A First ...

Today saw the release of my courses degree classifications from the examination board. I am incredibly pleased to announce that I have officially achieved a First Class Honours BA in Textile Design!

I would like to take the opportunity to thank my friends, family, lecturers and technicians for their unyielding support throughout the course of my degree, especially during my final year, your support has been invaluable.

I am overjoyed with the result, as it is something which I have aimed to achieve throughout my entire degree, and it also allows me to further consider an option I have been contemplating pursuing in the future; studying an MA in the History of Design at RCA.

Hive of Activity

As activities in recent months have revolved around designing, printing and displaying my work, returning to the nature which has inspired so much of my work has been thoroughly enjoyable. Having missed recent developments in the garden, I decided to make the most of some beautiful weather and take the time to observe different plant species, and the insects they are attracting to the garden. I was thrilled to see a wide range of different Bumblebees frequenting the garden, including a female Cuckoo Bumblebee (my eye is not expert enough to distinguish exactly which) and honey bees. As stated in a previous post, we plant as many nectar and pollen rich plants in the garden as possible in the hopes of encouraging the growth of the bee population, however this has had an unexpected consequence. During my time in the garden I suddenly became aware of a rather noisy swarm descending upon the garden. Closer inspection revealed the swarm to be thousands of Honey Bees, whom had decided to build a hive beneath our new birdbath. Watching the vast mass of bees was utterly fascinating, I eagerly await the development of our hive and what may come next!

The Great Romantic Artist

BBC Four can be relied upon to bring Art and Culture to the forefront of the minds of creative individuals on a regular basis and do not fail to do so with their recent feature on J.M.W Turner.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01jv255/Turners_Thames/

I welcomed the programme greatly as a self confessed Turner novice. Until around a year ago I had never quite grasped the fanatical appeal of Turner. I had always considered his works masterful and doubtlessly beautiful, but British oil landscapes and seascapes had always been slightly lost on me and failed to ignite the interest which Cezanne, Monet and even Dali's landscapes provided. However this changed upon my first visit to the National Gallery last summer. Having never seen Turners work in the flesh before, I was unexpectedly knocked clean out of my boots by 'Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus'. The sheer, incredible emotion of the piece and both the atmosphere and beauty it captured had me transfixed and totally speechless for some time.

Even now I still feel that Turners work simply can not be viewed in a book and understood or appreciated fully. The texture of the paint and the true colours provide an emotion and beauty which seem incapable of being replicated in print. Even my memories of pieces I have viewed in the National Gallery and the V&A seem far more vivid and detailed than images in books.

The programme focuses specifically upon Turners use of the Thames as a base for many of his compositions and takes an analytical look at his use of colour, technique and intentions, however much of the discussion is objective and simply a result of personal opinion. The narrative may have benefited from some more academic elements, however it provides an interesting overall observation and appreciation of Turners work.

One element of the discussion which did intrigue me greatly was the mention of: 'Was Turner an artistic radical and a conservative Royalist? Or just an artist businessman? ... Nothing is known about Turners politics'. I have been looking for a new, exciting avenue of academic research to embark on, to say that 'nothing' is known of Turners political stance is surely something which needs to be rectified?

Since seeing 'Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus' at the National Gallery, I have had a postcard of the piece on view at all times to remind myself of the sheer emotion which creativity has the power to evoke.

New Designers

Much to my total and utter joy, I discovered today that I have been selected by the University as one of 14 students chosen to exhibit a board of work at New Designers in London.

After visiting New Designers 2011 last summer and witnessing the truly brilliant quality of work on display at the Exhibition it has been my goal to achieve a standard of work worthy of being shown at the most important Graduate Exhibition in the UK ever since.

Having the opportunity to showcase my work, style and abilities as a designer to a vast audience is an incredibly exciting prospect, for more information on New Designers including dates, opening times and the location of the exhibition visit:

http://www.newdesigners.com/

If you are planning on visiting the exhibition or are exhibiting at New Designers as a Graduate, I look forward to seeing you there!

Degree Show 2012

Following the whirlwind of the opening of the University of Derby 2012 Degree Show and the excitement which has followed, I thought it only right to share some images of my own show and the work I have chosen to display.
The pieces on display within my show are; six narrow lengths, one 3 metre 'Virtue' length and five hand printed scarves across 4 boards. My portfolio is also available view upon request. Below are some images of my show (and yours truly).

Purchased Work

The Private View of the Degree Show was a fantastic success. Upon my arrival I was utterly speechless to discover that I had been awarded a prize by the University which meant that they wished to purchase a piece of my work. Many thanks to the University for choosing my work to become a part of their collection, its a total honour.

I would also like to thank each and every person who discussed my work with me, expressed an interest in my style and my techniques and complimented me on the merits of my work, the Private View was an infinitely rewarding experience and your kind words were thoroughly appreciated.

Thank you all for more support and appreciation than I ever could have imagined!