Mary Taylor...... Farfield Mill

During the summer whilst on holiday in the Lake District, I visited Farfield Mill in Sedgwick. It is an arts and heritage centre, and it has an number of galleries there. There is also a number of studios there with artists working in residence. These artists often hold workshops and talks, whilst working and selling their work in the gallery shop. Whilst visiting the centre I came across textile artist Mary Taylor and noticed that her work had similarities to mine. I recently contacted Mary Taylor and asked her for some information about how she got set up at the mill, and how easy she finds it selling her work. I also asked her about her technique, unfortunately as she has worked and developed her technique for a long time she wanted to keep it to herself. This was her reply,

Hi Louisa,

I've been in my studio at Farfield for three and a half years, but for 18months before that I was in a shared studio at the Mill, with the craft cooperative I was a member of. That made me realise how much I enjoyed the interaction with the public and being able to sell my own work was an enormous bonus. But I found I was getting frustrated by not being able to be in control of the space and not being able to 'man' the studio as often as I'd have liked. So when my present studio became available I asked about the posiibility of taking it for myself. I was told by the then manager, that although there were 3 others interested in it, he would happily let me have it, provided I could make a decision in 24hours! In retrospect it was definately the right decision. Though the last couple of years have been very hard because of the economic situation. I do sell well, but I'm not sure I could manage without my husband earning a decent salary!

At the time I started at the Mill, studios were hard to come by, but sadly at the moment, there are several empty studios on level 4, though none on level 3 where I am. The studios up on level 4 are smaller and not as popular as fewer visitors tend to go up there.

The studio rent is worked out by the square metre. Mine is just under £100 a month. People say they are cheap, but if you take into account the remoteness of the Mill and the necessity for a car, and the lack of visitors throughout the year, I don't think they are particularly cheap. In addition we have to have 3rd Party Insurance, pay small business rates (about £130 a year), and we pay for the electricity used.

I love working there. I feel part of a community as opposed to working alone at home which I used to do. I am unusual in that I really enjoy talking to the public while I work. (Several of the Resident Artists don't feel like this.) But the biggest bonus is being able to sell my work without having to trail around galleries trying to persuade them to take textile art! Having said that I do have work at other galleries as well, but I sell far more at Farfield. Textile art is still not considered to be up there with 'painting' which is very frustrating. It's far harder to achieve high prices, which is one of the reasons that selling in galleries is so difficult because many charge such a high commission rate. At Farfield, as a Resident Artist, I pay just over 20% commission for sales which are handled by the Mill, including credit card transactions when I actually handled (and worked very hard for!) the sale! We all love customers who still carry a cheque book around with them; or cash! I'm not fussy. And I have been paid as much as £200 in cash over the years!

As far as my work is concerned I am sure you will appreciate that as I spent a long time developing the technique I use to create my work, I'm not prepared to tell you exactly how I do it! Sorry.

Good luck with your degree course, and getting started. I won't pretend that it is easy!

Kind regards

Mary Taylor

New Project

For my new self directed project I am looking at surfaces in nature and in architecture. When I think of nature I think of trees, leaves, flowers, organic forms. I love the marks that nature creates, tree bark, the veins on unusual leaves, the shapes of shells. The reason I love all these things is because, they are created totally on their own, by the earth. Not necessarily by accident because all of these things serve a purpose. Take a fossil for example, the marks will have taken thousands and thousands of years to develop and to me, that fact alone is amazing.The same thing applies to why I am attracted to buildings. I absolutely love how a building looks when it is so old and derelict. The decaying of the stone and the brick create such fabulous marks and textures that I could stand and look at it for hours. Again it is the idea that this will have taken time to happen the same as a fossil takes time to develop. At one time the building will have been brand new, clean bricks and stones will have been used, but over time this disintegrates and becomes so different visually.

For my outcomes I am wanting to explore fabric manipulation, and mark making, using a range of techniques. I am going to explore stitch especially, fabric dying and manipulating fabrics to make them look totally different. As my final outcomes for this project I am wanting to create a range of wall hangings for use in interior decoration.

I started off my collecting imagery that I found inspiring and that I could begin to work from. These are a few pages from my sketchbook where I have begun to come up with ideas.

