Kerrianne Flett

Turning lessons.

2012-01-15T22:27:00.001Z

#5 TEA POTS

Before...

After.

Really chuffed with these, think of them as big jam pots, think of them as big jam pots... Got through them even though my nerves were shot. Hopefully you get some idea of scale due to the mug in the bottom picture. Exciting! Wonder whats next on the lesson list?

* Needless to say I didnt throw these, nor did I finish them off, handles and spouts are way off on my learning list...

Turning lessons.

2012-01-15T22:15:00.001Z

#2 BEER MUGS

Some before and after, I didn't do the handles I'm not that advanced...

#3 WHISKY TOTS

More before and after...

#4 JAM POTS

After, these guys are more tricky, they have lids!!!

Guess I've been learning quite a lot lately, that might come some way to explaining why I've been so shocking at updating this, all go!

Turning lessons.

2012-01-15T21:47:00.004Z

#1- PLATES

Alright more before and after pics of my pottery learning, hopefully these aren't too boring for everyone, I find them a useful way of (hopefully) tracking my progress.

Before

After

These are quite fun to do and as you can see they are done directly on the wheel head, still lots to learn but man am I enjoying it!

Finished, not bad for one days learning!!!

* I should also point out that I am not doing the throwing of these items just the turning, no doubt turning is much easier when the throwing has been done by a pro!

Beaker time.

2012-01-15T21:40:00.000Z

Its more difficult than you would think to document the process of learning how to throw pots. I try my best but because you are so absorbed by what you are doing you inevitably forget some part of the process. For example here I don't have a picture of the pot at the throwing stage, just after it was turned and a picture after it was glazed. Still I hope that it highlights some of the process, we all know how I love a good process!

After turning...

Glazed and finished.

Published?

2012-01-15T21:18:00.007Z

So way back in second year at uni I submitted a piece to an open call for entries for Sarah Kelly's book on paper jewellery. It was accepted. My piece (bottom right) is shown here. Apologies for the quality of photography...

* Also If you ever get a chance look up the work of the lovely Sarah Kelly, she was my inspiration for using paper in my jewellery. To see Sarah's work go to http://www.saloukee.com/ her work is beautiful.

Translating into clay, not as easy as it would appear...

2012-01-15T21:10:00.000Z

A wee while ago I attempted to recreate the types of shapes I had been using in my neckpeices in clay, really not as easy as it appears! Take it form me, closing off a shape when throwing on the wheel is not easy! (especially if you are a complete beginner such as myself!) Anyway I had a go, and this is what I got. It survived until I attempted to turn it, that didn't go well. Lesson learnt on this one, walk before you can run. Hopefully way down the road I might be able to recreate these kind of of shapes and they might survive, 'til then practice makes perfect I guess...

Development, neckpieces from degree show work.

2012-01-15T21:00:00.001Z

Here are a selection of neckpieces which I have developed from my degree show work, some new colours and shapes, I like the purple...

Workshop!

2011-09-07T21:16:00.001+01:00

So here it is! This is where I'm planning to spend a lot of time over the coming months, my new workshop aka our old garage! Since its not the most glamorous of subject matter I've gone a bit arty with the photography, I hope u get an idea of what its like from this...

Its still a work in progress but its getting there!

Workshop?

2011-08-25T21:13:00.001+01:00

Well, it appears the creation of my workshop has been put on the back burner so to speak, most likely til after the shows. They're a big deal up here and only take place once a year so I guess ill be patient...

bench progress

2011-08-14T18:06:00.000+01:00

A snap of the workbench as it progresses.

Setting up at home...

2011-08-10T19:05:00.000+01:00

So now I'm back at home its about time I have my own workshop... The father has promised to help me make a workbench and the garage is to be transformed! Its going to be all go around here at the rate!

Here are the 'raw materials' that hes come home with so far, hopefully they will be transformed in time...

My First Mugs

2011-08-07T21:43:00.002+01:00

Must surely be a milestone? Here are my first two mugs, I only pulled the handle on one, its not obvious though is it :D

Turning Pots...

2011-08-05T21:40:00.000+01:00

The Pots i threw last week, ready for turning...

Todays efforts, progress?

2011-07-26T20:11:00.000+01:00

I think I'm improving?

We have a winner...

2011-07-26T17:32:00.000+01:00

This guy made the cut from yesterday... A beer mug methinks!

Learning to be a potter.

2011-07-25T21:29:00.000+01:00

Step one- Throwing pots.

Here are some of my throwing attempts so far, not too bad for a beginner I dont think...

