , another the bird population and the third the insect life. These could be also used for print stencils as well as laser cut or routed . A new beginning that started with the cut out pieces that came from the routed screen.The second two are work in progress but this leads me back to the idea of layering .

treehugger

2009-02-09T18:29:00.002Z

In my search for eco fabrics I came upon this website aptly called treehugger.com with information on all things eco including climate change as well as interesting design solutions

including these two lighting solutions

Snow Bleach: Sustainable, Traditional, And Beautiful

by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 02. 6.09

Design & Architecture

Buzz up!

(Photo of Uchiyama paper lamps from Saluki)

How do they get that special glow? During the harsh winter, craftsmen and -women have for at least 800 years developed special techniques to improve the quality of their goods in northern Japan. There is something about the strong sunshine you get in places like Niigata prefecture in February and March. Paper made from snow-bleached twigs and branches of mulberry and mitsumata, bleached in the slow, traditional way, is still in demand, but there is concern that forestry practices are not sustainable.

Apparently mulberry is a highly invasive plant that takes moisture away from the plants around it . Ah well not mulberry paper for my lamp then !

and this one that I love for its simplicity and ingenuity

Not a Box Lighting: More Cardboard Design from David Graas

by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09.10.07

Design & Architecture

Designer David Graas (remember his awesome furniture?) has applied his cardboard-centric no-waste design philosophy to lighting with the fun "Not a Box" series. Again, using the packaging as the product, the pendant lamp "comes as a box with all parts inside (bulb, plug, cable etc. + manual). You cut top and bottom yourself and then install. The cut out of the lamp shape functions as a graphical image of the lamp that could be inside the box, but is not." Quite similar to the previous "Not a Lamp" design (pic below the fold), we love the cheeky, minimalist design; toss in the super-efficient design and recyclability, and you can't go wrong. Just don't forget to pop a compact fluorescent bulb in there. ::David Graas via ::MoCo Loco

snow , snow thick ,thick snow !!

2009-02-03T16:24:00.005Z

Who said it never snows in Cornwall. Photographs taken this morning around my house after an overnight fall of snow .Also noticed some very large animal footprints leading to my dustbin last night , too big for a fox or a domestic cat or dog , was going to take a photo but this morning they had been snowed over . I shall keep a watch tonight The beast of Bodmin moved south for the winter !A real Winter wonderland with the advantage that as I am snowed in all there is to do is light a log fire and get on with some serious blogging !

The Eco Design Hand book

2009-02-03T14:55:00.002Z

Another strand of research into materials is this book by Alastair Fuad Luke of Slow Lab .On the surface the answer to my dreams on sourcing materials for products but on closer examination I discovered that this book was written in 2004 . I have only just begun to look at the different manufacturers but have discovered the two paper makers using recycled paper in the UK have gone bust and the rest are in the USA . How green is it to ship paper across the ' pond' . Acordis fibres have been taken over by Lenzing etc However there is a supplier of plywood ,from sustainable sources in Finland , albeit in Preston Lancashire and there is also a glue that is sugar based called ecostyx that I am investigating .
I am also still considering the use of reycled fabrics which I will struggle with as I have an aversion to second hand stuff unless its from someone that I know . ( However saw a really nice cutwork tablecloth in a charity shop in Helston for £15 100ins diameter at the weekend and a set of napkins 6 for £4) I could use the needle puncher as in Nuno felt and machine embroidery as well as using waterbased inks for the print process to decorate .
An interesting book to read but products not as accesible as first appears.

Porthcurno postcard

2009-01-27T10:19:00.000Z

From Cradle to Cradle

2009-01-26T14:13:00.000Z

"From Cradle to Cradle -Remaking the way we make things " is the theme of this book by William McDonough and Michael Braungart . Having been entranced by the idea of being responsible for a design from cradle to grave ( see entry on Bruce Mau) I decided to look at this book recommended by Simon.So far I have got to page 56 of this book and if I wasn't so determined I would feel like giving up on the ECO front .Maybe by the time I get to page 186 I will feel differently . I dont want to get so distracted by this that I end up not producing anything but feel I have to keep exploring better possibilities.

We as a species need to stop seeing money making as a priority and a measure of an individuals success . (Have just realised I am following in the footsteps of my son Jon whose MA chartered territory beyond economic crash . This quote from the website of his virtual company ARK-INK
set up in 2006 are uncannily becoming reality .

"Despite repeated warnings that we are fast approaching a point of no return, the world's governments (and ourselves) pay these issues little more then lip service"

ARK-INC offers products and services as investments in the creation of a 'post-crash' portfolio that will hold or gain value as the world of traditional economics crumbles. To supplement these investments, ARK-INC helps promote and facilitate (though its ark trust initiative) an ad-hoc self-sustaining social network known as the Ark Collective.)

In the race for economic progress we may have gone beyond the point of no return , exploiting finite resources and the environment . The fall of great civilisations have been studied in depth
the Mayans , the Roman Empire but it seems no lessons have been learned this time we are talking about the fall of the entire human race taking along with it many species of plants animals and eco systems .If we are looking for heaven then it was this planet , it was here all the time . So all I can do as a designer is to try and be responsible .
My search for eco fabrics continues but it seems that natural fibres dyed with natural dyes is not an answer :
P42 says "The natural materials to meet the needs of our current population cannot and do not exist."
It would take up too much land to grow the plants needed for the fabrics and dyes , land that we need to grow food.
"Todays industrial infrastructure is designed to chase economic growth . It does so at the expense of other vital concerns , particularly human and ecological health , cultural and natural richness and even enjoyment and delight...............the consequences of unintelligent design ."
(and greed )

Cushions

2009-01-23T08:02:00.008Z

One last swansong with dye discharge and devore before exploring the unchartered seas of green fabrics and processes.Cushion labelled thus :

'One Bird ' devore cushion from the 'Beautiful but deadly ' never to be repeated range of un-environmentally friendly interior textile products by Rowena Ardern.
During the devore process the following rules apply HANDLE CHEMICALS WITH CARE *Wear rubber gloves and dust vapour mask.Work in a well ventilated space.