From my sketchbook and the images that I have collected I am going to work with samples and explore the different techniques. I will post again with my first set of samples.

Sheffield trip......Timorous Beasties

Timorous Beasties – A bird in the Hand
Millennium Gallery Sheffield

Yesterday I travelled to Sheffield to visit the new Timorous Beasties exhibition at the Millennium Gallery. I have never been to Sheffield before and as soon as I stepped outside of the train station I was amazed by the fabulous water feature that stretched for about 50 metres. The way that the water was flowing down the metal surface was remarkable; it almost looked as if the water was turning to ice because of the reflections.

A Bird in the hand
Timorous Beasties was founded in 1990 by Alistair McCauley and Paul Simmons. For this exhibition they had studied natural history prints from John Ruskin’s collection in Sheffield, and they had re-upholstered Victorian furniture. There were lamps, chairs and mattresses all decorated with these famous prints. The major theme for this collection of prints was the representation of the natural world portrayed as a battle for survival. This idea questions our thoughts about beauty in nature. The work featured small unattractive animals like insects, rodents and reptiles. The idea was that it is not normal to see these creatures on soft furnishings. Timorous Beasties are famous for their rebellious style, their previous work has included combining contemporary social comment with historic imagery and traditional textile designs. Their work is inspired by William Morris’s giant prints; also they follow the ideas of the Arts and Crafts movement and believe the best thing for design is to invest a lot of time and labour. This is why most of their commercial ranges are created by hand using traditional techniques.

Patterns & Process
For this collection they studied natural history illustrations from the John Ruskin collection, then re drew them in black ink, scanned them into the computer and introduced colour and repeat pattern. They used digital print technology to transfer them onto textiles. With new digital techniques being used more and more, this allows for more detail and colours to be used compared to more traditional techniques.

Practitioners Report Damien Gasgoigne and Tracy Kendall

Over the past year I have attended a number of lectures by different practitioners and designers. Not all have been from my pathway but I have found all of them interesting in different ways. It has made me realise that really they work in a similar way to the way that I work, with regards to inspiration and gathering research. Two that I found most interesting were lectures given by wallpaper designer Tracy Kendall and Illustrator and animator Damien Gasgoigne. Even though they are from different pathways they still have things in common when it comes to their design process.

Tracy Kendall mainly works with wallpapers and she specialises in screen printing. Damien Gasgoigne is an illustrator who has recently started to work with animation and turning his illustrations into films. From attending both of these lectures I found that the way these two practitioners gather inspiration is very similar. Kendall’s inspirations come from anywhere. Magazines, photos, found objects, fashion, papers etc. Basically anything that she likes the look of and that she feels has potential to take further, she will collect. For example Kendall once found a piece of lace that she loved the look of at a Paris market. She bought this piece of lace for just a few Euros and this single piece of lace turned out to earn her a lot more. Gasgoigne works in a similar way, he loves to take photographs of things that he finds interesting and that he thinks he can pursue. He takes photos of people if he likes what they are wearing. Also if he thinks somebody has a quirky and fun personality he will take a photo of them. He takes photos of situations, movement and shapes. He sometimes finds objects that look like faces, or stains on the floor that he can see a character in. Once he has these photographs he then pushes them further and creates his own characters from them.

This has made me realise that this process of collecting imagery is a very useful technique. Gathering inspiration is the first part of the design process so therefore can be seen as probably the most important part. This is the starting point of any design and therefore should be a fun and imaginative process. You can gather imagery from absolutely anywhere and there is no limitations. Any designer can do this, but it is what the designer does after and how they develop their ideas that make each designer different.

Both Kendall and Gasgoigne are designers who don’t just stick with one technique or practice. They are designers who are trying new things and wanting to push their skills forward. Tracy Kendall started off with producing flat screen printed wallpapers, however more recently she has moved towards producing more tangible pieces. She is now working with different materials like, buttons, sequins, feathers etc which makes he work that little bit different. This shows that Kendall is a diverse designer and wants to try new things.

