Composition. Fun. Colour. Play

With Acrylic

My first Pecha Kucha - New Art Exchange, Nottingham

The format of this method of presentation (20 slides, 20 seconds talking for each) appeals to me as it requires clear and relevant images, provoking relevant and informative speech. (Or that's the idea anyway.)

I went to one recently hosted by the Real Creative Futures team in Nottingham. I was invited (by the organiser no less) due to my involvement within the Knitting Society of my university. But I'd say my attendance was mainly due to my personal interest within the creative community of Nottingham.

The speakers came from a mix of backgrounds, with their presentations having a mix of motives. The event (hosted this time at the New Art Exchange) is a fantastic way to promote yourself. As you're standing up selling yourself to a room of people who already want to buy into "this kind of stuff" (creative, community, etc.)

I had a great time talking with other guests/ speakers/ organisers. Initial steps now are swapping contacts, but I would definitely look to doing something for a future one - and hopefully bringing some more of the student community into it. (Thinking more art and design than knitsoc itself.) 

From the presentations I learnt about people/ places in town and around the city, helpful career tips, and also a bit of spiritual advice. Oh and some fantastic (some what wacky) gardening tips... All available to re-listen to on the International Pecha Kucha website (look for the Nottingham page.)

Free to attend, free food and drink, and lots of amazingly interesting people to meet and/or hear speak. I'm definitely going to the next one they host hear. (Whether I will speak or not; that will take some more deliberation...) 

Read more here;

http://www.pechakucha.org/cities/nottingham

And here

http://www.creativequarter.com/community/projects/pecha-kucha-nottingham/

Inspiration Profile - Jaime Derringer

I find inspiration in people who are successful and experimental in multiple mediums, as they do not see boundaries which rein in their creativity. 

I've just stumbled across Jaime Derringer, who is;
- Founder + Executive Editor of Design Milk
- An artist (whose drawing style I like very much) 
- A poet
- Self - taught

Her artist statement begins; 
"My work is an exploration of shape and colour in its most brutal and purest forms, using layering as a guide. The repetition of shapes and lines is an exercise used to escape from everything else around me, to draw the viewer into this space."

I'm looking forward to exploring her work more within my project - I'm already loving her "shape a day" project. The sharp geometric lines of which juxtapose well to her confident use of bold colour in her sketchbook drawings.

It's this bolder contrast which I like to develop in my work 

Further Reading is available at;
http://design-milk.com/
http://www.jaimederringer.com/
http://instagram.com/jaimederringer

Composition play

I feel my design work will follow the suit of my drawing, and be made up of lots of little compositions - full of line, colour and shape. Here's a few I messed around with 

These are based on one of my drawings from sunny Coletta in Spain. I feel they still lack detail. But I very much enjoy playing around with different componants to see their visual effect. I'll link this to my concept and design work later in the project, which I find greatly develops through my research. But for sampling and inspiration this technique is great! 

(Though I'd have to find out how to attatch them all together...) 

P.s. I'm thinking adding detail by making my own plastics - more on this to come!

Laser Cutting First Timer (shellfish and bananas)

The task today basically was creating a digitally designed 3D form, then putting it into a format suitable for laser cutting.

Despite any complications, I have fallen in love with this process (as many ambitious designers/ lazy makers do.)

My outcomes (they remind me of shellfish and bunches of bananas):

Yes well these are the layers that are meant to be stuck together, but I love the clean perfectly formed shapes and the compositions one can make with them. There is scope to use angular lines too, and etch, and include numbers and/or text.

I see a lot of potential in the process, and I feel it necessary to push my CAD skills this and next year (with all the great technology available.) 

Anything is possible these days. For example, this exercise has made me enjoy working with curved lines!