Fabrics used silk viscose

"Steadily over the next four days the silkworm produces a fine thread by making a figure of eight movement some 300,000 times, constructing a cocoon in which it intends to spend the chrysalis stage where it is in a state of sleep and casting off its skin. After this the pupae begin the sixteen days that would normally result in the miracle of transformation to a winged being - the moth. However, if the pupa (chrysalis) remains alive it will begin to secrete an alkali, which eats its way through the cocoon, ruining the silk threads. Therefore during the commercial production of silk, only enough adult moths are allowed to emerge to ensure continuation of the species. Most of the remainder of the silkworms are killed by heat, e.g. immersion in boiling water, steaming or drying in an oven.

Hundreds Die"

"The amount of useable silk from each cocoon is small. One hectare of mulberry trees yields 11.25 tonnes of leaves, producing around 200kg of cocoons, but just 40kg of raw silk. The silk yield is many times smaller than this in countries such as Thailand, where the silk is reeled by hand rather than by machine. So it takes hundreds of tiny lives to produce just one silk scarf or tie.

and cotton organdie

Cotton, the most widely used textile in the world, is grown in over 60 countries and covers almost 5% of all land cultivated. However, as competition grows and people expect to buy clothes for less money, cotton farming has become a riskier business.

As a result, farmers have been using huge amounts of chemicals which are sprayed on crops and plants to kill harmful insects. Unfortunately, pesticides may also kill non-harmful insects and other animals to protect their crops. A quarter of all pesticides are used on cotton - in the South, this figure rises to half. And because cotton isnt eaten, many of the pesticides that farmers use are particularly toxic.

This has caused a range of health problems:

the natural insect population in cotton areas has been greatly reduced

pesticides are washed into rivers and taken into drinking supplies

high levels of pesticides build up in the soil, making food that is later grown there bad for us

empty pesticide containers are dumped, posing a health hazard

cattle fed on cotton leaves, or oil cake made from cotton seeds, can be poisoned and even die."

and thats just the fabrics never mind the chemical processes , devore that eats a way the top layer of the fabric , once printed the fabric is then baked and the devore layer has to be rubbed off by hand wearing a mask to protect from fibres and dust .Coloured discharge entails bleaching out one colour and adding another colour on top . Bleach well enough said . Add that to the water table .
At least the embroidery is environmentally friendly or is it !
The end result is so gorgeous though I am going to find it hard to quit this habit !

detail of back and opening

Front of completed cushion.

Review of OAK by William Bryant Logan

2009-01-18T22:26:00.004Z

One of the most useful and informative books I have discovered for my research has been reviewed on Wilson Web(a site well worth signing up to ).

Oak: The Frame of Civilization by William Bryant Logan

Oak trees are not champions, they hold no special records. They are not the largest, strongest, oldest or fastest growing tree. But the genus Quercus has the broadest geographical range of any tree species. These trees are found all over the world and unlike other species that require very specific conditions, such as altitude, specific temperatures or humidity to flourish, the oak is spread around the world throughout all the temperate zones. But the question is: could a single genus of tree be responsible for the spread of civilization? Could it be that man followed the edible acorns of the oak forests, and not migrating animals, and, in turn, spread civilization across expanses of the planet? William Bryant Logan believes there is a possibility and he explores this theory as well as scientific and historic facts in the book Oak: The Frame of Civilization.

This book offers a perspective of world history seen through the lens of a single tree. Here we learn how intrinsic oak was to civilization. Oak provided food and shelter and the stuff big sailing ships were made from. Oak tells history in its rings and has been discovered to indicate historic events dating back as far as 10 millennia more accurately than radiocarbon dating. Oak recorded history in other ways in the form of charcoal and ink from oak galls. Humans ate the highly nutritious acorns for centuries before they were fed to pigs. Oak is also crucial to the history of drink, as it was the stuff of barrels and bottle corks. According to Logan the age of oak ended in 1862 when the material’s use in building was replaced by metal, oil and coal.

Oak trees are not champions, they hold no special records. They are not the largest, strongest, oldest or fastest growing tree. But the genus Quercus has the broadest geographical range of any tree species. These trees are found all over the world and unlike other species that require very specific conditions, such as altitude, specific temperatures or humidity to flourish, the oak is spread around the world throughout all the temperate zones. But the question is: could a single genus of tree be responsible for the spread of civilization? Could it be that man followed the edible acorns of the oak forests, and not migrating animals, and, in turn, spread civilization across expanses of the planet? William Bryant Logan believes there is a possibility and he explores this theory as well as scientific and historic facts in the book Oak: The Frame of Civilization.

This book offers a perspective of world history seen through the lens of a single tree. Here we learn how intrinsic oak was to civilization. Oak provided food and shelter and the stuff big sailing ships were made from. Oak tells history in its rings and has been discovered to indicate historic events dating back as far as 10 millennia more accurately than radiocarbon dating. Oak recorded history in other ways in the form of charcoal and ink from oak galls. Humans ate the highly nutritious acorns for centuries before they were fed to pigs. Oak is also crucial to the history of drink, as it was the stuff of barrels and bottle corks. According to Logan the age of oak ended in 1862 when the material’s use in building was replaced by metal, oil and coal.

OAK FACTS:

Oak trees generally do not produce acorns until they are at least 20 years old although some individuals do not produce acorns until they are as old as 50 years.
Only one out of 10,000 acorns will germinate into a tree.
Balanophage means "acorn eaters."
The largest oak tree in the United States is the Linden Oak in North Bethesda, Maryland.
Poison Oak is not really an oak, it is a plant.
The lumber from a Black Oak is either red or white and sold as such. There is no Black Oak lumber.
Ink made from oak trees was used by Leonardo da Vinci, Johann Sebastian Bach and the Roman Historian Pliny.

A bark-stripping party
Collection of William Bryant Logan

Structure of the Westminster Hall roof

Oak leaves

Pattern

2009-01-18T22:16:00.003Z

	Reviews

Over and Over by Michael Perry

The cover of Mike Perry's Over and Over, available through Princeton Architectural Press. Over and Over is Perry's second book focusing on the art of designing fonts and patterns by hand. Photo courtesy of Princeton Architectural Press, 2008.

