#Patternfinder21

This post is a reflection on the PatternFinder21 project we did in summer 2021.
The briefing for this project was to use the summer break to look for, and capture, incidental patterns. As well as capturing with a camera we should also use a variety of other media to present patterns in a sketchbook.
I decided to post only one pattern each day on Instagram, to encourage me to refine my collection as I went along.
My first six posts below resulted in a pencil drawing, and a collage. I needed to keep working on my drawing over the summer so capturing patterns was one way to do that.

I began to focus in on radiating patterns as they particularly catch my attention. I experimented with a variety of media, including stitch, drawing on my iPad, and using Inktense paints and pencils.

At the beginning of September I attended a workshop using strips of fabric to make a textured piece. Rather than the suggested linear arrangement, I thought I’d subvert the activity to create a radiating pattern. It was a spectacular failure, possibly the ugliest thing I have ever made.
There are a number of reasons why it doesn’t work. I stitched the strips in a hurry the night before the workshop; I wasn’t entirely sure what I was aiming for but ploughed on even though I knew I didn’t like it much. The piece was treated with Gesso and the tutor provided the colours as ‘rub on’ and as a spray, she even added some of the colours herself, which I really wasn’t happy about. At some point I will have revisit the technique.
There was more stitch and some printing with autumn leaves towards the end of the project. I had avoided printing because using a Gelli plate seems to produce a lot of duds for the one or two pleasing results. I do keep all the duds and could those in collages, which I enjoy more.
The outcome of the project was a concertina book capturing many of the pieces I had done, with a few photographs. I embroidered the covers for the end boards.

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