2nd Year Reflection

Posted: June 9, 2015 | Author: wulanayu | Filed under: Level 5 Subject, Subject | Tags: illustration, stitch | Leave a comment

It certainly has been a very busy year for me. Applying visual language project really had set me to further understand my illustration style. I explored mataphor for my subject module and dissertation topic. I found that it’s really helpful when both modules corelates with each other. This year’s field module (Synergies between materials & tecnology and Morocco) & Stitch workshop has changed the way I view my work. I started to do stitch work for Dyffryn house – Stitch room project then I decided that I wanted to go deeper into this medium of thread, fabric manipulation as well as fabric dye process. I’ve also joined a workshop with textile artist – Tilleke Schwarz tin order to understand stitch technique in narrative and reportage style. The outcome of that workshop is in one of final works for Morroco project.

Applying principles of synergies between materials & technology into my charity project has enhanced the charity’s purpose/aim and helped me understand metaphor even more. I enjoyed this project because we get to be involved with the real world, build relationship with communities and try make a difference by contributing my skill and knowledge. Charity and Ted Talks are the projects that I enjoyed the most.

This year, we have the opportunity to display our works on our desk and exhibit it in our end of year exhibition. I didn’t realise that I enjoyed preparing the exhibition. It’s a new experience to curate my own work. I will experiment on thread art during summer toward my final year. I feel that thread is the main medium in my illustration.

Stitch Workshop

Posted: June 8, 2015 | Author: wulanayu | Filed under: Level 5 Subject, Subject, Workshop | Tags: embroidery, stitch, workshop | Leave a comment

I enrolled to Wednesday stitch workshop leaded by Maggie Cullinae. I’ve never touch a sewing machine before, so I was quite nervous. I just need getting use to and practice more what stitch can offer. I started with hand embroidery follow up with free-motion embroidery technique. This technique is great for illustrator because it gives me freedom in drawing with thread. My workshop continued to aplique, fabric manipulation and ended with digital stitch.

I then continued it by participating in artist workshop with Tilleke Schwarz from Nederland. Her stitch work is mainly narrative – reportage style. I learned a lot from this approach because it presents the stitch work that communicates to the viewers. I applied this approach to one of my final work for Field Module – Morocco project.

I’m planning to do more works in stitch for third year and will build up my work in summer.

Images:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

St Fagan’s workshop

Posted: June 2, 2015 | Author: wulanayu | Filed under: Level 5 Subject, Others, Subject, Workshop | Tags: cardiff, ceramics, illustration, st fagans museum, walk and draw | Leave a comment

On 25th May, 2015 few illustrators and I participated in a join collaboration workshop with Ceramics course at St Fagan’s Museum. The workshop is intended to create vessel which clay came from the earth beneath St Fagan’s. The event is also to celebrate National Museum day on 27th May. A group of illustrators are there to help with walk and draw. We assisted participants to draw objects in and around the cottages and garden that have historical values. The drawing then is used as a ideas to inspire them in making the vessel.

The workshop gave me experiences in ‘teaching’. I’m interested in studying art therapy for my master so I’ve always wanted to know how it feel to teach or assist people in learning to draw. It was also fun to watch the excitement from participants when they investigated and explored objects for their inspirations.

Participatory arts from Dr. Natasha Mayo on Vimeo.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Brain in Love book

Posted: June 1, 2015 | Author: wulanayu | Filed under: Level 5 Subject, Subject, TED Talk | Tags: Dr Helen Fisher, illustration, stitch, TED Talks, The Brain in Love, thread | 2 Comments

My tutor suggested that my work would be great to turn into a book. So I decided to create the petri dish look by using platic film for the pages. Here’s the finish book.

© Ayu Baker. 2015. Wearing heart on your sleeve.

The Brain in Love

Posted: June 1, 2015 | Author: wulanayu | Filed under: Level 5 Subject, Subject, TED Talk | Tags: TED Talks, The Brain in Love | Leave a comment

For the TED Talk project, I’ve chosen The Brain in Love talk by Dr. Helen Fisher from Rutgers University, USA. She and her team studied gender differenced and evolution of human emotion by taking MRI scans of brains of long-term couples, new couples, and people who had just been dumped.

The research concluded that ‘Romantic Love’ phase in the brain can effect humans behaviour and decision making in term of seeking love to fall in love, keeping a long term relationship, to have sexual connection, kill for love or even die for love. When humans have romantic attraction the brain produces hormones that influence feeling & emotion (+testosterone, +dopamine, +norepinephrine, -serotonin). These hormones give us the butterfly in stomach and heart beating fast when humans fall in love. When humans are madly in love, part of the brain begin to shut down.

The research proposed three stages of being in love:

Lust – influences from testosterone & oestrogen (sex drive).
Attraction – love stuck phase, can’t think of anyone else (dopamine, norepinephrine, – serotonin).
Attachement – influences from oxytocin & vasopressin that make humans feel of mutual teritory, parental feeling, security, comfort (compassionate love).

