I am sharing a link created by my MA classmate Felicity who worked with textile dyes, laser cutting and printing processes to create a series of imaginary landscapes. She is a very dynamic, ambitious and supportive counterpart.

Please leave your comments.

http://norfolktextileblog.wordpress.com/

Sarees of India

I have always been fascinated by the tradition of sarees and the elegance it brings to a woman's personality. Browsing through some sarees from Andhra Pradesh, I am sharing some here. Graceful and plain silk sarees with a golden brocade border have been my favourites. The Dharmavaram in Andhra Pradesh is famous for silk sarees all over the world. No functions and ceremonies are complete without wearing these. They have simple, plain borders without much contrast. The borders of these sarees are commonly broad having brocaded gold patterns. The borders also have buttas (small motifs) and the pallus of the sarees have special designs. These sarees are woven with tussar silk also.

Dharmavaram of Andhra Pradesh

Mangalgiri Cotton Handlooms:

Mangalagiri in Andhra Pradesh produces unique sarees with a heavy zari border and simple mono-striped pallu of solid or striped zari threads. The field colors are often very vibrant shot weaves or small checks that dance and glimmer in harmony with the rich zari. The cloth is super finely woven with a crisp finish.

Mangalgiri Pattu

Simple but intricate Golden brocade border

It is usually not an easy task to gather inspiration everyday and keep the process of creating new designs running at the same pace. The MA has been a very intense and rigorous course in itself and has taught me not just a different perspective to art and design but also to follow a schedule. This helps one to achieve what one aims for and work within a framework. 

However a holiday is equally essential to refresh the mind and also observe the surrounding for more inspiring ideas. Taking the concept of connection of cultures forward, I must acknowledge here that besides the similarities in the textile world, there are some more familiar aspects I have observed during my stay here. 

Quintessentially and noticeably the tea culture is a very interesting connect. People here are equally fond of tea as people of India are. Though the style of making it and the nibbles which go along with it might differ. Cakes, flapjacks, scones with jam or margarine and toast with butter, is what I have experienced with a cup of English tea. Whereas a cup of evening tea in India would be accompanied by some salty snacks (namkeen), biscuits or fresh warm pakoras, if its the monsoon time. 

Sharing some recently done work

Digital pattern with Paisley

It has been a challenging task to learn many things at the same time and fulfilling successfully the encounters of living amongst a group of culturally different individuals.
At the same time, I feel very blessed to have met some very interesting counterparts in the course. They have not just been critical peers for each other but also very supportive and encouraging on every stage of the project development.
I m glad to have made some friends who are always ready to share their experiences professionally and personally at all times.

With my creative knowledge I wish to create patterns for contemporary interior design. Besides the patterns I also want to work towards a trendy scheme of work for a warm and pleasing home. These printed patterns are mainly inspired from traditional asian and Indian backgrounds combining with a sense of freshness.

Coming from an Indian family, my perspective of contemporary textiles and interior design have been quite different from what I got to see in the UK. It was fascinating to inculcate a blend of cultures and past experiences in my practice and achieve something completely different and novel.

This also helps envisage and understand a broader horizon to one's practice and find an internaional audience.

My experiences with textiles in the UK

I am hoping this blog will become a place to share ideas, reflect on past experiences and gather inspiration for the time to come. My practice and interests mainly revolve around art, design, textiles, pattern, colour, creativity and a cultural connect. 

A lot of my inspiration comes from my past where I have been involved in looking at and understanding Indian textiles, crafts and interior design. This also included traditional weaving, hand and digital printing, laser cutting and embroidery techniques. Working with reputable textile furnishing companies, interior designers and architects has been a part of my professional experience. My recent practice has been a collection of patterns that take inspiration from the traditional Indian motif- Paisley. Other ideas for inspiration emerge from observation, photography, drawing and the usage of colour in the artworks.

The prior inspiration of impulsive beauty of tradition and the splendours of stylish interior design creating a cultural crossover and combining it with a rarefied sense of newness in a quirky colour palette have helped me accomplish the MA.

My practice has involved combining traditional Indian backgrounds, motifs and themes with contemporary design elements, creating unique surface patterns through hand and digital processes. By creating unique colour palettes that I have applied to screen and digital printing methods on fabric, I feel I have been successful in promoting my response to the sub-continent's magnificent and intricate motifs.

Within my research, I have been inspired by the distinctive style of contemporary British interior design houses such as Designer's Guild, Harlequin, Mulberry Home, Sanderson, Osborne & Little and Nina Campbell.

This research, has provoked an innovative perspective in my designs, by using Photoshop to create interesting combinations of patterns, I have experienced a remarkable break-through in my practice.

I am aiming to build a practice of my own as a surface and textile designer. I am excited to work with established designers or groups and collaborations which provide me opportunities to challenge and develop my designing skills, promote learning and expand my conceptual and analytical skills in the process.

For my MA show, I designed a series of printed patterns with a contemporary look and feel. These designs created wonderful combinations; 'Melange of pattern and colour'. Besides these I chose three designs which were printed on a running length which was a play with repeat and scale; 'Versatility of Paisley and Transition of Colour'.