Feedback for the negotiated brief from artist Claire Brewster

Having talked to Claire at Origins and been in contact with her via email she very kindly agreed to look at my work for the negotiated brief and give her opinion . Below is her feedback.


I’ve had a look at your work and my comments are as follows (which is only my opinion so feel free to take from it what you will).

Its good to try new subject matter but don’t discount the bunnies because birds seem popular at the moment, bunnies will be back and you can work with several animals as your subject. I think it would interesting to use some other animals and give them hats in the way you have with the birds, there’s no need to limit your possibilities.

For me when I look at the work you showed, there is a mismatch between the paper work and the fabric work. I would like to see the fabric work pushed a bit further, maybe you could interpret the pictures you have found in fabric, using the collage technique, but making more complex images. I would also suggest working on a larger scale, its important to be bold.

How would you make this a sustainable practice once you have left college, i.e. Where do you take this work next?

Regarding being neat and tidy, you shouldn’t hide the hand made nature of the work, that’s what makes it different and unique, but it is important to make sure when you present your work that it looks immaculate, the frame and surrounds everything. People will judge you on that and that will be the first thing they notice, if its not done well. If its done well they will notice the work first which is the important thing.

I hope you some of this is useful to you but feel free to ignore anything that’s not relevant or you don’t agree with, its only my opinion after all.

Lastly a couple of people’s work you should look at

Donna Wilson, I just read this great blog post about her, she has her own vision and style, which is now very fashionable but only because its her own and so different, its interesting to see all the different things she has turned her hand to without losing her overall vision.

http://www.sightunseen.com/2010/12/donna-wilson-textile-designer/

Also Julie Cockburn, she has done a lot of work with embroidery on found postcards and photographs, she has also done a lot of work with birds, google her and you find a lot of images, her website mostly has newer stuff.

http://www.juliecockburn.com/

Well best of luck with your course and what ever you do after it.

Best wishes

Claire

Claire Brewster

Artist

www.clairebrewster.co.uk

07940 818781

mail@clairebrewster.co.uk



Thank you very much Claire for taking time out of your busy schedule to comment .