The School and The Psychology Magazine

"I talk in my personal statement about how I find opportunities instead of waiting for them - I went out my way to show my photography many times within school in the younger years, and I have been rewarded with the opportunity to be the photographer for 2 senior prefect run magazines. I was particularly pleased with the photographs below. Both at this time have not been printed, but will be soon."

The School Magazine

"This is a photograph of one of the editors. Recently, I have developed a strong love for taking portraits of people - I really enjoy the idea of capturing people with the traits and thoughts that they have at that very specific moment in time. Although the technicalities of this photo is nothing new, I was really impressed with the outcome as it really projects her bubbly, humorous personality - I think one of the key elements of why this photo worked was my ability to make her feel relaxed and make her laugh, as to me true art in photography is not when the model looks forced and posed."

The Psychology Magazine

"I was proud of this photograph as not only did I frame it and take it, I also arranged getting everyone together, where we shot it, what everyone wore and got everyone chatting. The reason why everyone is wearing some variant of a navy and white striped top is that the article was about conformity, and I think this visually shows conformity within teenage fashion very directly. I chose to use black for the bottoms as I feel it contrasted against the white wall in a similar way that the stripes contrast each other, emphasizing the feel of conformity to further express the idea of the article."









"This photograph also had a lot of thought put into it. The article subject, being around the death of Jamie Bulger in the form of an interview is of course a very sensitive and delicate subject, so I struggled at first to think of an equally sensitive and respectful photo. The idea of the angel comes from two ideas - firstly, the abstract idea of death as it stands on a grave within a graveyard, and secondly as angels are usually on graves of children. Unfortunatley, this gravestone stood above a child of a very similar age to Jamie Bulger. I am also pleased with this photo as there is definitely a feeling of peace within it, due to the over cast day and mixture of greys and dull greens."










" I took this photo on this girls' 18th birthday - after seeing the dramatically low sunlight spilling in front of the school, I thought it would be a great opportunity to capture an interesting portrait of her one her first day of being an adult. The Psychology magazine was also doing an article on the power of positive attitude, and I thought this photo would be perfect."

Investigation into the topic of 'Decorative architectural features'

Decorative architectural features // Artist Research // A1

Top Middle Painting: watercolour and ink pen on sketch paper.

Middle Textiles Piece: fabric paint and hand stitching on cotton.

Middle Left Drawing: pencil and ink pen on sketch paper.

"I chose to study Bates as I love the simplistic, minimalistic style of using predominately black and white, with a splash of colour, as it really emphasises the architectural features of the builings. She has done this by using black thread almost like a pencil line to create bold, thick lines to make the details of the scene really stand out against the white.

I chose to study Wronska as again, I love the technique of using solid outlines to show the minute details of the buildings. Even though the use of pencil shading in her work was effective at making it look realistic, I prefer Bates' work as it is more stylised and the colour palette has a large impact on the eye, making the sample look striking and really draws the attention to the details."

Decorative architectural features // Observations (all photographs are mine) // A1

Middle Right Drawing: watercolour, coloured pencil and white acrylic on sketch paper.

Middle Left Painting: watercolour on sketch paper.

Middle Textiles Piece: fabric paint, hand stitching and beads on cotton.

"I went to Liverpool to take photographs, as the city has many stunning neo-classical style buildings, with domes similar to Bates' samples. I took photos of very detailed buildings as it is similar to both my artist's styles. Unfortunately, the photos came out lacking in yellow."

Decorative architectural features // Development // A1
Far Left Textiles Piece: machine stitching on cotton.
Middle Textiles Piece: fabric paint and hand stitching on cotton.
Right Middle Textiles Piece: fabric paint, hand stitching and beads onto cotton.
Bottom Left Textiles Piece: silk dyes and gutta onto silk.
All other paintings: watercolour and ink pen on sketch paper.

"For my final piece I have chosen a more complicated picture in Bates' style. I have used dark colours so the white and the intricate details stand out. I have done a simple brick handle so not to draw attention from the building. I have drawn a satchel bag, again in the detailed embroidery style of Bates'. I have done this striped pattern as I have used it within the piece. With this and the bottom sample, I have used brighter colours than the original photos to reflect the lively and buzzing atmosphere of Liverpool, of which these 3 graces are a main attraction. To achieve thicker lines I have used gutta and silk, but I think the neatness and style of using thread and fabrics paints shows the architectural features better, so for my final I will do the top design in a brighter, intenser, bolder hue."




