Part 1

Balance and Harmony

Part 1

Introductory project

This assignment is in two parts, firstly gathering ,observing and recording textiles, surfaces,materials and their unique qualities. Gather up to eight items from your home to represent one of the listed themes, arrange, re-arrange until you are happy with your layout, then write a blog /log reflection supporting your choices and reasons to support.

Secondly, to create up to 15 sketches using different paper sizes, weight and mediums to represent the items you have selected, highlighting texture and creating a 'feel' of the chosen theme, focusing on detail, texture and properties of selected items.

After carefully reading the brief I was drawn to the title balance and Harmony even though I was quite tempted by techno Lounge I felt my current aesthetic and feelings were more suited to the latter.

I wrote the words balance and Harmony in my study log notebook and wrote down words and thoughts that came to mind trying not to control it too much,free associating.

One minute sketches using my work pen drawn on scraps of office paper.

This was a revealing exercise as the word nature came up strongest for me, also Yin and yang , buddhism, weather, sports, skating,seasons and day to day things we do to keep harmony in relationships, work and running a household. After chatting with my tutor Mandeep, her words 'think outside the box' and 'fun' rang through and I started to think about my choices in a more abstract way. Below are my initial thoughts but I think there will be changes made this weekend when I'm working on my assignment and photographing my objects.

Saturday 18th January
I have chosen to have both a blog and physical note book as I can quickly jot ideas and inspiration in my day to day life with the convenience of a notebook.

1st group of objects

2nd group of objects, revised



I looked around my home and garden and gathered items I felt a connection to when I thoughts of the words balance and Harmony.

First item is a sprig of dried fennel seed heads from the garden as they represent balance in nature for me,they continue to provide through seeds even when dead ,the balance of nature providing harmony through growth and death creating foods, healing teas and even dyes for our fabrics and fibres. I also love how pretty the seeds heads are, the straightness of the stem and the dramatic head. I sketched the shadow of the seed head when I was sitting at my dining table in the evening by candlelight and plan to take close up detailed photos of the heads to sketch.

The second item I chose was a postcard of a sheep I have in my craft space. Nature in harmony with animals providing food for grazing and in turn sheep providing warmth through fibre and food through meat. Again a balance creating harmony.
I love the texture of this Cotswold sheep, they are an old rare breed of sheep, wild looking. I'm drawn to the dreaded,matted thickness of their coat, the texture and drama of the fleece.

The third item I chose was a notebook, this notebook keeps balance and Harmony in my life through list making ,jotting down ideas and quick sketching interesting things I see. It controls chaos for me,organising my thoughts and ideas on paper.It is an invaluable addition to my life. This notebook is handmade ,the string is so striking and the text on handmade paper is vibrant and tactile.

The fourth item I picked up was a piece of natural silk linen blend, I love the sense of calm it gives me and the texture of the fabric is both soft and rough in texture which I'm drawn to ,the colour mix of sea green and white highlights the fabric texture perfectly. I love the drape of this fabric and how tactile it is. It shows balance and harmony clearly as seeing it in its natural form fills me with joy at the possibilities of what it can be made into, and makes me think of ancient textiles and fabrics before synthetic fibres came into being. Nature providing durable wearable fibres that give me a sense of balance and harmony in a fast fashion world.

The Firth item I chose is an image of an ancient Celtic symbol that I have in my home that represents balance around the seasons. This is a beautiful simple symbol that connects us to nature and the seasons. Balance is important for nature to thrive resulting in a harmonious garden and veg patch.

I have since changed this item as it is a flat image with no interesting texture. I have added an image of the symbol so you can see why I made this decision.

Squirrel with avocado stone balancing in his mouth. I love this nutcracker and I pop different nuts or things I gather on my walks in his hands ready to crack. I like the humor around this and the literal interpretation of balancing nuts or food in his hands. I also like the detail of the squirrel, interesting marks and shape.


The sixth item I chose are my veg seeds,  promise of springtime and nature providing, this is a one min sketch of my foragers store, it represents balance and Harmony for me, hanging dried flowers, stores of herbs and plants reminding me of the balance of nature and how it provides for the Winter months.


My drawing skills are very basic and I'm not very comfortable doing them but that is why I'm pushing myself to experiment. I'm excited to use other materials to express my work and felt relieved Mandeep said it doesn't just have to be sketches. I will use wool and stitching alongside my sketches.

The seventh item I chose is my skin cream that balances my skin moisture ,I need this balance or my skin becomes dry and uncomfortable and it is an essential product to keep my skin smooth.

I have decided not to use the cream and have changed to my body netted scrub made from ramie fibre ,nettle. It is a much more interesting texture, a light and airy fabric, I love how it feels and how interesting the weave is. As its natural it has a less perfect texture and design which I find far more exciting compared to factory manufactured fibres. I felt it would be more interesting to photograph and sketch and I particularly like close up detail of the weave and tie hang.

The eighth and final item I chose is my weigh scale for weighing my dye plants , the balance is important to create my colours creating harmony in my dye pot.

I have since decided to take the weigh scale out of my object choices as it is flat and I find the shape and lack of texture doesn't hold my interest.

After my initial 15 minute chat with Mandeep, I saw the changes that needed to be made around texture and looking at my items in a more abstract way.

1. I will have a play with texture and mark making next.

I have updated and photographed my objects today and feel happier with my new choices. I will take a break from it and look at it again tomorrow with fresh eyes and see if there are any changes I would like to make.