PUSHING THE TRADITIONAL CONCEPT OF PATTERN

Drawing a pattern is not the easiest way of doing it, but when the time is spent, something magical happens. – Mike Perry

While patterns have been around forever, there's a recent movement among younger designers to allow patterns to animate their work with colorful and exuberant complexity. OVER AND OVER: A Catalog of Hand-Drawn Patterns collects groundbreaking work from fifty of today's most talented designers who create patterns by hand and use them in their work in inventive and innovative ways. From Deanna Cheuk's patterns that adorn current fashion garments to those of Robin Cameron that explore her interest in art to Garrett Morin's patterns that arose from an exercise for a character called Eloie; the examples in this book push the boundaries of the traditional concept of what pattern is. The selected works are often not an end result, but the beginning of something else; something bigger and broader. While the computer is sometimes involved in the production of the patterns, the hand-drawn element is always evident in the uniqueness of these works. Featuring more than 250 vibrant and exciting patterns, Over and Over explores the magic on every single page, and will inspire designers everywhere.

Michael Perry is an illustrator and graphic designer who lives in Brooklyn, NY. He is considered one of today's top innovators of type and illustration. His client list includes Columbia University, Ray-Ban and Dwell Magazine. His studio can be contacted by linking to this website: http://midwestisbest.com/work.php

Stefan Marx's House Pattern, 2006

Cleptomanicx, Pen

Illustrator Marx works almost entirely in pen, differentiating him from many of his generation who have since moved to digital mediums to design their patterns. Photo courtesy of Princeton Architectural Press, 2008

Kimou Meyer, Crooklyn, 2007

Sixpack France, pen and computer

Pulling in his passion for old school hip hop as well as 1950's cartoons and hand painted signs, Meyer's "Crooklyn" takes as its subject the somewhat edgy associations that many may connect with Brooklyn's most notorious neighborhoods. Photo courtesy of Princeton Architectural Press, 2008.

Wyeth Hansen's Electric Eye no.1, Life Long Action Adventure, 2007.

Riviera Gallery, Brooklyn, Gouace and silkscreen on wood

Hansen cites 60's psychedelic poster art and Talking Heads albums as his early inspirations, as evident here in this vibrant yet sophisticated pattern. Photo courtesy of Princeton Architectural Press, 2008.

Coming soon to Paris- Li Edelkort Retrospective

2009-01-18T22:11:00.001Z

Archeology of the Future: 20 Years of Trend Forecasting with Li Edelkoort
B.D. - 14.01.2009

Archeology of the future_Michael Baumgarten

The Insitut Néerlandais in Paris is proud to announce an important upcoming exhibition on the trends that shape our lives.

Archeology of the Future: 20 Years of Trend Forecasting with Li Edelkoort will be the first exhibition to identify and analyze today’s most influential lifestyle trends–as seen through the eyes of the world’s leading trend forecaster,Li Edelkoort. This will also be the first exhibition to explore trend forecasting as a profession,and the first retrospective dedicated to Edelkoort’s body of work.

Archeology of the Future will demonstrate that trends are not passing fads, but rather long-term phenomena that shape every aspect of our lives from the food we eat to the color of our clothes.On display will be more than 100 elements, a variety of design, fashion and photography from around the world.Also on display will be a wealth of images and other audio-visual materials from Edelkoort’s archive.

Li Edelkoort is one of the world’s most renowned trend forecasters. In 2003 TIME Magazine named her one of the world’s 25 Most Influential People in Fashion, and in 2004 she was listed in Icon as one of the 21 Most Important People in Design. In 2008, she was awarded the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture, an Honorary Doctorate of Art from Nottingham Trent University and France’s prestigious Designers Days Jury Prize for her work in fashion and design. Born in Holland in 1950, she began trend forecasting in Paris in 1975. Since then, she has pioneered forecasting as a profession, from creating innovative trend forums for Première Vision to long-ranging lifestyle analyses for the world’s leading brands.Edelkoort’s magazines,View on Colour and Bloom, have been enormously influential,as has her work at the Design Academy Eindhoven.Today Edelkoort provides trend analyses and consulting services to major international companies in a wide range of sectors, from fashion and footwear to cosmetics and cars, from food and flowers to bricks and paper. Decrypting the links between art, fashion, design and consumer culture,Edelkoort studies and advances the concepts, colors, and materials which will be important two or more years hence, because “there is no creation without advance knowledge, and without design, a product cannot exist.

From January 22 to March 8, 2009

www.institutneerlandais.com

Li Edelkort Retrospective

2009-01-18T19:36:00.001Z

Li Edelkoort Retrospective: Archeology of the Future, at the Insitut Néerlandais. 121 rue de Lille, 75007, Paris, France. Nearest Metro: Assemblée Nationale-line 12.

The exhibition is on from the 21st January to the 8th March Open, except Mondays: 13.00 to 19.00.

Wild Cornwall

2009-01-18T16:33:00.000Z

In this wild and windy weather I was drawn to visit the coast around Porthcurno for a walk . The sea was amazing I love that part of Cornwall it feels so wild and relatively isolated and a fabulous beach as well as that feat of a lifetime the Minack Theatre carved out by my namesake Rowena (Cade ) Also did a little bit of drawing in a sheltered cove using water colour paint straight from the tube to use as my postcards home.

Porthcurno

2009-01-18T10:43:00.002Z

2009 the Year of Natural Fibres

2009-01-13T18:31:00.001Z

Just found this on the Selvedge website.The International Year of Natural Fibres will be officially launched on 22 January 2009 at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO). Since the 1960s, the use of synthetic fibres has increased and natural fibres have lost their market share. The FAO hopes the title will raise consumer awareness and stimulate demand for natural fibres. www.naturalfibres2009.org

Designs for fabric screens

2008-12-20T18:55:00.000Z

Having the studio to ourselves now that the BA students have gone home for Christmas has given me time to experiment with designs for fabrics that could be stretched onto a frame for a fabric screen . I used linen ,silk organza and silk noile all overdyed and then discharged using paper stencils with bold tree designs . I also redyed a piece of silk viscose and discharged this at the same time .The fabrics work well when overlaid .I now have to get a frame made.