Decorative architectural features // Final Piece // 29 x 34 x 10cm
Fabric paint and machine embroidery onto cotton.
If video doesn't play (or plays in terrible quality) click here for HD version: https://youtu.be/0qUV60KPS1w

Geometrical and Symmetrical Designs

Geometrical and Symmetrical Designs // Work In Progress // Smaller (12x5cm)
Ink pen, gold and silver acrylic on sketch paper.

"In my personal statement, I discuss how I find is fascinating how you can use art to relax, but also to fill a space with energy. To relax, I enjoy creating these tiny geometrical and symmetrical designs, and then filling in certain gaps with gold and silver. I find them very therapeutic and a chance to escape. I think finding someway of experiencing that feeling of 'flow' is extremely important.




Geometrical and Symmetrical Designs // Work In Progress // Larger (17x8cm)
Ink pen on sketch paper.

365 Days

"A while ago, I decided that from Jan 1st I would take a photo a day for the whole of 2016 as it will be a monumental change for me - starting with the last few months of seeing friends I have seen almost daily for the last 7+ years, to a long summer, to starting University. I think it will be interesting how the content changes - so far it has been a lot of  portraits, perhaps reflecting the knowledge that I will not see these friends as often so must record how they look now, as I know them."

The top 2 so far:








"This was taken 11/1/16 on this girls birthday. The sun made the sea look incredibly calm and serene so we decided to go further an investigate. I decided to hang back and take a very symmetrical photo where the sea meets the sand. I think the beauty in this photo is achieved by the contrast of the dark sand and light sky, but alternate in the middle with her pale legs but dark coat."

"I am particularly proud of the mood captured within this photograph. The sun was soon about to set, which was perfect opportunity to experiment with the delicate light that only appears just before dusk and just after dawn. I think this photograph elegantly reflects the atmosphere between us, as we were both calm, quiet and retrospective after visiting a graveyard for a previous photograph."

Investigation into the topic of 'Overgrown'

Overgrown // Artists Research // A1

Top Left Drawing: watercolour and coloured pencil on sketch paper.

Middle Textiles Piece: fabric paint and hand stitching onto cotton.

Bottom Right Painting: watercolour and ink pen on sketch paper.

"Ivan Shishkin's oil paintings remind me of an overgrown garden, left to go wild. This is why I picked two of his paintings for my artist research. His paintings are very detailed and realistic. He uses bright yellows and yellows to make the images feel warm, a skill I have tried in my study. I drew a zoomed in version (top left part) of the image  beside the study. I used coloured pencils to capture all the details. His paintings also feature weeds instead of flowers, which symbolises overgrown.

Angie Lewin's style of drawing is more abstract that Ivan Shishkins. She creates the overgrown effect by putting flowers and plants of different styles and colours next to each other, as if they had all grown like that in the wild. I chose these images for my artist research board as I think they contrast Ivan Shishkin's well - Angie Lewin's pictures look as if they are in the wild, not in a garden and the shapes are also a lot more stylised. Because of this, I decided to use thread to draw out the lines and shapes on my fabric sample. She also uses block colour, a technique I have applied to my studies. Especially in the image of the study I did in watercolour, there are lots of leaves and stems randomly strewn across the picture, which also creates the overgrown effect. She also uses quite dull and pale colours."

Overgrown // Observations (all my own photographs) // A1

Top Middle Textiles Piece: fabric paint and hand stitching onto cotton.
Middle Drawing: coloured pencil on sketch paper.

Bottom Left Painting: watercolour on sketch paper.

"Overgrown means 'something covered in plants that has been allowed to grow wild'. I took this to heart when I took these photographs, finding Ivy and other plants crawling up walls, signs doors and trees - basically anywhere they shouldn't be. My favourite image is the one of the door, because to me it really symbolises overgrown."




Overgrown // Development // A1

Top Left Handles: fabric paint and hand stitching onto cotton and satin.

Top Right Textiles Piece: fabric paint and machine stitching onto cotton.

Middle Textiles Piece: hand stitching onto a print onto cotton.

Middle Right Textiles Piece: fabric paint and hand stitching onto cotton.

All other Paintings: watercolour on sketch paper.

"For my initial strap idea (the one on the left) I did a very simply design, that was good as a sturdy handle but not very interesting. For my 2nd idea, I decided to use a string of leaves from my bag as a handle.This was much more interesting but seemed a bit fragile to be a handle for a bag. My final idea is the one on the right - the leaves and plait add interest, but it is also a strong and sturdy handle. The plait also looks like a vine with leaves growing up it, which looks very overgrown.