Gasgoigne on the same hand has also tried to push his work into different areas. He started off as an illustrator producing drawings and designing characters. More recently he has pushed this further by taking these illustrations into animations. However this hasn’t come without inconvenience. Gasgoigne had never worked with animation software before so he had to be taught to use it before he could use it within his designs. I think this is a great similarity that is shared between both designers. It shows that they are designers who don’t want to just stick with what they are use to. They want to push the boundaries of their work and try new things to make their work that little bit different. This also meets the requirements of the design world and the desire for new ideas and technique. The design world is constantly producing new designers who work with new materials, software, technology and techniques. This shows that both Gasgoigne and Kendall are aware of this and that they are keeping up with what the buying public want.

This had made me realise that it’s not just about designing things that look nice, you have to be aware of the constantly changing market out there. As a designer you have to be prepared to adapt your designs to fit the desires of the appropriate market, and always be prepared to push the boundaries of the work and not just stay with what you feel comfortable with. After all, the design world is constantly changing so therefore a designer’s work should be constantly progressing to satisfy this. This may mean that you may hit obstacles and have problems that need to be solved. Both designers have shown this and they have managed to get through them. For example Gasgoigne needed to learn how to use animation software before he could work with animation. Kendall found that she needed to cater for a male market rather than a female market. She may not have preferred this but it shows that she was willing. Both designers have proved that they are enthusiastic to conquer problems and that they are prepared to design to fit the needs of the design world.

From these two lectures I have learnt a lot more about the design process. I have learnt that really the first part of the process is the most important as this is where you have no boundaries and that you can gather inspiration from anywhere. I found both lectures very helpful and inspiring. I found Tracy Kendall’s lecture that little more relevant to me as her design path is the same as mine, and she offered to very useful tips when designing. However Damien Gasgoigne lecture is one that I will always remember as I found it really exciting and it, and I found the ideas behind his work really moving.

Damien Gasgoigne Lecture

A few weeks ago I went to a lecture by Illustrator and animator Damien Gasgoigne. Even though illustration and animation is not really my thing, I found the lecture really exciting and fun to listen to. Gasgoigne works for Picasso Pictures and has done since 1993. I found the way that he collects his research quite interesting. He takes loads of pictures of anything that interests him. He showed us pictures of people that he knew, and explained why he loved what they were wearing, their personalities, the way they talked etc. I thought this was a really good aspect of his work. He also takes pictures of unusual situations that he would find interesting. For example one photo that he showed us was of a man and a woman sat in a coffee shop. He didn’t have a clue what they were doing, who they were and why they were there, but in his own mind he started to make up his own story for their situation. He also likes to capture movement and shapes to inspire him with his animations.

If he finds a stain on the floor and he sees potential in this he will take a picture of it. For example he showed us some images of objects and stains that looked like faces and some even looked like monsters. He would then pursue these images and come up with his own characters.
One piece of work that I found really interesting was a piece that he had done called The Love Books. When he was a student he used to keep little sketchbooks and just draw in them whenever he felt like it. One of the main ideas behind the drawings was love. Each girl that he liked he would draw a picture for. Or even just when he was feeling down he would draw a picture. He ended up with a huge stack of these sketchbooks so he decided to turn them into a film. He was working at Kingston University at the time and he wasn’t that confident on the animation software. With the help of one of his students he put together a short film of all the imagery he had collected. I found this piece really interesting particularly because of the story behind it.

River Island

When I used to work at River Island, I always used to notice how unusual their displays were. River Island has a very young and funky style, and I love how they use such bright, bold colours. River Island has their own team of visual merchandisers who go into the stores on a regular basis to create and maintain the displays. I decided to contact one of the members of the visual merchandising team from my local store that I used to work at, and ask them a few questions.

What is the procedure for creating the window displays?
Head office sends out a general brief to all the stores of River Island so that all the window designs are based around the same theme. The window displays obviously vary from store to store, due to the size of the shops, but it is very important that the themes are the same. The team then has to work fast to collect props and plan the construction of the displays. Construction of the window displays is normally done when the shop is closed and can be done in one night in most cases. Then the team maintains the displays and updates them on a regular basis.

What things do you have to consider inside the store for the customers benefit, and also for the shops benefit?
It is important to lead the customer through the shop in a logical order, encouraging them to stop at certain points and hopefully make a purchase. It is important that the shop is easy to shop in and to move about in. If the customer doesn’t feel comfortable then they are more likely to just walk out.