New designs for lampshades

2008-12-18T18:24:00.001Z

Having made the decision to scale down my lamp to a table top version the question then arises whether the original design will work at a smaller scale and if no then new designs need to be developed .This design was developed from a selection taken from a series of photographs taken on the lane outside my house at dusk of plants growing along the top of the "hedge".I have created a cut and repeated it then laser cut from cartridge paper and tested it on the base that Andy made for me .I still need to put in supporting rings top and bottom but am pleased with the result and have bought water colour paper to test on as the cartrige is too flimsy .

The original design actually works well too at this scale .

Digital print

2008-12-10T18:45:00.000Z

Having experimented with overprint on other fabrics I tried discharge printing onto the Gulls and Daisies /Hydrangea and Map digital print using a blue and then a print . I like the way the bild pring works over the more detailed digital and the way the two designs work together . Had I been satisfied with the original print I would not have tried this for fear of "spoiling "them .How these would work when applied to a product and what that product might be remains to be seen .Any comments and suggestions would be welcomed .

Overprinting , print and digital print

2008-11-26T08:34:00.001Z

I have been working on photoshop and the step and repeat to create fabric designs that I can use for upholstery or cushions and having had them digitally printed was unsure of some of the designs.The robin one is very robin dominated and some of the others worked well on paper (as seen on the board on my desk) but when it came to fabric I think I either had some of the colours wrong ie they were incompatible with the digital process (something I have now learned to check )or the scale or the repeat drop was not quite right .I therefore felt able to experiment and manually overprinted them with a simple brach design that I have been using to create other pieces (and to make new ties for the Manchester Crafts Centre) which integrates and adds to the design.Although I still have a long way to go with this I feel it is beginning to work .

Postcard 16

2008-11-24T18:27:00.001Z

Li Edelkoort "Imagine"

2008-11-18T17:27:00.002Z

I have been fortunate enough to be a student helper at the Li Edelkort Trend Predictions for Fashion and Lifestyle 2010. Held at RIBA in London ,Li gave a two hour presentation with visuals and music on the trends for the future with attendance from some of the top design companies and designers from shops such as Marks and Spencers and Habitat. I have attached a brief summary of my notes from this , no visuals but it does give an idea of how she sees design developing . Given the current climate this was a very positive response with a move towards a more intimate way of shopping and living in general and more interest in designer made one off or small batch pieces . I agreed with her when she said that people were tired of the same high street scenario and tired of attending the same big venue fashion shows , which is good news for us up and coming designers . There is a move towards a more intimate way of living .

(The new 20/20 Signals forecast book also offers insight into future consumer trends and their impact on product design. )

Summer 2010:Questioning the way we do things will cause a turn around in both product and system levels.
Fundamental changes require courage and persistence; it's about "blue sky thinking" and conveying a spirit of the possible and the positive’ old patterns, structures and conventions...'

Li Edelkort Trend prediction 2010 18/11/08
at RIBA London Hosted by KMAssociates for Fashion and Lifestyle.

Overview
Key words
Hope/vision/optimism
She predicts a world change through the change in the American presidency, which will rekindle our love of the USA.
There is a new generation at work, a new way of communicating that is DIRECT and INTIMATE
This will serve as an example to companies to become closer to their employees and consumers. .
Fashion maps out crises before they bite as in the oil crisis in the 70s fashion where chunky knits were the order of the day. Tokyo/London and Paris show for spring /summer this year is still optimistic.
There is a more rural aspect but not severe.
Things are still moving in the art and design world new films /artists / venues some even thriving on the recession.
Fashion is in for a bumpy ride but it will survive. There is a moody volatile market.
But there is enough to go round. We need to take the lowest point as the norm as to how things should be and not get carried away by what is happening.

There will be a return to AUTHENTICITY.
Back to truth and conviction.

See View on Colour 23 Spring summer 08 Osmosis.
Current is the grey card of life and monochromes,
“Grey is the new black “ and may be over the next ten years.
In winter 2010/2111 grey is again the core of the season.
Grey but not mousy.
There will be lots of rain so RAINWEAR is key .
Winter)* leggings, scarves/foodies /veils/ masks covering up almost hiding.
“Everyone knows the ship is sinking”
There is a return to more intimate gatherings cabaret rather than huge venues / intimacy/ a positive spin off.
Summer 09 created listening to acoustic African music. – Dungarees/work wear/indigo/jeans/travel/middle eastern influences/green revolution/
Look at Vivienne Westwood and Comme De Garcons.
The RED carpet will become GREEN.
There will be new words/ more words used by journalists a move from urban to pastoral
Flights of fantasy
Reflect reality.

NEW SEASON 2010 Fashion

2010 will be more positive.
Creativity is the only way of survival Fashion is becoming more daring but the systems are wrong. The shows take up too much time people not wanting to attend. The same is true of retail.
We want to HUNT rather than SHOP to buy things not so readily available. We need new ways to trigger excitement / something unique /exciting /not forever.
The FAIR is the retail of the future. The caravan / souk.
(An aside from me - at the knit and Stitch show in London this year there was a van/caravan at the back of the hall with a woman who had a variety of recycled reformed jewellery clothes etc very different to the norm of formal stalls)
The change will be more interaction with consumers
The latest BLOOM magazine is IMAGINE and is
How beautiful can we make things?
Our creativity will see us through. The season is wonderful full of ideas
There was then a visual presentation of images to music and pages of brief text underlining the various trend predictions for Fashion 2010
FOLDED PAPER
Layered /fluid/poured
Lightweight cottons /origami
Using the colours of paper and card a s a palette
It’s about construction folding in form
Plisse/pintucking/perforation/tyvekflocking and reverse pleating
BLUR- a mist a cloud layers of transparency
Elegant but nondescript- discreet-fine linen and organdie
The shirt takes the place of tee shirts
Slub yarns – faded colours –tinted white –crinkle effects-viscose and acetate

ANDROGENOUS
Reference to Greek and roman history sculpted bodies –soft stone sculptures pleat in detail-soft stone colours –marbled motifs- powdery colours- double weave silks – archaeological remnants- irregular and weathered –togas-tone on tone –detail in gold- stain effect-ethnic jewellery-couture