For my brick design, I used a sewing machine and just black thread to create a very stylised feel, like Angie Lewin's work. For the sample on the left, I was inspired by Ivan Shishkin, so I ironed on half of a photograph from my observations board to get a realistic feel, then stitched over the top around the leaves and on the veins for added definition. 

My favourite design is the mint green one, based off one of my photos from my observation board. I chose it because I thought the deep reds and mint greens went really nice together and the plant strewn across it looks very overgrown. The shape of the box (with the indented section) also created a nice background for my bag, and also created a sort of frame for the plant, which the plant comes out of, creating an overgrown effect. The thread makes it look stylised, like Angie L's."

Overgrown // Final Piece // 15 x 24cm

Fabric paint, machine and hand stitching onto satin and cotton.

If video doesn't play (or plays in terrible quality) click here for HD version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pInJ99m4HCM&feature=youtu.be 

Investigation into the topic of 'Reflective Surfaces'

Reflective Surfaces // Artist Research // A2 Sketchbook

Top Left Textiles Pieces: silk paint, beads and gutta on silk.

Top Left of Second Page Drawing: watercolour and coloured pencil on sketch paper.

"The first artist I have looked at is the photographer Bing Wright from New York, who has used the evening light and stormy skies to create a calming ambience to his work. He has used smashed mirrors to create interesting patterns of trees, the sky, clouds at dusk and the striking reds and pinks of the setting sun, creating an almost spider web effect. This is a beautiful example of how the time of day, and that particular type of light, can create mesmerising art, but with the added layer of the dark cracks. His art has been described as ‘poetic stillness’ and has been linked to the beauty of stained glass windows, which is understandable when you look at the black lines and the pale colours trapped within them. As well as the very neat framing, I like the actual technique of using a low aperture to make the background out of focus and the cracks sharply in focus. His work has inspired me to think about not only the reflective surface I use, but also the surroundings, as it makes a big impact on the overall look and feel of the piece. His other works, such as the smashed pieces of mirror on mirror are also very still, and very beautiful. The colour palette of blue and grey carry on here, and also the shallow depth of field, a technique used throughout his work, which is something I will bring into my observation photographs. All of his works are very delicate looking, which I think is interesting considering that we have been taught as children that smashed glass means danger."




Reflective Surfaces // Artist Research // A2 Sketchbook
Middle Left: Biro and pencil on sketch paper.

"The last artist I am investigating is Mary Martin, who creates 3D pieces using a wide range of materials, such as aluminium and wood. The reason I chose to study her was because I wanted to make sure to study an artist who created almost installation style pieces, as now I have wide range of mediums to fully explore the extent of reflective surfaces, whether literally or metaphorically, from sculpture to photography, to stitching and material choices. I also chose to study her because of the amount of thought that goes into each piece, especially ‘Inversions’, which she created in 1966. I was very interested in how the piece looked different depending on what angle you viewed it from, so I went to look at in person at the Tate in Liverpool. To fully explore her style, I also went to see another of her pieces, ‘Cross’, created in 1969, in the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. I found it amazing that with both pieces, my perception would be completely different to someone standing a metre away from me, showing the multiple perspectives of cubism. This also means that as you pass in front of the pieces they seems to change, which is what initially interested me in reflective surfaces – the pieces you create will never look quite the same each time you view them, as it depends on the levels of light in the room and also who and what is behind you, making the pieces almost interactive. Mary Martin created this effect in ‘Inversions’ by using reflective aluminium and also by the careful and precise mathematics that determines what tilt and angle each plane should be. I found out at the Tate that this equation was similar to the one used by the modernist architect Le Corbusier, to relate buildings to people. Mary Martin went one step further with this connection, making her entire piece measure 6 feet, the height of typical average male. ‘Cross’ was created using stainless steel, showing her experimental nature in trying out different metals."




Reflective Surfaces // Observation (all photographs are my own) // Each board is A2 sized
1st Board, Middle Right Textiles Piece: silk paint, gutta, hand embroidery and beads on silk.
2nd Board, Middle Right Mixed Media Piece: watercolour, coloured pencil and acrylic paint on sketch paper.
3rd Board, Middle Right Textiles Piece: fabric paint, hand and machine stitching onto cotton.
4th Board, Bottom Left Textiles Piece: beads and hand stitching onto a printed image onto cotton.