Moving out :(

2011-07-06T12:22:00.000+01:00

Its time to move out of DoJ, here are some before and after shots of the workshop and one of the empty studio...

Before...

After.

Empty studio...

(only four years worth of stuff to jam into one suitcase)

New Designers 2011, a Branding exercise!

2011-07-02T20:55:00.001+01:00

One of many photos I have come across of me wearing the DJCAD vinyl lettering from our stand at New Designers... Apparently I was a Twitter sensation! hahahahaa!

(photo, Jennifer Tsang. I think!)

New Designers 2011

2011-07-01T20:48:00.002+01:00

A momento, team DJCAD jewellery designers @ New Designers part one, the Business Design Center, Islington London.

(photo, Iona Brown)

We had a great time! Hopefully we all made good contacts and got out whatever it was we wanted from the week. Hopefully there will be a reunion in the near future! :D

The End.

2011-06-13T21:41:00.008+01:00

Ok so a lot has changed since the last time I wrote a blog post, firstly I am no longer a student! Uni is finished! Degree Show done! (However New Designers is on the horizon). Into the real world i go...

Im back working at the pottery for the time being earning some pennies for spending in London at New Designers :). First things first though I should probably write about the pics of the Degree Show. This could be easier said than done as most of it was a blur to be honest! Anyway here goes...

My concept for Degree Show didnt change much from the ideas I spoke about in the last post, the idea being that I would focus on process. My process began with the creation of sand timers, from the sand timers I created fast sketches (designs), the sand from the timers was used as a raw product for my outcomes from which I created cast rings.

Because I'm not very good as explaining it without visual aids, have a look at the *** blurb book ***I created to go along with my show...

Degree Show in Pictures

2011-05-20T20:26:00.001+01:00

A little snap of my Degree Show space, I think it came together well in the end! Its amazing how quickly its all been set up, can't wait for opening night now... :D

Degree Show!

2011-05-15T20:00:00.001+01:00

So its Degree Show... Hope you can all manage to pop in past to see the work on show from this years talented graduates from DJCAD! Heres a *** link *** for anybody thats interested, hope to see you there!

Finishing touches...

2011-04-05T20:05:00.000+01:00

The devil is in the detail. Spending today painting lead weights to tie in with my theme, hopefully im not becoming the dreaded 'slave to my theme'!

One of my now famous K2theA contraptions, I'm quite chuffed with this one actually!

Painting the top sections silver, they make an interesting photo like some sort of dr who creature...

Fun snaps from the studio

2011-04-05T19:51:00.000+01:00

'Where the magic happens!' Tidy desk tidy mind, guess that means my heads pretty full of everything these days... Also it would appear that I have a liking for yellow. Interesting.

Degree Show Ramblings...

2011-03-27T18:28:00.004+01:00

OK, so I haven't been blogging in ages again, there be a shock. I thought that it was about time that I shared some of my ramblings on the topic on everybodys mind at the moment- Degree Show.

This year, I thought that it would be good if I could somehow intertwine themes that have been present in my work for a while such as; time, impermanence, unusual/unconventional materials, Rhino etc etc.

Basically I have come up with the idea that, for degree show my work will be time based. (How apt when it would appear that we have none!). So far I have created my own time pieces, in Rhino, which I have had rapid prototyped, by Shapeways a company based in Holland. These sand-timers, and the time contained within them, then form the basis for my designs.

* Finished timer with silver sections *

Today we blow glass

2011-01-26T22:49:00.004Z

Here are a few pictures of todays workshop activities, experimenting with blowing glass to create forms which will hopefully form part of my degree show work.

Winter pics from the homeland #2

2011-01-16T14:42:00.000Z

It was fairly cold over the Christmas break too, luckily the frost makes such nice patterns.

Winter Pics from the homeland #1

2011-01-16T14:38:00.001Z

It has to be said winter is my favourite season! I love everything about it, wrapping up warm in scarves and hats, having a sneaky drink for medicinal purposes, sledging, making snowmen, going home for Christmas, seeing friends and family ah the list goes on...

Here are a few of my favourite pictures of winter 2010 in Orkney.

Snowy scene, taken out of my sitting room window at home in Orkney, Harray looking towards Hoy.

Same again, but this time taken to capture the beautiful blues of the sky that day, a typical big blue Orkney Sky.

Its not Christmas without socks now is it!

Also I feel that I should point out that this is the where both of the landscape pictures were taken from, my sofa at home. Its nice to have such a beautiful view right outside your window, saves moving to get a good shot, the landscape does it for you! (It was Christmas after all, you have to chillax, its the rules!)