BLEU EN BLEU
Improvisation- stained floral-stripes – ticking-dots- scribble scenario-staining and dyeing-carbon copy- INDIGO but double dyed deep blue-lustre and shine –HANDDRAWN—tone on tone weaving free and fantasy

PHOTOGRAPHIC

An ode to POLAROID, which is no more.
Therefore photo albums are making a comeback- reto dots –small motifs-
Double crepe yarns-twill-neutral-fluid fabrics-avant gard- painted emotions-colour as cloth-crepe – placed motifs script messages- a story

TACHISTIC
(Tachisme was a reaction to cubism and is characterized by spontaneous brushwork, drips and blobs of paint straight from the tube, and sometimes scribbling reminiscent of calligraphy.)
Yellow is the new black.
Super world violent –print on the warp- cut canvas- script – bold print black on white-POLLOCK- crazy floral- dense neutrals-crudely painter- 100% design driven- sketched essentials-solid basic pieces of clothing
WATERCOLOUR FLORALS
INSPIRED BY THE PAINTINGS of Van Gogh-soft blouses and full skirts-hand painted canvas as quality- -soft colours – rabane and raffia
Yellow is the new pink.
ILLUSTRATED ILLUSIONS
(Listen to Kate Bush Song “Birds”)
Fairy tale graphics – elves/angels/fairies etc
Delicate/airy/floating
Narrative and illustration and painting
Eyelets /embroidery/embellished fabric
Summer –romantic-blurred – skirts and shirts
Fantasy princess. Dolls and cuddles
EMBROIDERED AUTONOMY
Crafted ideal - illustrative
Art for vocabulary on print - a storyline-
Not just embellishment woven
Personalised /customised/mending and embroidery

COLLAGE
CREATIVE/ BLOCKPRINTED/MADE BY HAND/ STRONG COLOURS
Saturated ethnic colours bold patterns
Tie dye and hand painting / paste/smock glue embroider cut and paste recreate
Eclectic/eccentric
Bark cloth patterns- indigo
Collage culture- sampling – everything is collage
Goodies the consumer can assemble on their own
Inspiration from Peru/ Africa/Asia
Random pattern rules
Damask/pique
URBANISED FOLKLORE
MAPPING LIFESTYLE
Mapping in designs in all of its possibilities.
The map of life
Veins –mental map- constellations
Clear; landscape- finding direction
TAILORING is important
Abstract
Another colour hem or sleeve
Casual
DETAILS OF THE SEASON
Blur
Stain
Abstracted
Stripes
Dots
Super sophisticated basics
Micro patterns
The need for fiction

LIFESTYLE TRENDS 2010

Well-being is the key for 2011/12/13
Creating a temple / church/ monastery for your own mind
Influences from creative design for well-being
THE ART OF BEING
Our inner creative selves
An atelier of sculpture
“One can have no smaller mastery than the mastery of oneself.”
Morally/ physically/visually/body and mind
“Modelling our own condition by kneading.”
Skin colours
Organic sculpture forms for wrapping things
Veil- elasticise
Compact yet soft
Soft colours
Food will be sculpted and kneaded
Stretching
Super lightweight tools
Neutral colours
Layering of materials
Terry cloth/warmth

THE STUDIO OF ARCHITECTURE
“Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature it will never fail you “
Frank Lloyd Wright

Erecting identity through light
Connecting ethics and aesthetics
. Sustainable
. Authentic
A lasting aesthetic
. Geometric form
Outer/ inner design become one
A realisation of the soul

Beauty products will be fresh and refrigerated
Using photography to create space
Rhythm / floating
Sound/light treatments

THE FARM OF BEAUTY
Industrial buildings
Bringing nature in going out into nature
Repeating
Natural materials
Wood/ metal/ stone/ felt/ glass/ ceramics
Bodies slender not pumped up
Co- creating form biologically

SCHOOL OF CALLIGRAPHY
The abandonment of oneself in favour of cosmic fusion
Knit/ jersey in furniture and fashion
Preserving food
Tone on tone embedded forms
Very EAST meets WEST
Mud / dark colours
Calligraphy – precise- graphic
Distinctly Japanese

ACADEMY OF ABSTRACTION
Jackson Pollock
“Every good painter paints what he is.”
Creative approach to packaging
Intuition and biorhythms
Ballet training clothes
Neutral palettes
Bright accent colours

CABINET OF CURIOSITY
Glamorous environments
Collections
Curious- crystals metals bones feathers
Groomed
Silks/ embroidery/fantasy/nostalgic

A WORLD OF FOLK
STAVANGER 2008-11-20
FOLK/ FASHION
Dots stains patterns dolls sleeves
Form follows décor
Blue delft motifs on bodies
Northern lights
Tord Boontje bestseller of all time thanks to Tom Dixons vision co creating with the public
A revival of knit
“Forged by heart and hand”
She showed a variety of current important designers
PetEr Marigolds shelving
Alabama Chalin s clothes (?)
Kristine Forns embroidery
Landscape wallpaper
Karin Frankenstein s furniture
Horticulture
Recycling botanical carpets
Felting
Craft as important as design global colourful aspect
Infusion of different aesthetics
] Drawing lace on stone
Glass making a comeback
North/south I a marrimekko mood
Folklore
Her parting words were JUST UNDO IT

Postcard 15

2008-11-16T10:53:00.003Z

After a long break I have resumed my postcards .

