i have finished my second year at OCADU. The work i have been most excited about this year has been with fibre. i had access to a digital fibre printer that allowed me to just have fun and move away form my tried and true drawing practice slipping into the realm of the digital file and all the exciting possibilities that come with it. Our surface design class was tasked to create pillows for a local women’s shelter. One of the shelter’s biggest challenge is having something that resonates with teenagers. The design i was most excited about was made up of sweaters from mine and my daughter’s collection of favourites. The change in scale and the layering of the textures and colours worked very well and created a fun and playful pillow. It was hard to give up - but i am sure it will be well loved.
This year i embarked on a project using Jell-O. It is still sitting in more the prototype stage but i see a lot of promise in following where the material (pun intended) will take me. i have access to a digital fabric printer at OCAD U and have been creating patterns, using images of the Jello-O from small molds. My intention is to investigate the construction of the social role of wife in middle class western society. i participate in this role and feel confined and frustrated by it at times. Jell-O as “America’s Favourite Dessert” was also a construction and Jell-O sits in our social consciousness as one of those comfort foods that remind us of home and the sphere of the wife.
The process in printmaking, and I guess all creative endeavors, is often the most rewarding part of the production of a print. I can’t count how many times I have fallen in love with a plate - and the print itself becomes an after thought. I plan to use the blog as a way of documenting my process. Successes and failures both are lessons and hopefully lead to stronger work.