Christmas Sale time

2011-01-16T08:42:00.000Z

Here are a few photos of my jewellery I made for the Christmas sale. I think that as a class we all really enjoyed making and selling pieces and I feel that it was a nice way to end the term, a bit of money-making, shiny things and Christmas cheer!

Santa's grotto under the DoJ stairs filled with shiny things

Okto-time?

2011-01-16T02:10:00.000Z

A wee while ago I became the proud? owner of a Lomo Oktomat 8- Lens camera, into which I quickly inserted an illford black and white film and off I set on my photographing way. Here are a few of the results.
The idea with this camera is to capture 8 continuous frames each taken a fraction of a second after the other creating a series of images in a time scale from top left to bottom right. In these examples I moved the camera and the subject was still.

(I have no idea what happened to the 7th frame here)

Anyway this was just a trial run with this little beauty, I'm hoping to capture some good movement and 'moment in time' sequences with this camera in the near future. I think a shot out of a train window when going over a bridge, passing all the support structures would be a winner with this camera... to be continued.

It seems I have done it again...

2011-01-16T00:46:00.001Z

So little old blog it looks as if I have neglected you again!

I as you would suspect I have been quite busy between the last post and the present. There has been a dissertation, Goldsmith Boards, Christmas sales, a trip home and back and of course Christmas and New Year.

Some of these events I documented on my film SLR so there is my excuse for not uploading pictures more quickly! (I have no excuses for not typing though, apart from being lazy!) I hope to get some of this stuff posted asap, so i guess you could say watch this space :)

I shall try, from now on to update this a bit more frequently, if not for the sake of being a better 'blogger' but for the sake of getting the mince that is my brain in order...

A busy summer pt 2!

2010-10-03T18:55:00.000+01:00

One more thing...

I do rats... motherless rats!

They look pretty good in bowls too!

p.s- I dont make the bowls, not yet anyway! I would really love to learn however, add another string to the bow....

Things I've been meaning to post since summer...

2010-10-03T18:28:00.000+01:00

OK so its now officially autumn and i never did get round to posting images of what i got up to over summer. So here goes the whistle-stop tour of the interesting things i made over summer...

Little buttons...

big buttons.

Tiny pots...

look good in big pots!

Brodgar beauties...

in various forms.

= An exciting summer of pottery things!

A busy summer.

2010-07-08T21:16:00.000+01:00

Well it seems that i haven't posted anything for ages now, its true I haven't. But I've not been lazy - in fact quite the opposite! I'm back in Orkney for the summer, and have been back at work for over 4 weeks! Time to transform myself from jeweller to potter for a while. And yup, its true what they say, its good to be home!

Whilst at work making F.E.G.s (effigies) and Brodgar* themed candle pots/ brooches, I think I had an enlightened moment, which will hopefully take my dissertation in a different (more exciting) direction. There just seems to be so much exciting stuff happening up here at the moment and not only with craft that I can help but be inspired! This my friends is definitely a step in the right direction! I will hopefully post less of a riddle on this topic at a later date!

Orkney is definitely my starting point for inspiration for next year, stick to what you ken best as they say!

* Brodgar - Ring o' Brodgar / Ness o' Brodgar "the heart of Neolithic Orkney."

image from- www.hull.ac.uk

The end is near, 3rd year that is.

2010-05-03T17:53:00.001+01:00

Here are some lovely photos of my urban (metro) bracelets on display in the corridor taken by my classmate Roisin Connolly.

As part of our assessment this year we were asked to put a piece/pieces of our choice on display in the corridor, which would form part of our grade for presentation. I chose these pieces as I feel that they were some of my best work this year (although strickly speaking not done as part of uni work). I feel that unlike my other pieces they are bold enough to be presented simply on white with only a couple of images in support. I thought that this year I would try and simplify my presentation as in the past i have had a tendancy to over-power my work with too much presentation. Only time will tell whether or not this is the case :)

p.s - The bracelets are supported on acrylic cylinders and I hope people will take them off and try them on, feel the texture of them on the wrists. Even though they are paper they are quite robust!

Narrative project, done!

2010-03-23T13:51:00.001Z

Here are the pictures of the completed narrative project - body beautiful.

For this project we were given a list of themes, from which we selected one and used it as inspiration for our final piece. I chose 'body beautiful' and through my research developed an interest in what happens when things go wrong and are no longer beautiful or perfect. Which lead me onto catwalk falls and more specifically Naomi Campbell's famous fall in Vivienne Westwood platforms (video in older post). This piece is made up of paper "frames" following Naomi's progression through the video. There are 16 in total which trace her movement down the catwalk ending with her fall. I chose to work in paper for this piece as I feel that the ephemeral qualities of the paper reflect the split second when the perfection is lost.