Wildwood

2008-11-10T21:42:00.002Z

"Wildwood, a journey through trees " by Roger Deakin is on my Christmas wish list .It is one of the most profound , informative and entertaining books on the natural world that I have ever read and the author is not only extremely knowlegable but had a passion for his subject . He travelled this country and many others collecting information first hand on a variety of trees , my own passion and inspiration for my current body of work.The chapter titles such as the bluebell picnic and the sacred groves of Devon give an inkling of the content but have to be read to gain the true beuty of the writing. My favorite is the chapter on the walnut forests of Kyrgyzstan where life is simple and by our standards very basic but also romantically idyllic . I have no doubt that the everyday reality is somehow different .
"Everything on the farm down to the plank built drop latrine at the far corner of the land ..wqs turned to the economy of nature in an entirely unselfconscious way. .....Bees foraged in the wild fruit forests. The people went out and harvested walnuts apples and allsorts of other wildfruits and funghi from the forest.(p 512)

Deakin wanted people to appreciate the simple pleasure of being in nature :
"Why do I sleep outdoors ?Because of the random dripping of rain off the maples or ash trees over the roof of the railway wagon, or the hopping of a bird on the wet felt of the roof or the percussion of a twig against the steel stove chimney . Out there I hear the yawn of the wind in the trees along Cowpasture Lane . I feel in touch with the elements in a way I never do indoors."
(Deakin R, Wildwood , 2007 Hamish Hamilton P.12)
Unfortunately Deakin died in 2006 just after he completed the manuscripts for Wildwood but he lived an amazing life and has left a great legacy in his writings on the great outdoors . I have anther 6 pages to read and am trying my best not to finish it but it has to be back at the library for the 21st so that someone else can enjoy it !Thankyou Roger Deakin.

Cloth and Culture

2008-11-10T15:02:00.005Z

Cloth and Culture an amazing touring exhibition at the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester These images are from the accompanying book edited by Lesley Millar available through the website and well worth investing in .
There were so many pieces that I loved both for their ideas , materials and construction methods .
One of the artists, Jun Mitsuhashi from Japan ,had this statement by his work that rang true for my own work
"I show a world which is in opposition to one of anxiety , fear and unhappiness....The essence of art is to open up peoples hearts and minds and I believe that those around positive power not negative."
The piece by Latvian artist Liva Krimina ,Nobody (photograph:P.98 Ojars Grikis, Cloth and Culture Now ,Millar Lesley ED. UCCA Canterbury 2008 )appears to be some kind of cloth of gold with delicately created images of knights in armour is actually constructed from black garbage bags silk screened and heat pressed.There is so much symbolism , references to tapestry to a lost forgotten army to the present problems we now have with plastics particularly the garbage bags that everone uses once and then throws away but are not biodegradeable .
Lina Jonike's Architectural Monument (p131 photo Lina Jonike,Cloth and Culture Now ,Millar Lesley ED. UCCA Canterbury 2008 ) with its beautiful sepia tones and hand embroidered blue flowers creates a narrative that combines personal experience with cultural influences .
There are too many to show here you need to see this for yourself and read the book !It has helped me to understand the subconscious and conscious references I use in my own work from my own culture and experiences .

Eden Project Workshop

2008-11-04T18:55:00.001Z

Our box

We had an interesting day at the Eden Project doing a workshop with the Creative Director of Wildworks Sue Fox . The brief was to take in 7 items that you would grab having been told you had to leave all your possessions bar 7 .

’You are leaving home. You don’t know if you will ever return. You are part of an exodus into an unknown future.

Pack a small, portable box or suitcase. Choose 7 things that you think will be essential, or precious to you. You may choose intimate things that tell your story, that remind you of who you are. You may choose things without which your life would be unbearable.

I chose my camera(future events) , my India sketchbook (to remind me of my past life and Buddhism as it was the one I used on my 3 week pilgrimage last year ), a scarf (to keep me warm and one that belonged to my son obvious memories there !), a sarong (printed by me years ago that could be used as a towel/garment/shelter/blanket/garment etc),a fork (for eating /digging etc) that had family memories , a photo of my sons (ah!), and my pencil case complete with knife to records the future ( My comfort item). We did the workshop with MA Graphics some of whom had almost virtual items (cardboard cut outs)! It was fascinating to hear the different things that people chose and why.
Sue talked about Wildworks , a theatre company she is involved in and the project they are planning called "The Beautiful Journey" looking at how people engage with their world.
We then had to create , in groups, a box with an imagined future landscape (see images above)
which included a flooded landscape with people living on ice bergs , one where the cities are abandoned but foraged and a simple country life (but with individual air transport! ) with a flame of hope (our box) and one where nature takes over and the cities crumble.
As Sue said the most difficult thing was to decide what would happen /will happen as we all had very different ideas and time scales and also life is very unpredictable( so in tune with Buddhist thinking / chaos theory, the only certain thing is that things will change!). but we like to think that we are in control ( Newtonian theory of cause and effect). Little things add up to big changes we cant predict their outcomes but we can create fertility for interesting things to happen!

2008-10-28T08:22:00.001Z

This design was from a drawing at the Eden Project whilst waiting for friends by the cafe ,If they hadn't been late it would never have existed . The birds there are incredibly friendly probably because they know they are safe and they have an endless supply of food from the veg beds which surround the cafe and the tourists who probably feed them crumbs.The Holly hocks takes me back to being 4 or 5 to our house at Ilkley . My father had a greenhouse in the back garden and grew hollyhocks next to the door . I was fascinated by them for at that timer they grew taller than I did they seemed a beautiful yet almost impossible flower in my young mind. The rest of the design are nasturtiums
Perhaps the lone bird is significant.Every picture tells a story!

An Inconvenient Truth

2008-10-26T19:47:00.002Z

If you haven't seen this film by Al Gore " An Inconvenient Truth"on climate change then I would encourage you to do so . It is certainly going to influence my design process and the way I live my life.

Interesting links and thoughts on future work.

2008-10-25T19:00:00.002+01:00

Having missed Simons lecture Sue and I were priviledged to have a re run on wednesday and afterwards I had a tutorial which led to the discovery of the following links and thoughts on the developments of my work .
Shona Quenby and Ed Forster are both ex UCF students now working for Liberty ,both address environmantel issues through their designs rather than the fabrics.Do I feel the need to incorporate other images/ text into my work that can highlight my environmental/ spiritual concerns?

Grayson Perry is collaborating with Libertys also to produce a range of fabrics . I once interviewd him for my dissertation during my degree and was fascinated by his work and his personal history , He again is using his imagery to appear benign but includes images that eare quite shocking at times . Looks like Liberty is on the change .

Paul Morrison does the most delightful large scale sculptures and paintings of plants with a dark side.

