Lisa Pongrace's cupcake cars

http://youtu.be/uOfs3ETlsIg

Salford Zine Library

Today was the first day of the Zine exhibition, mine was on the display facing the stairs, so as soon as you came up the stairs- couldn't miss it! and was nicely position next to my good friends Lisa's. The exhibition is up till January then moves to Cardiff.

Dark Matters Exhibition

Today I visited the Dark Matters- Shadow, technology art at the Whitworth art Gallery- sad to say I was a little disappointed. Found it a little boring, with such a good subject matter I was hoping for more.

On the other hand there was one piece that blew me away! Still Life No.1 is a 3D structure from acrylic polymer forming shapes and figures displayed on a table, revolving around this table is light source that both feeds the installation on the table to give it a winter glow and forms moving shadows around the area that engulfs the viewer. This installations was made by a collective called Brass Art- are Chara Lewis, Kristin Mojsiewicz and Anneke Pettican, three artists based in Manchester and Glasgow. They have worked together since 1998. 

-picture taken from http://darkmattersart.com, but I don't feel any pictures will do this piece justice, you have to view and be part of the carousel ride to appreciate it properly.

What a mug!

This is my first attempt at transferring design onto ceramics!
I still need to add varnish to make the outer white edges turn see through....

It was a struggle applying it, I didn't accommodate for a curved surface so creases where unavoidable. I found it too hard to add text as it was a single large piece on the curved surface so I will do this separately in sections.

Pretty chuffed so far =)

Teacup Pincushions

These 'tiny worlds' are made by Mimi Kirchner, they are amazing, although I wouldn't stick pins in them I think they are worthy for display!

By the looks of it they are stitched felt but such a good idea!

Personal Project- Lamp shade

As I have mentioned for my project one of my products is going to be a lamp shade, I have been researching into the best and safest way to do this!

I have also come across some great kits you can buy available at
www.needcraft.co.uk.

Easy stick it kit:

Or to have a shade printed for you at: www.martin-dannell.co.uk

Liverpool Design Festival

Yesterday I took a little road trip to Liverpool for the Design Festival, it was the last day so I wasn't expecting much but was really please as it was really good! It had talks, workshops, and a catwalk.

Lots of designer stalls showcasing ceramics, furniture, jewellery fashion and interiors! Well known names such as Tatty Devine.

I took part in a workshop with Tatty Devine to make tape measure brooches and a workshop with Emily Lansley to customise a t-shirt, good fun!

One of the last stalls I saw was Orwell & Goode, and their screen printed interiors gave me some good ideas for my personal project as I am attempting some similar products.
www.orwellandgoode.com

As I am planning to make a lampshade for one of my products it was really handy to ask Bronagh and Zuzana some questions about flammable materials and silk screening.

 

I surprised how much detail and small lines can be achieved through screen-printing, I was always told it had to be block shapes so that has always limited my designs but Orwell and Goode assured me that as long as the line is prominent and not broken up it works well and with a nice effect.

Amanda Mercer

Was a big hit! her stall was always full as it was displaying lots of porcelain goodies! 

www.amanda-mercer.co.uk

 
Faye Powers
Faye Powers stall left a great impression on me, combining textiles and illustration.
www.fayepower.webs.com

Her fabric pieces, cushions and bags, are screen printing

and her ceramics and transfer paper

I think similar to Faye, this is how I see my Illustration future. A combination of illustration, surface design and crafts. reaching for the retail market.

Jonathan Alder + Bjorn Wiinblad

I came across Bjorn Wiinblad at the start of the summer, I really liked his porcelain figures,

and today I was looking for some inspiration for my figures so typed Bjorn Wiinblad 
into handy Google I found my new favourite Jonathan Alder, from his website he seems 
quite popular and a hit in the states but it was the first time I have seen his work. 

He doesn't over complicate the features, no over the top swirls and flare, I think by using 
porcelain he doesn't need to, the materials adds to them.

Andre da Loba

I have found someone else who has a soft spot for illustration with graphics!

using letters to create images and has some lovely shapes.

Personal Project- Idea

I have decided that for my personal project I will extend my 'zine'. I will write more poems with illustrations but instead of putting it in a book or producing an zine issue 2, I will make them into objects.
I want to take the pressure off my poems, I don't want a poem book but to see my poems as more of an extension of my images. They will be children's products- stationary, bedroom accessories etc.

Final Zine

Making this was the harder than I thought it would be, never take book binding lightly!
But I am really pleased with it and hoping to make many more!

For the cover I didn't want to over complicate things, so I thought long and hard for a title, 'Short Hand' and stuck to that. I used the vinyl cutter for the first time as kept it simple from type from one of my stories.

** this will be at Salford Art Gallery from 15 October 2011 to 29 January 2012 **
          http://www.craigjohnbarr.co.uk/index.php?/salford-zine-library/

Zine title?

I am REALLY struggling for a title to my zine, I was hoping to remain title-less, thought it would add to the feel but I realised that wouldn't be an option, they have no linking themes, dominant poems even colour palette so I need a more abstract approach or even a play on words.

My new approach is cutting out words from the poems and rearranging them to make an unusual title!
 


























And I have even researched into 'how to name a book', but I think a zine and a book are completely different, book titling is very serious but for a zine it needs a title like one, something quick-ish, reads quick, handmade quality, quirky......

Zine-Finals

 

Manchester Musueum Bugs

Today we were set a new brief in Manchester Museum. We were led to the back room in the museum to entomology department, to view there extremely large insect collection. Manchester Museum has a worldwide collection of nearly three million species, it is the third largest and most comprehensive in the United Kingdom.

I was impressed by their butterfly collection, it was unusual to see something to beautiful so still.