Evaluation of Origins: Mixed Media & Print Rotations

Over the past 6 weeks, I have developed a very exciting bundle of experimental work. I have learnt an awful lot of techniques and ways of working, and I have also learnt a lot about the style I tend to work towards.

For the first rotation I worked with Mixed Media. I personally really disliked this way of working, I found it very hard in Mixed Media to create 3D sculptures and art forms, the whole three weeks was focused on ‘playing with a number of materials’ and for some reason I found this difficult. I am used to working towards a final outcome, I enjoy working/experimenting in ways to create a design/outcome at the end however until the third week we were not working towards making anything in particular, this made me feel a little lost within the rotation itself.

Even though Mixed Media didn’t suit the way I tend to work, I personally feel that my drawing skills improved massively, nothing is ever classed as wrong in art and this is what I loved about drawing from our objects. We were set a number of drawings tasks which involved simple sketchy drawings, detailed and also timed drawings. I was able to be very expressionate within the way I put my range of media onto paper and I like that.

I learnt a lot throughout the three weeks in mixed media, using the laser cutting machine was great fun, I really enjoyed designing particular shapes in which I could later put into the laser cutter program to be sent to the machine.
I personally wish that I had experimented further within my laser cutter workshops and with my independent study time because overall at the end of my three weeks I did not have a final outcome. When looking over my mixed media work as a whole, I would personally say that because I struggled in the first two weeks it meant that even though I had ideas for designing in a 3D mixed media format, nothing was actually visually created.

I do not want to be in the same situation as I was left in after Mixed Media which is why from day one of Print I have made sure I have been a lot more organised and committed. I have documented, made daily lists, took photographic evidence and critically assessed my work throughout so that I am on track with the work load and time limit we have. I will continue to do this throughout the rotations.
  

(laser sample on mdf wood- engraving of my hand drawn designs)

 

Print was the rotation in which I have been looking forward to the most, my mind set seems to always focus on print, whether it be digital print, mono-print, hand-print or screen-printing.

From day one the print rotation was extremely hands on, it was very hard work and there was an awful lot of work to complete, however I loved the fast paced environment and way of working.

The first two weeks we were focusing on working with black and white mediums only, I produced so many drawings both detailed and sketches in black and white media I had never thought of working with before. I didn’t realise how much I enjoyed working in black and white until I created these pieces of work.
Designing prints for our screens was something I enjoyed, I was really happy with the quality of the screen and I loved how effective the prints actually came out in the end.
From day one the print rotation was extremely hands on, it was very hard work and there was an awful lot of work to complete, however I loved the fast paced environment and way of working.

 

(photograph taken of a range of my samples- on acetate

fabrics, sketches)

(photograph taken to show my final mounted print collection-

very happy with my collection as a whole)

Above are five of my final prints mounted, I personally chose to mount these prints because of the juxtaposition in colour and imagery. I particularly really liked how effective my silk screen print came out, I used a deep purple and also a burgundy pigment dye onto the white silk, the prints of my drawn sewing threads and necklace were very clearly printed as the detail in my fine-liner drawings are expressed with the use of my chosen pigment dyes.

Working in the print room was something I was excited about doing, I made sure I planned out what I was hoping to achieve when in the print room so that I didn’t waste any time when in there.
I am happy with my print work and also the quality I have worked to, one style of print that I am particularly happy with is where I have combined both screen and mono print together. By combining print techniques and use of pigment/reactive dyes I have shown that I have printed techniques with a personal approach.
I would defiantly revisit this way of working in the near future.