Brainstorming

On my way home from class today I did a little brainstorming about an upcoming project in which we will create a design concept for a prefabricated building. I couldn't help but start to think about what kind of business I would open if I had the means. This led me to another thought: what could I start with very little means? I've always wanted to learn how to design and apholster furniture. I'm mediocre on the sewing machine at best, but I bet I could get pretty physical with a staple gun if necessary. I collect and hang on to a lot of old fabrics and clothing, most of which are piled up in boxes in my closet. I believe in the sentimental value of these things above the majority of my other possessions. I have always thought to myself that at some point, I would come up with a use for these things and I think I just may have...

The Goodwill and DAV have rows dedicated to old sheets and blankets. Old furniture piles up in the back of the shops. These shops are picky about what they will sell. Pieces of furniture have to be free of most damage, but a lot of the damage seems like it would be found in the apholstery, right? Why not reapholster the furniture and resell it? I'm a huge fan of vintage furniture and if a re-vamp is all that is in order to save a one of a kind piece, then I am all for prolonging its floor-life.

What if there were a place you could take your old clothing, furniture, blankets, etc, that would recycle these items and transform them into usefull items once more? The shop could even re-apholster furniture that you want to keep at minimal cost. They could use donated fabric to make curtains, blankets, pillows, canvases, bags, etc. Maybe once a week they could have workshops to help young girls learn basic sewing techniques and recycle their own favorite fabrics into new digs or goods to donate to charitable organizations. The shop could sell the repaired furniture for profit. The building would need an open store front, sewing tables and workspace, and lots of storage for donations.

Further brainstorming to come...

D2: Up 2 Date

Color Pigment Chart

Spectrum Value Chart

Hue Value Chart

Project One: Single Value, Asian Influenced Design

Initial Inspiration: After meeting with Sarah, I decided to start researching Japanese Pop Art for design inspiration for our first project. During my research, I happened upon the work of Takashi Murakami, Yoko DHolbachie, and Keiichi Tanaami. Common themes amongst the paintings of the three artists included bold color, far-out creatures and asymmetrical composition. On a drive from Wichita to Lawrence, KS, I became inspired by the neutral tones of the earth during winter and decided to experiment with creating a Midwestern interpretation of the artwork I had been researching. After a few expiremental sketches, I discovered that the Wichita flag was similar in design to the Japanese flag, which led to my final design.

1: first draft

2: first experimentation with color

3: experiment with value

4: Final Design

Simultaneous Contrast Chart

Project 2: Abstraction from Observation

Initial Inspiration: Our introduction to this project started with a discussion about a mechanical object from the 1950's and 60's that had some form of sentimental value to each of us. My grandmother passed away just a week or two prior to the introduction of this project; she has been on my mind very frequently ever since her alzheimer's began to deteriorate her health and losing her has been a long, hard, drawn out process. She left me a 1960 Singer sewing table, which became my inspiration for this project. I began sketches that focused on the repeating patterns found on the foot pedal of the table. After drawing several sketches that looked like Louis Vuitton purses, I decided to focus on the way the thread wraps through the machine. My final design focuses on the contrast of the repeated pattern against a solid, block pattern in between each column. My grandmother has been a great inspiration for me. She always encouraged me to try and together we have celebrated my failures as well as successes as necessary, progressive inevitabilities. I've dedicated my scholastic pursuits to her memory, may she rest in peace. 

1: first design

2: experimentation with color

3: Final Design

D2:MWILLIAMS

Hello and welcome! I find myself slightly bewildered by this blog project as I have not blogged since high school. Hopefully this version of blogging will be a little more sophisticated than the last I participated in as I begin to dabble in more serious artistic production and reflection. Thank you for following!