Bruce Mau and ethical issues

2008-10-25T18:03:00.002+01:00

Following the video link presentation by Bruce on Wednesday I vow to pay more attention to my designs and products being aware of them from "cradle to grave.' I had never thought of this as an entire process . I have thought about where my materials come from increasingly so having heard about the plight of the Aral Sea which has completely dried up through over demand for irrigation of cotton crops ( it seems that even organic cotton production is fraught with dangers to the environment as well ) but had not really considered how they are disposed of . At least with natural fibres , which I have always used , recycling is possible. One solution in my own work for sourcing fabrics is to use recycled cottons for example continuing on the damask tablecloth theme .Also to start to order and try out greener fibres in terms of dyeing and printing .
Discussing these matters over lunch on friday with Ed I discovered there is a fashion sportswear company called Patagonia who donate 1% of profits to the planet , incorporate recycling of their garments and also source cottons from mills that are closing down , ie recycling at source.A true example of eco design .
I found the Bruce Mau manifesto fascinating whilst remaining slightly cynical that this is just words and ideals that are hard to manifest but he does have a positive spin on things and believes we are not helpless we have the tools , possibilities and wealth to make changes !! It is up to each of us to do our bit. A few of my favorite bits in no particular order.

Allow events to change you.You have to be willing to grow. Growth is different from something that happens to you. You produce it. You live it. The prerequisites for growth: the openness to experience events and the willingness to be changed by them.
Process is more important than outcome.When the outcome drives the process we will only ever go to where we've already been. If process drives outcome we may not know where we’re going, but we will know we want to be there.
Love your experiments (as you would an ugly child).Joy is the engine of growth. Exploit the liberty in casting your work as beautiful experiments, iterations, attempts, trials, and errors. Take the long view and allow yourself the fun of failure every day.
Drift.Allow yourself to wander aimlessly. Explore adjacencies. Lack judgment. Postpone criticism.
Begin anywhere.John Cage tells us that not knowing where to begin is a common form of paralysis. His advice: begin anywhere.

Sketch book

2008-10-21T07:56:00.000+01:00

Recently I have been trying to get to grips with photoshop with a view to developing a range of interiors fabrics based on the endangered/nature theme . I drew this one on a sunny october sunday when I had been in the house all day cleaning therefore such a relief to get outside. I walked down to the estuary past Mawnan Church and sat on the beach where there were these daisies growing out of the side of the wall. Also a gull was feeding in the shallows and I spent time just trying to capture the essence of both subjects . I must have been sitting so stil that a cricket came and sat on the rock next to me . On the hillside opposite were a group of those beautiful pine trees peculiar to the Cornish coast and as the sun started to set they were outlined against the sky line . so had to be included. On the way home almost dark there was a full moon
that shone a path across the water , One of thos magical times that is what I love about being out in nature you naver know what you are going to see but invariably something magical happens.
The image on the left is the beginnings of a fabric design.

Origin

2008-10-15T15:55:00.006+01:00

Being in London gave me a chance to go to Origin week 1 , the London Crafts Show .

Makeba (our illustrious
weave tutor ) had a stall
there with beautiful woven scarves beautifully and very professionally presented .I had considered the possibility of exhibiting there next year but since visiting have realised that it is more likely to be the following year as it not only needs to be well thought out but you also need a lot of stock .

I also had a chat to Margo Selby and her advice at this moment in time for me was to make , make make . She has been in business for the last 5 years and has a London shop . Again weave beautiful colours and designs with a avariety of products . Presentation is all important as well as having a very marketable range of products from small to large .

There were many other stalls but these birds appealed to me , by Cathy Miles ,and were proving very popular , in fact all the smaller ones had sold .
She will be at the Christmas exhibition at Contemporary Applied Arts , Percy Street.

The knit and Stitch Show

2008-10-15T15:34:00.007+01:00

The touring Schiffley Exhibition "Mechanical Drawing " was a great success at the Knit and Stitch Show at Alexandra Palace in London . I helped to man this for two days and received very favorable comments on my piece (seen left)
"Endangered". "It maintains the sense od drawing even though it is in repeat through the lively use of color and the use of different threads and fabrics."
I also heard from one lady who is into psychology that the human psyche loves repetetive images , order and color which I was not aware or when I made the piece. I also sold quite a few of my wildflower tea-towels so all in all a good confidence builder and a chance to catch up with old friends.

Thought for the day

2008-10-15T14:42:00.001+01:00

"Its not about waiting for the storm to pass but learning to dance in the rain."

London Design Festival 2008 other lighting inspirations

2008-09-30T14:20:00.001+01:00

www.4design.co.uk Birch ply ,laser cut floor lamps based on the pattern on the trunks of silver birch trees . They also supply pendant lamps and are designed and made by Michael Radford in Derbyshire.

Jericho Hands lighting

A refreshing change from the slick corporate stalls was a wonderful Bedouin inspired tent by Jericho Hands with a range of lights using culled squirrels and pigeons (created with the help of a taxidermist) sounds awful and was beautiful.

A single pigeon costs £300 a flock is negotiable!

Other inspirations were a cross-stitch embroidered perspex screen.
In retrospect this was an interesting concept and would perhaps work well in a hospital setting or an office block entrance but it is not a material I would want to use for my own work.

London Design Festival 2008

2008-09-30T13:16:00.020+01:00

London Design Festival 13th to 23rd September
A visit ( for a 3 days )to the Festival included the Design Museum where I saw Jethro’s wall of collections , the Oxo Tower to see textile designers , TENT and 100% Design which revealed these inspirational lighting solutions.

Poster Lamp by Rachel Hevicon
The Poster Lamp is a campaign poster, designed for Energy saving Day, in a bid to encourage people to switch to energy saving light bulbs. By following the instructions and folding it in to shape, the poster is transformed into a heat reactive lampshade. The heat emitted by an incandescent light bulb will cause the pattern to gradually fade away and disappear, whereas those who choose to use an energy saving bulb will be rewarded with a lasting decorative pattern.
New for 100 % Design a light by Susan Bradley of “Outdoor wallpaper “ fame again in birch ply but this time horizontal rather than vertical.
Susan had her own stand and then this light in the Lighten Up stand.

