Arts Thread

Arts Thread is an online tool designed to bring the creative industries, graduates and universities together. It allows graduates to upload their portfolio's for free - these can be viewed by a network of industries worldwide. 
As well as bringing the world of creative industries to your door, it also provides information on  grants, internships, competitions and exhibitions. This is an invaluable source for all creative graduates.

I am pleased to say that I have uploaded my portfolio to Arts Thread, please take a look by following the link: 

http://www.artsthread.com/p/nicciguest/

My Arts Thread portfolio home page

Arts Thread home page - featuring my work (bottom right)

Graduate Show

Here's a little video I've made of my graduate show which includes highlights from the Birmingham Made Me Expo which took place in July.
Hope you enjoy it.

Francois Morellet

In contrast to the 'handmade' natural feel of the 'Tapa' exhibition the Ikon Gallery was also exhibiting the work of French contemporary artist Francois Morellet. Morellets work is much more formal and considered.
Morellet was influenced by 'Tapa' art work, this is visible in some of the abstract forms and geometric lines. However, in contrast to natural 'Tapa' barkcloths, Morellet's painting are clean, precise and graphical.
Here are a few examples of his work.

'Tapa' Exhibition

Taking time out to visit an exhibition is always a pleasure. So, as I had a little free time, I took myself off to Birmingham's Ikon Gallery to see an exhibition of 'Tapa' paintings.
 'Tapa' is a traditional cloth made from bark and comes from the Pacific Islands. It's made from the inner bark of tropical trees - the bark is soaked in water to soften it before it is beaten until it resembles cloth. The cloth is then dried before being decorated with traditional and abstract designs. The tradition of decorating barkcloth is still alive today in Papua New Guinea.
 I was amazed to see how delicate these cloths were. The bark had been beaten until it is almost transparent and the fibres visible.
Here are a few highlights from this wonderful exhibition.

Simple marks are used to maximum effect

This image shows the delicate structure of the barkcloth

An Exciting Opportunity

Some of my work has been selected to be part of the Birmingham Made Me Design Expo, which takes place at Millennium Point from 6th to 21st June. I was asked to project manage the installation of the work. So this week I've been setting everything up, along with some very talented fellow textile students from Birmingham City University (BCU).

Here is my contribution to the event. This wallpaper design was selected by Beverley Nielsen, the Director of Employer Engagement at BCU.

A 4 metre length of my skeletal leaf design being printed

Following printing, I foiled blue leaves onto the design as a scattered border to add additional interest.

Completed print with foiling

The final installation 

My leaf design seen here on the left

So if you're in Birmingham over the next few weeks pop in to Millennium point, there's lots to see and do. 

All rights reserved Nicola Guest ©

Degree Show

I have so many exiting things to talk about at the moment. I will be adding regular updates, so please keep popping back.

Well, after three months of hard work and lots of late nights,  I have completed my Final Major Project. My display for the degree show went up very smoothly and I am pleased with the results . . . hope you like it too :-)

‘White Haven’

Wispy grasses, whose delicate fronds, sway gracefully in the wind. Translucent seedpods allow a glimpse of their hidden internal beauty. Leaves and petals, eroded by time, create brittle skeletal structures.

These specimens show the ephemeral beauty inherent in the forgotten, discarded and overlooked. ‘White Haven’ aims to capture the transient splendour of fragile nature and tries to preserve its essence. Transparency is an important element - silk georgette and fine muslins are used. The collection is punctuated as fabrics are manipulated and embroidered to create open structures that allow light to flood through. Tranquil tones of tourmaline and sky blue topaz are contrasted with a vibrant burst of lemon jade. 

A selection of my wallpapers and a few cushions.

Close up of my cushions and fabrics. The cushion on the left has laser cut detail inspired by lichen. The gorgeous little blue one is cotton velvet and has been printed using cyanotype. The wallpaper  with the leaf design has foiling detail.

  Close up of my selected wallpapers. 

Print collection & mood boards.

Please feel free to add comments / thoughts on my display and designs. If your in Birmingham and would like to see my exhibition as well as many other talented artists and designers pop in to see the degree show, details below: 

BIAD Graduate Shows 2013 

School of Fashion,Textile and Three-Dimensional Design. 