"After studying Bing Wright's photographs of shattered mirrors, I decided to have ago at re-creating them, adding the further element of the ocean to tie in Cody Smith [another artist I studied in my sketchbook who used the sea in his photography] and also due to the reflective link between the colours of the sky and sea. I used gutta for the cracks and silk paint to achieve the delicate blues and greys present in the soft focus of the background and sky, showing the peaceful nature portrayed.
I was also mesmerised by the vivid colours created when Bing Wright layered shattered pieces of mirror, again shooting at the beach at high tide to achieve those brilliant blues. I was extremely pleased with the outcome, showing the spectrum of blues and greens captured within the shards of the mirror. To truly understand the colours and reflections within the photographs I took, I did a watercolour and pencil study. 
During my study of Mary Martin, I went to visit 'Inversions' in the Tate gallery, Liverpool. I aimed to capture how the piece changed depending on the angle, going from warm lilacs and vivid golds to varying shades of grey. I explored the colours, highlights and shadows whilst fabric painting and embellishing with metallic thread. 
To explore the ethereal nature of reflective surfaces, I visited the Science Museum in London and found the creases in the foil on the Apollo Lunar Module reminiscent of the dresses designed by Veronique. I shot in b&w [black and white] to reflect the time period (1968, same year Rabanne [another designer I studied in my sketchbook] created his silver dresses) and explore the light. I experimented with shiny beads to make the contrast starker, showing a more dramatic side to reflective surfaces not seen in the calm images above."

Reflective Surfaces // Observations // Close up of Photographs

Reflective Surfaces // Development // A2
First Row, Left: reverse applique using dyed cottons/
First Row, Middle: printed image onto cotton.
First Row, Right: foil, silver fabric, fabric paint and machine stitching on cotton. 
Second Row, Left: sequins, beads, cotton and fabric paint.
Second Row, Middle: angelina fibres, cotton, foil, sequins, fabric paint through a stencil.
Second Row, Right: silk paint, gutta and beads on silk.
Third Row, Left: fabric paint printed using a stencil on silver fabric.
Third Row, Middle: printed image onto cotton.
Third Row, Right: fabric paint printed using a stencil onto black shimmery fabric.
Fourth Row, Left: fabric paint on cotton.
Fourth Row, Middle: fabric paint, silver fabric, black sparkly fabric, sheer fabric, machine stitching. 
Fourth Row, Right: silk paint, gutta and beads on silk.
Fifth Row, Left: silk paint, gutta and beads on silk.
Fifth Row, Middle: printed image onto cotton.
Fifth Row, Right: fabric paint and beads.

"For my final piece I wanted to enlarge 4 rectangles using a range of textiles techniques, based on the photos from my observation boards. I decided to experiment with different techniques to find different ways to use textiles to represent the sheen and reflection created my the shards of mirror and the cracks. After experimenting with different materials and skills within these 15 rectangles I have learnt what techniques create what effects.

For my 1st final piece I will create a large scale detailed fabric painting similar to the piece on row 4, on the left to fully explore all the amazing colours and minute details created by broken mirrors reflecting the sky. Below is a work in progress photograph.

For my 2nd final piece I will use various fabrics to explore all the shades and textures to represent the blues and browns within the picture of the cracked mirror reflecting the sea, sky and the rocks. It will be similar in style to the piece in the middle of row 4. 

For my 3rd final piece I will combine the freehand machine pieces and the angelina fibre piece to create a hybrid of the qualities derived from both - I was particularly pleased with these pieces as the free hand helped to blur the background which makes the layer of the angelina fibres look like the layer of the mirror and then using a stencil making crisp lines for the cracks which are in focus.

For my 4th final piece I will create a larger scale version of the silk painting on the right of row 4, as the delicate shades created mixed with the bold lines of gutta really represent the photograph well."

Memory Videos

Memory Videos // Filmed on GoPro Hero 4 and Panasonic Lumix GX1 // 4:05  and 3:42 minutes
If you want to view anymore, click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/user/rachelsfilmroll/videos

"In my personal statement I wrote about short youtube videos that I make, as I find them a lot more interesting to look back on then a collection of  arbitrary photographs. I think this is because you can really remember the moment with a small moving snapshot, and also because I am very careful to pick a song that I was listening to when I was filming, as I believe songs can really aid to transport you back. I think what I find so amazing about these videos is how much feeling there is in them, which I think is a crucial element in all aspects of art - for you, it will just be a video of friends, but for me this captures a moment in my life that I will never get back - of all my friends being within 1/2 hour of eachother, and able to meet up often, something we will lose in the coming years. I also find that I am able to appreciate everyday beauty when looking for things to film - where I live looks unarguably beautiful in these videos. I also picked these ones as the sun is shining, which is a nice reminder on these dark autumn nights."