Bridget Harris

Within my degree a module called "Making Techniques for Products" proved to be a challenge in having to make me decide what to make, as my work is textile art based I wanted something to sit along side this. After much thought  the decision to make Artists Handmade Books was made. I felt this would link in with the many days I spent at the London Metropolitan Archives searching through the Admission books, Billet Books and various other old ledgers not only for my studio practice but also my dissertation. I wanted my books to capture the same elements of my studio practice,by using cyanotype, embossing lace , wax and stitch.

Tokens made from mixed media . The process of "getting" everything in the right place took three days. The shadows produced depth and movement to my art pieces. The linen thread holding my drawn thread work acts as a tactile piece of art, the viewer can touch and observe . It was hard to get the right flow as I wanted to create a story, by putting the strong elements on the left , then moving into the linked elements would evoke feelings of loss.

The day has come when I pack up all my work that has become such an very part of my life for the past five years. When I started out on this journey doing a blended learning H.N.C. little did I know where this was going to take me. At times it has been difficult, I must remember that when I put my my final piece of work it will be the start of my next journey. Just a few of my files.

With only a few days left to go before I submit my final degree work, I am still thinking about the concept of the tokens, loss and separation. I have spent most of the day wondering if I have got it right and could I have done more.  Historical reference in dress has never been about evolution,continuity...in dress, surfaces float free of their histories. Clark 2004. I wonder if this "token" floats free of its history, I would like to think history is inscribed in it's surface.

Thinking outside the box with only a week to go is difficult. Your work becomes your life and life becomes your work. Emotional and physically a day doesn't go by when I wonder how on earth I have managed to get this far. It's a challenge now to visualize my work in the space I have at the Yorkshire Craft Centre  this seems to be the biggest "what if , should I" so far.

For my photo shoot I wanted to create the feeling of separation and the fate of most the the little foundlings.My parish church Haxey which originates from the 12th Century was an ideal choice. In the graveyard it has an old part called "God's Garden", it is overgrown,peaceful and very beautiful. God's Garden The carving and wording on the stone portrays perfectly the concept of my Studio Practice. Laid to rest.

The photo shoot for end of year took place today. I was worried that my pieces would look lost against the metres of fabric some of my colleagues have been doing , I must remember that my work is art based so therefore will be very different . The result wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Whitework . Drawn Thread.

A beautiful cyanotype image of Antique dress, while it is not Eighteenth Century, it is representational of a child and produces a good ghostly image, the way the image is caught with movement is thought provoking . I now need to work into this, changing the surface design completely.

Faggot stitching. Starting to link some of my work together creating the fragile link between life, death and fate.

Lace collars, Kid Gloves and Antique Dresses. Some lovely finds on e bay and Saltaire Vintage Fair run by House of Rose and Brown. I now have more scope to investigate cyanotype.

Welcome to my blog. I'm am about to share with you my final year at Bradford College of Arts. I am a Contemporary Surface Design and Textile student. My work is very conceptual,it is based around the Foundling Hospital and Eighteenth Century women. I had always been very interested in cyanotype,I knew nothing about this process however I was able to do a fantastic weekend workshop with Hannah Lamb   which gave me a very sound starting point. A great day at Hannah's studio.