City & Guilds Star No. 3

The last two C&G Stars have been from my Level 3 group so I think it’s only fair that I bring a Level 2 student’s work to your attention. The first Level 2 student I want to highlight is Eve Muir who has successfully completed her Level 2 at the end of last month. In year 1 of the course Eve produced a beautiful panel in machine embroidery based on a wild flower garden she has at home. This year she produced a hand made felt tryptych which had as its inspiration the marran grass of a Scottish seashore and the finished piece produced many positive comments from both visitors to the exhibition as well as the External Verifier.

The secret to producing a successful piece of textiles is having a source of inspiration that truly inspires you. In this project Eve blended the colours of the sea in the felted pieces with a layer of machine embroidered marran grass, giving the feeling of the grass blowing in the wind, the sometimes biting North Sea wind that batters our coast. She picked exactly the right colours for the marran grass which offset the blues of the rough sea in the felted tryptych. The machine embroidery was stitched on a near invisible net which disappeared against the felted background. Eve manipulated the felted by stitching tucks and pleats to evoke the waves and felted bandage muslin into the felt as she worked it. The piece was hung from an acrylic pole which ‘disappears’ against the wall leaving the textiles as the main interest.

Throughout the process there were changes made, problems encountered and overcome, but the finished piece I hope you agree is most successful.

City & Guilds Star No. 2

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On Friday at 4pm, amid much hilarity I must add, the Dundee College C&G students arrived to remove the work that has been on display to the public since the 28th May. We always have a comment book so that visitors can express their views and as always, there are many lovely comments again this year.

One student whose work has been much admired during the exhibition is Cris Bonomy of Perth. She has been a student with me for four years and has been awarded a Level 3 Certificate with Distinction. Cris approaches everything she has done during her time studying C&G with the same high level of commitment to developing technique and design. Her sketchbooks always show how much work she does to experiment and look for ways of producing exactly the effect she wants. During the External Verifier’s visit this week the EV remarked upon the sketchbooks generally but in particular, said how well Cris’ reflected the whole process of design and technique development through to the end piece. Cris’ Research for Design theme was Metamorphosis and this piece explored the change that comes from the natural Highland rivers or waterfalls into hydro-electric power. An interesting idea and one that many people would balk at attempting but I hope you agree that with this hanging Cris has realised her idea very well. I particularly liked the colours she has used, the soft neutrals with overtones of warm pinks, and her stitchery in the two main panels of this piece is lovely. Along with the other students who are finishing their study, I wish Cris well for the future.

Inspired by this? Then keep an eye on this blog and see more wonderful work by my C&G students.