Reflections

Instructions

I knew I wanted to combine the interesting puffer jacket texture with the collage and create a large scale piece made from fabric. I found a used large deep-edged canvas, and began sketching out a colour-coordinated scaled up version of the collage. At the start of the process, I planned out the position of the fabric as I went, but in the end, it was much more efficient to have all of the fabric spread out and pinned down so that when I sewed across to make the ripples, the fabric was already in place. I encountered issues with the fabric edges shifting and showing holes. To address this, I stitched the fabric fragments together before creating the ripples horizontally, essentially patch-working the pieces into a blanket that could more easily be secured together when sewn into.

The ripples in the piece were inspired by the idea of weaving, where information could be divided into strips yet still create a complete composition from a distance. I transferred the collage to canvas by concentrating on each strip of information rather than the entire picture.

The colour palette of the piece, as derived from the collage, was inspired by Malgorzata Mirga-tas's ambitious use of pinks and blues. This palette brought a softness and calmer ambience, that constrasted with the harshness of the vibrant palette I had used in my previous projects. Harsh true blacks and dramatic cadmium reds were pushed over with more gentle pastel shades, magentas and turquoises.

I used lots of materials that I hadn't planned for, like paper packaging , Sainsbury's bags, and foil used for house insulation. I think these incoporated nicely as the plastic Sainsbury's bag could be interpreted as the bag of the figure in the reference and the foil could replicate the texture of his jacket. The "windows" of the building in the top left corner of the reference had originally been replicated by small squares of fabric. However, I found that the natural pattern of the fabric I was using replicated the windows just as accurately.

I had to adapt constantly to the materials I was sewing, as some would stretch and break from the pressure of the stuffing, this resulting in darning or covering over any of the holes that the appeared.

Originally, I planned to leave the edges of the piece and fill them in with oil paint, the same colour as the fabric. However, my tutor recommended adding fabric to the entire piece, including the sides. I then began sewing and stapling over the painted sides with fabric of a similar or matching colour and filled this with stuffing. I liked this effect more as it expanded the piece and made it feel more sensory. It also brought an interesting curved silhouette, something I had wanted to try in one of my first ever studies, as inspired by William Jefferies "Ambage" tapestry. Overall, I loved the texture of the puffer jacket style mounds and the playful tactility it could provide.

Final Ideas

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