I actually finished something early?

2010-03-20T20:26:00.000Z

First of all I feel the need to say that the narrative project (discussed in last post) is almost finished, just waiting for resin to set! Probably about time considering that the narrative project ended 3 weeks or so ago! In my defence I have to point out that I should have been more persistent and got on the laser cutter, but hey ho, sometimes things just don't go as planned do they? Also there is something really satisfying about doing the whole thing by hand, well i think so anyway.

You'd be right to wonder what this has to do with me "actually finishing something early" as this clearly was not on schedule! Well as it would turn out, I ended up using paper for the narrative project. Yes yes back to paper for me, no more trying to avoid it anymore! I will embrace the paper if it kills me (narrative project was close!). Enough rambling. Here is the mystical thing that I finished early...
A set of two bracelets made from old Metro newspapers, Linseed Oil and threads. Which I made for the current Metro re-create competition Closing date 26th March - therefore I've finished something early! Success!

Hopefully next time I post I will be equipped with some pictures of a COMPLETED narrative project, fingers crossed!

Ok so I'm back...

2010-02-02T18:24:00.000Z

It's been far too long... but I'm back and I don't just mean blogging! New year (I am aware it is Feb & I'm glossing over this) and a fresh start. This term we have started with a narrative project, which thank the lord I am enjoying and I feel inspired enough to share something with you guys!

My topic for the project is body beautiful, so I am going along the lines of catwalk models and how every last element of how they look on the catwalk is planned out. This it has to be said is pretty obvious so I thought that I'd take it a bit further, like for example when this all goes wrong - in the form of the models falling. My research into this lead me onto one of the most famous catwalk falls, when Naomi Campbell fell on the runway wearing Vivienne Westwood platforms circa 1995?

So... this then led me on to thinking about the passing of time in the piece, how in a matter of seconds the perfection is gone. I wont bore you with my long-winded thinking from here but it basically involved long exposure photography, Francis Bacon portraits and Radiohead videos, use your imagination! It also triggered something in the depths of my brain that I had seen before, which as it turned out was the work of Geoffrey Mann. I love this stuff and I hope that I can make a piece that is half as effective as these then I will be happy!

Attracted to light.

'Attracted to Light narrates the erratic behavior of a moth upon the stimulus of light. The trajectory is captured through cinematic technology and the echo of the path, materialized through rapid prototyping, forms a delicately poetic hanging lamp.'

Anyway that's enough to be getting on with, hopefully if this project continues going the same way there will be lots more enthusiastic posts to follow!

Hmmmm... Its been a while (again)

2009-11-23T20:33:00.000Z

So it would appear that I've slipped back into my lazy ways. This of course refers to my recent lack of posts on here because I have been quite busy of late...

I'd like to say that all of my time has been eaten up with projects and the like and I guess that it has in a way. BUT it has to be said I'm just not feeling this year... I cant really put my finger on it- I just feel quite uninspired and like I'm just going through the motions, putting in the same thought and effort (perhaps even more effort) than I did last year and not getting so much out of it.

Bit of a pessimistic post I know and i guess theres not a lot I can do about it now, except draw a line under it and start afresh. New project brief tomorrow and with a bit of luck I mite get my 'mojo' back...

The D word.

2009-11-06T14:06:00.000Z

OK so first dissertation meeting in the bag as of yesterday! Scary, how time flies! J.B (que murder she wrote theme tune) wasn't wrong when he said it'd be us before we knew it.

Anyway. I think that yesterday I had an epiphany. When it was mentioned that we probably knew more about a topic than we realised, it kind of hit me. The Crafts sector/Craft Trail in Orkney.

After having spent the summer working on the Craft Trail I now realise how good the crafts sector in Orkney actually is. Not that I haven't realised this before BUT you definitely appreciate something more when you've had some distance from it (i.e being at uni/ in Dundee for most of the year).

Now for the shameless plug... If anybody's in Orkney over summer /any other time we're not in uni between April and Christmas, do pop in past Fursbreck Pottery, where you can see all manner of pottery goings on and of course my happy (and clay covered) face!

Back to the topic... (was doing a peedie bit o' googling last night)

"If there were ever to be a template for how crafts, as a respected, professional and sustainable artform, should be moulded, it would have to be taken directly from Orkney and its islands. For what emerged from the trail and the trip was that here in Orkney crafts is not just a profession, a job or an artform, this is a culture.

