Sampling & Drawings through Embroidery

After collecting visual research from a wide range of resources, I was able to initially begin the Sampling unit 'Data, Collections & Lists' creating sketches within the Manchester Museum was the initial starting point for my produced samples. I focused on producing structural sketches through making marks which reflected the crystalisation and 3D forms of the subject.

At the start of Embroidery I hadnt thought of a context for designing, however during the second week I was drawn to creating expressive samples which had an interior art feel to them.

The majority of my sampling was influenced by the visit to Manchester Museum where I found a large collection of interesting crystals and rock forms. After drawing these crystals in their natural context, I realised that my drawings expressed an interest into collecting the detail and structural lines within the object.

Paula Kovarik was an artist whom provided inspiration for my initial samples, her work is very structural in the way she overlays materials to produce 3D structures. As crystals/rock forms are the initial resource for my embroidery samples, I chose to work with dissolvable fabric. In relation to my research, I wanted to create defining structural shapes through using the free-machine foot on dissolable fabric as the result would be a juxtaposition of structure through the stitch and then the obvious dissolving inbetween the stitch.

After the first week of embroidery sampling, I felt that I could develop and provide stronger connections from my drawings. Whilst keeping Kovarik in mind as contextual reference, I began exploring with a range of materials, using transparent papers as the main focal point. The transparent paper worked really effective within my sample, I was able to be expressive with my stitch to produce linear and structural outcomes.

Throughout the Embroidery rotation, I found Friday Drawing Day influencial within my samples. The task of mark-making was extremely beneficial, having to produce mark making sketches within a timed schedule meant that I had to work with a very free and expressive mindset. When sampling, I had focused alot of the time on thinking about what to create instead of actually just trial and erroring however, after this drawing task I personally feel my samples became alot more expressive and influencial to crustal forms.

I was getting more confident through sampling in embroidery, however, I felt that some of my samples were quite similiar and I wanted to develop these whilst still holding onto the sucessful elements. I had briefly looked at textile artist Carolyn Saxby’s mixed media work as contextual research,to develop my samples further I began working in a similar way to Saxbys. I began cutting up the samples in which I thought were less successful, collaging them together using brown cardboard, yarns and transparent paper. These samples were very different to my first two weeks of embroidery as within my third week samples, negative space became more expressive. The juxtaposition of the detailed collaged sampling and the negative space helped to create more of a focus to the detail and less of the background.

Overall, throughout embroidery I feel that my initial drawings have referenced and been influential for not only my sampling but for the overall thought and design process.