How important is lighting within the displays and also within the shop?
Lighting is extremely important as it can be used in a number of different ways. It can be used to highlight certain areas of the display, or simply just to provide enough lighting so thst the customer can find what they are looking for. We often use spot lighting as it is great for highlighting specific areas.

How do you use colour in your displays?
Colour is one of the easiest and most effective way of capturing peoples attention. Bright colours are always evident in our displays, as it reflects river Island products. However we have to be carefull with some colour assosciations as not to harm or offend anyone.

American Graffitti

American Graffiti is a vintage clothing store in Manchester’s northern quarter. They specialise in vintage clothes, shoes, bags and accessories from the 1940’s to today. They offer a helpful service to their customers to ensure that they find the perfect outfit.

Where does the theme/idea come from for your window displays?
We create our own theme and use our own ideas of what we think is popular at the moment and that we think will catch peoples attention.

What do you have to consider when selecting props/materials for your displays?
Again we always ask ourselves what will catch people’s attention, it could be a certain bag, or pair of shoes alone that would do it, also colour is a major factor that can catch peoples attention. It’s also important to give a feel and insight into what a customer can expect from the shop when they walk inside.

How do you maintain your widow displays?
They are dusted and cleaned on a regular basis and they are always kept up to date. Change little pieces of the display daily.

Do you have any tips on creating window displays?
Keep things quite simple so that it doesn’t get too confusing. Try to be different as this is more likely to attract customers.

Northern Flower Contact Report

Northern Flower is a boutique flower shop based in the Northern Quarter of Manchester. It is well known for its contemporary and eye catching arrangements. As florals is something that often inspires my work, I decided to contact Northern Flower and ask them a few questions about their window displays.

For your window displays, do you work from a brief, theme? And if so, who supplies this?
We make up our own theme / brief

Do you have a specific team that does the window displays?
As we are a small business we do all the window displays ourselves

Can you describe your window display at the moment?
The window at the moment is a Kath Kidson inspired theme, lots of bright colours for spring / summer

What kind of materials and techniques have you used for your window displays? How do you source these materials?
We use our floristry techniques, such as using bows and bouquets, material wise, we use fabric sourced from wholesale suppliers, lights from various suppliers such as ebay / local shops

How long does it take for you to complete a window display, including planning and construction?
Construction takes around 3 - 4 hours, this includes taking down the old display, cleaning the inside, and constructing the new display ( also stopping to serve any customers which may come in)

Do you have any tips on planning and creating window displays?
Our tips for window displays are:
* less looks better
* ensure it is all priced
* have larger items toward the centre and smaller items towards the outer edge - this ensures the eye is drawn towards the most expensive items / products. * It’s quite rare that they end up as my exact plans!!

Linda Hewson, Selfridges Windows

Linda Hewson is visual merchandising window manager for Selfridges. Selfridges is famous for its stunning displays that are always controversial and eye catching. Here is a checklist that Hewson runs through in order to produce a successful window display.

· Beginners should begin planning their window by understanding the concept or design thoroughly and the budget available.
· Always produce a visual or sketch before starting to install any products or props.
· Consider the space you have and what is physically possible; will everything fit through the door?
· Decide where the main focal points will be.
· Think about what products you will be representing. Who are you targeting and will the products be suitable?
· Ensure that the props do not overshadow the product.
· Be certain that any mannequins being used are sympathetic to the product.
· Is it necessary to use graphics or ticketing?
· Choose a strong colour palette.
· If using props, ensure that they are made to a high standard and are finished well.
· Remember: often the simplest windows are the best.

Mini Project

As part of my project at the moment I am completing a number of mini projects to gather together a body of ideas and techniques. For this particular project I had to create a window display for Selfridges uses the following items,

· A lemon
· A chocolate bar
· A box of pins
· A marker pen
· White paper
· Masking tape
· White fabric

I was limited to only using the above items to create the display which made it quite restricted. However I was still able to come up with some interesting ideas and solutions. I really enjoyed this project because using everyday items like the ones I were given made it that more unusual and exciting.

Gary Card

I found this article on the WGSN website and i thought it was a really interesting read, and it gives a lot of useful information about window displays.