So, I decided to focus on my work on the tree stages of being in-love. I used thread to create the drawing because I want to achieve a 2D/3D effect. The display ideas is inspired from petri dish.

TED Talks video by Dr Helen Fisher

Few sketches on my book:

Final Critique

Posted: June 1, 2015 | Author: wulanayu | Filed under: Charity Project, Level 5 Subject, Subject | Tags: Bawso, Charity Project, EndFGM, illustration, stitch | Leave a comment

The feedback from final critique for this project has informed me with things that I need to consider before going forward with the stitch workshop with participants from Bawso charity org. In particular is the confidentiality, anonymity and ethics of it. So based upon my tutors advice, I got in contact with Wendy Bright (Leader in Centre for Applied Research in Inclusive Arts & Design) about displaying the work for public. She gave me valuable inputs and which aspects that I need to respect particularly the benefits that participants could gain from the workshop and whether their involvement could cause any harm (emotional, physical & psychological). She also advised me to think how best to involve them. This means that they need to be fully informed and should consent to be part of the project.

My next meeting with the director of Bawso charity org is on 17th of June. Hopefully we can discuss in depth about the above issues. And also another meeting on 11th June to discuss about logistic and technical aspects of the workshop.

This is a great opportunity for me to practice my skills outside university, and I am hoping that once all logistic are met, chances to take this workshop to other Bawso branches are open (Swansea, Wrexham & Newport).

The final work of this project will be divided into two approaches: Personal approach (the book) is to create intimate feeling in communicating the messages sent from general public to the victims. Second approach is Open (the quilt) to display the stitch work for whoever need positive messages to lift up the spirit. The quilt will be made after my meeting with Bawso people, to cater whether they have any special request for the display format (if any).

I also have made a separate blog, dedicated for updates and promote the stitch workshop.

process of making the envelope

Here’s some post I made of the facebook event:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Dyffryn House project

Posted: June 1, 2015 | Author: wulanayu | Filed under: Level 5 Subject, Subject, Visual Language | Tags: cardiff, dyffryn house & garden, illustration, national trust house, stitch, watercolour | 1 Comment

I had the opportunity to participate in a Story room project by Dyffryn House and Garden in Cardiff. Story room project is to feature the story of Cory family who owned the house before National Trust took it over. My project is focusing on Florence Cory story. She is well-known for her philanthropy works and musical talent as well as having a high-end fashion sense. Newspaper articles issued in Georgian era about social events that she attended gave me ideas to create a drawing-stitch mix media piece. The piece was exhibited from 23rd March for a month.

As requested by Dyffryn House, this piece is going to be exhibited in Florence Cory’s room permanently.

© Ayu Baker, 2015. Dyffryn house exhibition. Florence Cory.

Posters

Posted: June 1, 2015 | Author: wulanayu | Filed under: Charity Project, Level 5 Subject, Subject | Tags: campaign, Charity Project, embroidery, EndFGM, illustration, Posters, stitch | Leave a comment

These posters are made for the EndFGM campaign. The first poster is emphasising on stopping parents taking their daughters abroad to get cut (also known as ‘vacation cutting’). I decided to take a harsh approach because even though some of the parents knew about the prison sentence applied in the UK regarding ‘vacation cutting’ they are still taking this violence act abroad and get away with it. Harsh approach may get through their wrong beliefs and could change their mind.

The second poster is a soft approach in support of the campaign. It’s purpose is to change their attitude towards the ‘value’ of women (virginity myths and gender inequality issue). The words printed on the background is from a wish of one of the victims of FGM: A world where mutilating our genitals does not define our ‘cleanliness’. A world where girls and women are not treated as sexual objects. A world where sex is not only for men to enjoy.

Final book

Posted: June 1, 2015 | Author: wulanayu | Filed under: Level 5 Subject, Life Stories, Subject | Tags: biography, illustration, Japanese bindng, Walter Benjamin | Leave a comment

I’ve printed the book and bind in Japanese binding. The cover is made in vintage style from an old letter Walter Benjamin sent to one of his friend. The book size is A5.

© Ayu Baker, 2015. Walter Benjamin biography. Journey through the Pyreenes.

© Ayu Baker, 2015. Front cover. Waletr Benjamin biography book.

Meeting with Bawso Charity

Posted: April 27, 2015 | Author: wulanayu | Filed under: Charity Project, Level 5 Field, Subject | Tags: Charity Project, EndFGM, illustration, stitch | Leave a comment

I had a meeting with Bawso reps on 14th April at their office in Cardiff. Their response was great. They like that the workshop will get the victims to express their feelings/experiences as well as getting the communities/public involve in supporting the victims. They’re thankful and impressed by the stitch works from participants on the book project. Bawso also offered an opportunity of expanding the workshop and stitch book project to the other branches in Wales (Swansea, Wrexham, Newport). And hopefully they are willing to give a chance for the book to be displayed at their annual event to commemorate International Day for the elimination of violence against women in November, usually held at Llandaff cathedral. Right now I am waiting for a follow up meeting confirmation to discuss on the technical & logistic aspects of the workshop as they agreed to continue working with me on this project.