This idea that craft is culture is embedded in the way makers perceive what they do. This is not simply a job, it is a lifestyle. The trail exemplifies this. As you wander between the makers’ workshops set against the backdrop of their homes and on some occasions farms, you get a real sense of how their craft is reflected in their lives"

from a Hi-Arts article by Sian Jamieson 2009.
http://www.hi-arts.co.uk/oct09-feature-orkney-makers-day-2009.htm

This quote basically sums up the ideas I had been having about my feelings around the craft sector at home but of course is put across in a much more eloquent manner than I could do on here!

I think this is a really interesting topic for me as its something I've been brought up with and haven't really realised how much it has already affected my creative development. Having been brought up in a place like Orkney you are surrounded by top notch design and I guess this became the expected standard or level to attain before you know "you've made it". (No pressure then!)

This is by no means my only thoughts on the topic but I guess I should get back to some studio work as im in the studio... I'll keep you posted!

A diversion of sorts...

2009-10-28T17:46:00.000Z

Whilst researching Saloukee jewellery (pictures in last post) It occurred to me that her work was not too unlike something I'd seen before. After a few cups of tea and a trawl through the Internet I realised that it reminded me of this amazing video my DHTP group looked at whilst researching our sustainable product/service business idea.

The Flexible Love chair.

"FlexibleLove™ furniture incorporates an ‘accordion-like, honeycomb’ structure to create durable furniture pieces produced from widely-available recycled materials. FlexibleLove furniture, such as FlexibleLove Earth 16, are made from recycled paper and recycled wood waste, and are produced using pre-existing manufacturing processes in order to reduce their overall impact on the environment. The name “Flexible Love” was derived from the concept of a ‘flexible love-seat’ - seating that could hold from one to as many as sixteen individuals; changing length and shape with a simple pull at each end. A honeycomb structure, used throughout the entire Flexible Love line, produces an accordion-like result that allows each piece to be extended and collapsed with ease..." www.flexiblelove.com/

Oh how I wish I could make amazing things like this...

Research Project - Saloukee.

2009-10-27T14:17:00.000Z

OK first things first I'm gonna own up "Saloukee" didn't mean anything to me when I got given the name, but my imagination got the better of me- here I was thinking that it (at this point I didn't know the gender) could only be some crazy Japanese off the wall designer... I mean only there are only a select few who can get away with the one name thing - Cher, Madonna etc. hahahahahahahaha!

(Way to admit my jewellery ignorance to the world!)

Aside from that... Saloukee - SArah LOUise KElly (i guess the 2nd e just looks nice?) Gender discovered! And my apparent love of parenthesis...

I'm amusing myself a little writing this, is this odd?

Here are some pics of her work.

Paper things! Yeah! I really enjoyed the project I used paper in last year, although I'm guessing materials is too obvious a link for this here project... Might try and dig out some pics of that project in the near future, give us all a bit o' a laugh.

Ring Exchange... pt 2.

2009-10-27T13:56:00.000Z

Didn't really think about this when I posted yesterday but I guess it'd be useful if I had put up a photo of the ring I got in the exchange. This is the ring that I made which was designed by Marion.

I really enjoyed making her ring as it wasn't the style of thing I would have done myself. It was a bit of a challenge for me to work with such loose organic forms, stone settings (lets not get into this now we don't have all day!) and a piece made solely of silver, these are things scruffy rarely does...

I enjoyed it though, just hope i did it justice!

Onward and upwards I guess, research project time.

Ring Exchange... Done!

2009-10-26T16:17:00.001Z

Final presentation board and box. This is the ring I designed and Jess made. The presentation board is more of an instruction board giving a step by step guide to assembling the ring. (I wanted it to look like instructions for assembling flat-pack furniture etc.)

Close up of the display box, a fairly plain presentation for me but maybe im turning over a new leaf? This basically shows how the ring is designed so that the lid of the box can be taken off and worn as a ring.

This sums up my blogging antics of late...

2009-10-24T16:43:00.000+01:00

Just a peedie illustration by Alex Leonard (who does the giddy limit in the Orcadian). I really like his colour illustrations, there spot on. He definitely gets an Orkney quality across in them anyway and you cant really go wrong with a tongue in cheek attitude i don't think...

Love it! i miss wind like this...

and a typical Stromness street scene (again note the lovely weather!)

My absolute favourite! Ba scene! Totally sums it up and rounds off this post quite nicely, next time I'll be in Orkney it will be xmas/Ba time...

Take two...

2009-10-15T20:13:00.000+01:00

So it would appear that I deleted my old blog... Hope take two is more successful!