Gary Card is a set designer and illustrator who has built up a remarkable portfolio. He has worked with Uniqlo, Dover street market, Topshop and Adidas by Stella McCartney. He has a fantastic eye for colour, texture and aesthetics that makes each of his projects so spectacular.
He recently completed a project at Stella McCartney’s Bruton Street store, where he had to create two pieces of art in the window of the shop, whilst being watched and admired by customers.

How did this project with Stella McCartney happen?
Stella McCartney approached me after seeing the shoot I did with AnOther Man, really excited with the idea of me making the window as people watched – so that it becomes more of a process. I was given the freedom to create whatever I wanted, but as Stella was really inspired by the shoot she wanted me to work in that style.
So to keep me challenged I moved it on a little, creating something just as beautiful with a naive handwriting. Stella wanted it bright, vibrant and colourful. The pictures are inspired by children and things that they love – animals, dinosaurs, superheroes and fantasy. I wanted it to be playful, fun and sweet.

Where did the idea to work live come from?
Stella likes the idea of people seeing the process and enabling people to watch. I mean the amount of attention that it has generated from me just standing there has been amazing.
I think designers and retailers are now looking to do something a little more creative and forward thinking in its windows. I remember the Orange store having a massive phone in their window that you could touch and interact with. Interaction is definitely an idea people are playing with a lot more now – which I think is great. Topshop did it with Kate Moss and now im doing it with this.

Does working in public bring added pressure?
No not at all – it actually spurs me on. I really like it, because being watched you know that you can’t mess up. It keeps you motivated, because if people are watching and you stop then it looks really bad. I didn’t even stop for lunch, I was drawing and painting for the entire eight hours.
I also really enjoy the performance aspect, you know that something’s going to get more attention, so you really play to that. To be honest I love the attention.

What materials are you using?
I was drawing and painting on fully functioning wardrobes that were made especially for this project. The first piece was drawn completely using pencil crayons, the timescale of this project didn’t allow me the time to map it out, there was no time to stop and consider what I was doing – but that was half the fun – I just had to do it.
There is a nice naivety you get from using pencil crayons that Stella really responded to. In terms of texture the overlapping scribbles and line work is really nice with interesting tone and texture from cross-hatching. The second piece I used basic house paint and it was more about block colours and creating playful icons.

What was it like to work for Stella McCartney?
The project was a real pleasure to do, the process was very fluid and very organic. Stella is very demanding and knows exactly what she wants and is not prepared to compromise, but she does some fantastic stuff and I am happy to be part of it. I am really happy with the results, the first piece I think is one of the loveliest pieces I have done in a while.

You did work for Stella’s New York and Los Angeles stores. What did this involve?
Yes, last season. Again, Stella was inspired by a shoot that I had done with installation foam, and she asked me to replicate it for the London, New York and LA stores. I directed the project from London. This is a good example of some of my weirder, darker work, which involved stacking foam blocks which looked very raw.

How important do you think art and interaction is for visual merchandising?
I think it is hugely important. Art has the potential to add credibility if there is a reason or weighty influence behind it. That’s definitely what I try to do. I mean if I am going to peddle products, it’s nice to give it a little bit of soul or energy.
In the last year we have seen a lot of interactive events, this is just the beginning. I think there is something really lovely about interaction. Because of budget constraints etc being able to go back to basics and do something as simple as just draw on a wall is quite brave and actually a statement in itself.
I think creative simplicity is important. I mean at the moment, because of the state of the economy I think people are scared, perhaps shy to do something creative and elaborate in their windows, as it’s almost belittling the current climate. This may also explain why already the Christmas displays are much simpler than they have been in the past.

How would you push the boundaries further in terms of art and windows?
Wow! Who knows? I would do massive inflatable elephants. I love what I do, but I always want to push it further, but clients are often scared and play it safe to not upset the customer. If I had it my way it would all be bonkers – it would be a cartoon carnival mania.

Are there any other designer collaborations you would like to be involved in?
Too many to think of - mega designers such as Alexander McQueen and of course Vivienne Westwood. I would love to do something for Selfridges and Barneys New York. My ambition next year is Tokyo – I really would like to make a big impact over there.

Christmas Window Displays for Topshop

I found an article on WGSN about the Christmas window displays at Topshop/Topman.
Tom Whitmore is the Visual Director at Topshop.

What’s the theme for this seasons windows?
The windows are based on an enchanted fairytale, the contrast of good and evil.....it is quite a dark theme that creates the feel of a gothic kingdom.

