Post Card

I have been asked to submit a post card for a forthcoming exhibtion in Bristol.  I decided to do use mixed media techniques with stitch to produce a balaclava themed fashion drawing based on a fashion illustration I did for my final major project at Northbrook College.  Here it is!

I love alliums!

I couldn't resist photographing the amazing seedheads from my spectacular alliums. I am going to save the seeds and distribute among my fellow allotmenteers not to mention the Guerilla Gardeners. These beautiful natural forms will no doubt creep into my design work.

Which reminds me, I really MUST finish off my fashionista scarecrow. The experience I gained pattern cutting my fashionista balaclavas will put me in good stead for making a fabric head for her.

The Girls - The Class of 2011 with Tom Embleton

Well New Designers is over and the girls are all going their separate ways. There are lots of exciting projects going on, not to mention holidays and wonderful job opportunities. Check out Artsthread to learn more. We have all agreed to meet up from time to time to catch up on all the news and gossip.

My Final Show

Well the final show at Northbrook has been a great success and now its time to think about getting ready for New Designers at the end of the month. For those of you who didn't manage to get to the show, here are some pictures. All designs copywrite Lynn Openshaw 2011. I will be pleased to receive comments and enquiries.

INVITATION

Exciting times as we received a large box from the printers containing our individual post cards and invitations to our Degree Show. See my work and that of the other students in my group - we call ourselves the Northbrook Eleven 2011 - or see our work at New Designers 2011 at the Design Centre in London.

Degree Show at Northbrook College: Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th June 2011.

Degree Show on Stand T34 at New Designers, Design Centre, Islington Thursday 30 June to Saturday 2nd July 2001. www.newdesigners.com

Getting there slowly

My Final Major Project is almost at an end although there is still MUCH to do! I finished another length today and am very pleased with it as I used a tricky process. Having dyed some silk a beautiful shade of midnight blue using my own dye recipe from a range of direct dyes I started printing the geometric elements with a very dark navy. I then switched to discharge paste and selected some of the florals which would eventually become white. I wanted to stretch my printing skills so I opted to use basic dyes with discharge paste although these are very volatile dyes with unpredictable outcomes. After a LOT of colour testing with varying degrees of success I chose several colours from my colour story and selected the floral elements to create a colour "flow" around the design. I mixed a lime green, a turquoise and a bright firey orange. After an unbelievable amount of stencil cutting and screen washing the printing was finished last night. The length went into the steamer this morning and then during the washing out process the colours started to develop before my eyes. All the hard work and anxiety about the colour stability was worth it. I am delighted with the design! See the finished article at my Degree Show at Northbrook or at New Designers show in July.

Stitching by lamplight

Managed to finish an embroidered sample last night - will make into a shaped swatch. I am quite pleased with the results - this fits into my "revolutionary" colour way - with blazing reds and oranges with blacks, greys and blues.

Post Card

Am busy putting the finishing touches to my post card for New Designers 2011. It will act as a "calling card" but has the advantage of being bigger (A6 size) so that anyone interested in my work can jot down notes on the back. It was really difficult to choose a design that would demonstrate my range of skills but I chose this one as it incorporates both floral drawing and a geometric pattern. I put the design into a half drop repeat and the colour way, although a restrained palette, links to one of my project colour stories. The flower image on the back is one of my silk 3D flowers that I made to adorn a balaclava.

Work in Progress Seminar

Time is now whizzing by to the end of the Final Major Project - still loads to do and more ideas that time to execute them. Better than the other way around, I suppose. Not much time now to finals at Northbrook and then our show at New Designers in London at the Design Centre. We are the Northbrook 2011 Eleven. Here is my studio space of the day we had to present out ideas to our peers.

Theresa May bans balaclavas !

Oh dear! In the light of the recent unrest during protests against government spending cuts Theresa May aims to ban the wearing of balaclavas. I hope the ban doesn't extend to ban my fashionista balaclavas - these beautifully crafted fashion accessories could now become illegal apparel! Check them out at my final degree show at Northbrook College 8 - 10 June and also at New Designers, London 30 June to 2 July. Commissions welcome.

Here is a sneak preview of a prototype of one of the designs:

Florals florals everywhere

I have decided to take a slightly different approach to florals and incorporate the idea of guerrilla gardening in my final major project ideas. I like the idea of a subversive element to gardening and I think the greening of urban spaces is an important environmental issue. Guerrilla gardening is the process of planting flowers, seeds or veggies on ground that is neglected. This might be a derelict site or an unloved area of ground. Guerrilla gardening is a subversive act because planting flowers on land that you don't own if considered to be a criminal activity. I believe that we are entering a more politically active and engaged period of history with increased incidences of revolt and protest and this links in with the urban activism of guerilla gardening. I am interested in the idea of beauty in otherwise ugly spaces and the interplay between the urban and the natural world. I think this is going to be a really exiting project that will enable me to draw flowers, plants, urban spaces and also creatures that inhabit the urban environment. I will be taking the ideas forward into fashion outcomes and am particularly interested in subversive urbanista inspired headwear. Here is one of my recent floral "sketches" although I will be using a different colourway.

Bra Appeal - Breast Cancer Awareness Event

For those of you who live in and around Eastbourne, do check out the Breast Cancer Awareness event at the Underground Theatre on Saturday 16 April. Lots to see and do with bric a brac stalls, workshops, prizes from local businesses. The Underground Theatre are kindly arranging refreshments. Do go along and support the event all proceeds to Breast Cancer Care. Volunteers and participants will be warmly welcomed. As a breast cancer survivor this is a cause close to my heart.

Apologies

for not having updated my blog for a while. I reset my password and managed to lock myself out of my own blog!

Dherrrr!

Inspirational headwear

I absolutely LOVE these 1950s bathing caps - I think I will use them for inspiration for one of my designs. Watch out for the results at New Designers this summer!