Gosta Green 

Birmingham 

B4 7DX

Monday 10th June to Saturday 15th June. 

More information on how all this came together as well as some inspirational insights to follow....

Bye for now. 

All rights reserved Nicola Guest ©

Creating my colour palette

Colour is so important. In many cultures certain colours have special meanings - in China red is lucky. Colours can affect our mood, they can be calming or stimulating. They can even, when used in advertising, effect what products we buy. Because colours can be so meaningful I spend a lot of time selecting the right colours for my palettes.

Initially, I look at colour trends to find out what palettes are being forecasted by the prediction companies. Blues tones are strong for 2014, from the softest chalky pastels to deepest ultra marine. also blue metallics are going to be very big on the High Street. Using this information I then do lots of colour testing. Until I finally find a combination that I fall in love with and this is it......hope you like it as much as I do.

The combination I fell in love with.

All rights reserved Nicola Guest ©

Experimenting with embroidery

Over the last few weeks I've been experimenting with free machine embroidery, to add another element to my project. I've also discovered the joys of dissolvable fabric. Here are a few examples of what I've created....

Free machine embroidery on dissolvable fabric, combined with screen and foil printing.

Free machine embroidery and foiling.

Mark Making

Using the microscopic images as my inspiration, here are some of the images I produced using a variety of mark making techniques....

Drawing with card and feather and fine liner 

Studio session -  Using card and ink

Fun with a microscope

I've been busy researching and designing for my collection. Here's what I've been upto....

To add another element to my print collection, I wanted to get a closer look at leaves and feathers. A friend very kindly lent me her microscope and these are a few images I managed to produce....

Microscopic image of a feather
I love the line quality in this image

Microscopic image of a petal

Microscopic image of a skeletal leaf

Final Collection

I've been busy generating more images in the development of my final project. Recent techniques include mono and lino printing as well as some screen printing... 

Lino prints inspired by Hydrangea petals

Mono prints using feathers

Layered screen printing
Inspired by Eryngium heads

London Fashion Week

London Fashion Week, showing off the looks for Autumn/Winter 2013/14, is over. All the main designers showed off major collections. There were a number of highlights, such as, Burberry Prorsum with monochromatic animal prints punctuated with rich berry tones.

Vivienne Westwood also didn't disappoint. Clashing colours and gold accessories were contrasted with cartoon make-up.

My favourite has to be Julienne MacDonald. His return to LFW, with a stunning collection is a welcome one. His clothes were a mix of luxury and style. We saw intricate knits, shimmering gowns and cutwork detailing. Colours were luxurious with metallic and jewelled tones....simply divine. 

Julien MacDonald's AW13 collection @ LFW
Intricate metallic knits

Julien MacDonald's collection @ LFW
Stunning cutwork detail

Let the drawing commence....

And the designing begins....

Experimenting with different media. Charcoal, fine liner and water soluble pencils

All rights reserved Nicola Guest ©

Beautiful seed pods 

All rights reserved Nicola Guest ©

My final project begins in earnest....

Hi All, 

Now that my dissertation is out of the way, I can finally get on with my final project. 

My inspiration comes from the fragility of nature. Delicate flowers, skeletal leaves, frost, lichen and feathers will form the basis of my designs. I aim to indulge in a variety of techniques in the development of my collection. 

I've been busy doing primary research and have added a few of my favorite images. 

Hope you like them. 

Inspiration comes from the fragility of nature

All rights reserved Nicola Guest ©

http://www.brintons.net/europe/en/blog/2013/brintons-collaborates-birmingham-city-university/

My design features on the Brintons blog - please see link above :-)

My floor and rug design on display at Interiors UK 2013 at the NEC Birmingham

My floor and rug design on display at Interiors UK 2013 at the NEC Birmingham 

Close up of my 'Clash' rug 

The chosen design being manufactured at Brintons carpets.

'Clash' rug design

'Clash' in collaboration with Global Color Research. 

This design was created in Illustrator and was inspired by encaustic tiles.

This design has been selected, and will feature at Interiors UK 2013 at the NEC