Can you describe the windows?
In the windows we have a four metre twisted sleepy hollow tree highlighted with glitter and suspended neon tubes in greens and purple hanging from the branches; the floors are covered with heavy black glitter, moss and very dark flowers; all the mannequins have long wigs and heavily glittered eyes and some mannequins have their faces covered in heavy jewelled see through gauze.
We have also used our gothic Christmas fairytale theme as a huge decal to one side of the glass in black, purples and greens.

What Stock/ Designers are being featured?
Topshop products from the Pagan and Circus trends, as well as pieces from Boutique and Unique.

Have you tweaked the original theme to accommodate the current financial climate?
The theme has been tailored to the scale of each shop in which it is featured.

Vinyl Cutters for Visual Merchandising

A few days ago I had a Vinyl Cutting demonstration. Vinyl Cutting is very popular within the visual merchandising industry, for creating stickers for windows, cut outs, labels etc. I am currently researching Vinyl Cutters and making myself more familiar with how they work, because i feel it is something I want to use within my designs. They can be used to create,
· Garment logos
· Text and vector graphics
· Vehicle sign writing
· Decals
· Graphics
· Shop window displays
· Promotional banners

There are many different types of vinyl that can be used on the vinyl cutter,
· Transparent
· Flock
· Reflective
· Glittery
· Printable
· Glossy
· Mirror

Tracy Kendall Lecture

A few weeks ago I went to a lecture by Tracy Kendall. Tracy Kendall studied a BA in Fine Art, specialising in Screen Printing. She mainly works with wallpapers and she originally started producing her own wallpapers for her own kitchen at home. She found that all the wallpapers that she liked were far too expensive so she decided to make her own. Her first were her Knife Fork and spoon papers. At this time Kendall was working as a technician at the Royal College practising digital printing. Luckily for her the royal college held an exhibition of all their students work, and she was able to exhibit her first wallpapers. The editor of Elle Decoration, who was visiting the exhibition, spotted her work and this lead to her papers being featured in the magazine. This is what really set her career off.

Tracy Kendall’s inspirations come from everywhere, magazines, photos, found objects, fashion, papers etc. She loves working with organic things. She describes how picking up a single feather off the street and then asking questions about this feather. She explains how asking questions all the time is imperative when being a designer.

Kendall attends trade Fairs on a regular basis in Milan, London and New York. She believes this is the best way of promoting her work. She notices the fact that male designers dominate the interiors industry and their designs are aimed at a masculine market with a masculine colour palette. To combat this and to appeal to the male market, Kendall uses a lot of Black and White in her work and also minimalism is a theme that runs throughout her designs.
Kendall has recently hired an agent in New York in order to sell her work over there. Clients have included Whistles, and she has also been approached by Burberry and Sex and The City to design and produce wallpapers and window features.

Tracy Kendall is well known for using many different techniques. Most of the time she tends to do the work herself or with the help of an assistant. However for things like laser cutting and digital printing she takes them to specialist companies. When working out prices for her work she always asks the question “How fast can I produce it?” and then works out how much she would be able to produce.

My Inspirations

Here are a few images that i absolutely love and that constantly inspire me. I love the bright, loud colours, neons and electric feels. I am often inspired my floral and natural forms, but with a funky retro twist. I also love fashion photography and the human form.

Visual Merchandising Companies

Today I contacted a number of different Visual Merchandising companies that I have been researching and that I am interested in. They are
· Props Studio based in Surrey,
· Vision on Digital- West Yorkshire,
· Rare Basics specialising in mannequins
· SFD inspired Retail Environments
· Display One, suppliers of hand crafted and mass produced visual displays

I have asked them all a number of questions about their company,
1. How does the work come about? Is it a case of retail shops contacting you? If so who supplies the brief, and how is the brief worked out?
2. How many people work within your team and what are their specific roles?
3. On average, how long would it take to complete a shop window display, including planning and construction?
4. Are there any companies that you design for on a number of occasions?
5. Is there any certain techniques or processes that your company specialises in?
6. How do you work out a fee for the work? Is it down to the time spent and the materials used?
7. Does your company provide any work experience placements for students?

I am now waiting hopefully for them to get back to me; I will post again when they have.