Cascade by Michelle Brand
(Made from the bottoms of plastic bottles .)
Michelle was on the Setting Up Scheme with me in Manchester and has been pushing her li the last 5 years and is now finally getting feedback and recognition. A reality check on how long it takes and how determined you have to be
In the design world. I love her Cascade design and it was great to catch up and talk design.

Buttoned up by Kate Goldsworthy
All of these and more were being promoted by (re)design.
Lighten Up is an illuminating exploration of 64 switched-on domestic lighting solutions from the UK.
The quest for sustainability is driving the evolution of new technologies, aesthetics, materials and interactions. Shedding light on the stories behind the products, Lighten Up offers insight and inspiration for the next generation of lighting.by [re]design
www.redesigndesign.org who organized this event and are looking for people to join them. A good way to expose my lighting design next year perhaps.

Reflections on the Exhibiton

2008-09-24T14:47:00.004+01:00

Feedback on the exhibition as a whole was very positive with strong bodies of work from all !
For myself the pieces I most enjoyed doing and intended as a "product" at the end of the MA had
little interest from the public as far as I know i.e. the window blinds. The printed fabric devore and discharge hangings were well received ,they were originally made to be cut up to make cushions and I will do this .
The most impact was the routed screen and the digitally printed drawing which I have since sold unframed . Digitally printing my drawing onto canvas is definitely something to pursue as is continuing to look at different products such as table linen and ceramics which would be more easily produced .
Many comments were made about the overall feel of the collection as a woodland atmosphere which was the aim .
The light was well received in spite of its work in progress state and I feel would be worth pursuing as a product . I will need to address the materials and the structure of the lamp base .
Also the size and therefore the packaging should it become a product at the moment this is very bulky . A comment was made by a tutor that it was nothing she hadn't seen before but having tested the lamp at home it does cast shadows and light that were not as atmospheric at the exhibition due to the time of day and the rest of the lighting in the room a point to remember when thinking about next years exhibition.
Similarly with the screen as you can see from the images above (these were taken in strong early morning sunlight) there is going to be an impact that changes depending on the lighting and time of day. I now have this at home screening my double doors and at night it casts patterns onto the windows as well. It is very heavy to move so that is an issue that needs to be addressed as is the back of the screen and the hinges which need to be double sided to enable folding flat.
There is mileage in developing more designs based on different trees to create a collection.

The 8 of us

2008-09-14T15:21:00.011+01:00

The 8 of us
Images of the opening night of the MA Show 2008.

Exhibition Pieces

2008-09-14T14:22:00.016+01:00

Images from the 2008
MA Show of my work
in progress.

THE 8 OF US

2008-09-03T17:41:00.003+01:00

Statement for MA Show

MA Textile Design (part-time),

rowenaardern@googlemail.com

This exhibition marks the halfway point in my MA Textile Design, showcasing samples and prototypes of my work in progress.

What is your project?

My work aims to reconnect people to the beauty of nature by creating textiles window pieces and screens that bring the outside inside whilst investigating ethical design routes,

Why have you chosen this particular focus?

I want to raise awareness of our responsibility to support and maintain this beautiful planet that has fed and nurtured us physically and spiritually for thousands of years. In the fast paced world of contemporary living our senses are bombarded by images and ideas, I aim to recreate an intimacy and a sense of peace through my designs.

What processes have you involved in the production of your final Designs?

Subject matter initially arose from walks in local woodland taking photographs and drawings, which were developed into designs using Photoshop and Illustrator, alongside sampling textile print, embroidery using a variety of fabrics and materials .I used the laser cutter and the router to develop the screen design. I also researched artists and designers who reference nature whilst reading around trees in fact and fiction including tree symbolism.

Do you aim to develop these ideas further?
I intend to continue developing my screens and window pieces incorporating the investigation of the 3D and engraving possibilities of the router and transferring designs to the Jacquard.

What element or aspect of the design(s) would you want people to notice?

Beauty and simplicity.

What one word would summarise you as a designer?

Inquisitive

Prototype Laser cut lamp

2008-08-28T23:16:00.000+01:00

Taking the cut developed for the screens the pattern was reduced in size and laser cut into lampshade parchment .
The resulting mirror image resembled the green man not visible in this picture .The parchment was then constructed into a cylinder and fitted over a free standing lamp base .

Hidden Art Fair Godolphin House

2008-08-24T18:54:00.000+01:00

Inspiration from "Making it digital "

I was particularly interested in the pieces created by Ismini and Gary created using the 3D facility of the router . They have recreated digital weave structures on blocks of wood. Also the work by Sharon Bishop Nick Fraser and Charlotte Tangye using the router again this time to translate drawings onto wood ply setting the cutter at different height reveals different layers which makes it possible to translate a drawn image onto wood . I would like to experiment with both of these techniques but will need a lot of support to create the digital files and cut the pieces .I also love Isminis weave work using the peeling walls of Godolphin as a starting point .I was also very drawn to the glass chandelier a leftover from grander times .Perhaps a future source of inspiration.

Customised blinds

2008-08-23T23:13:00.001+01:00

Cotton blind

2008-08-22T18:47:00.004+01:00

The second blind is an Ikea cotton blind that I have screen printed using layers of pattern from my tree screen masking out parts of the design to create depth and interest in subtle shades of pale greys and blues using pigment binder so that I can iron fix them also this process is bettter environmentally a it does not require washing out .
Both blinds will be worked into .

Customised blinds

2008-08-19T18:41:00.003+01:00

Alongside the wooden screens I am working on two pre-made roller blinds experimenting with layering print and laser cutting the polyester one . This was a ;ittle over cut and started to fall apart so I have printed over the cut and need to find a way to stabelise parts of it .

Processing the panels

2008-08-18T18:35:00.002+01:00

The panels are now ready to be oiled with natural wood oil which is spread on with a cloth left for ten minutes the excess wiped off and then left to dry for 12 hrs before the next coat is applied t.The left panel has bee oiled the right is still bare.The 3 smaal panels at the far end show the difference in size of the laser cut pieces to be finished in the same way.

Room divider

2008-08-18T18:20:00.000+01:00