Reflection edited AI

In the first semester, navigating new concepts was both exciting and daunting. I felt unsure about the Mendhi pattern concept, but designing outcomes with these patterns motivated me to create more despite the challenges. (UAI)

End of Semester Reflection

For the First Semester, I felt it challenging in the sense of a new year getting to work on concepts we wanted to explore, but this had to go through failures and success processes. I will be honest I was scared and confused as to what to really work forward to getting myself into with the Mendhi pattern concept but once you start designing outcomes using the patterns, it makes you want to design more but it was a matter of how you will make this concept or design to work.  

I went through many experimentation, being etching at first, it was interesting how your design that is either sketched or marked on a metal piece can become interesting with the depth it creates as well as the look of it on metal, it was a long process so I felt it would take a lot of time to get work done on time and did not want to further that. Next was enameling adding powdered colour onto metal which is heated and once cooled-off it gives off beautiful colours to the piece which I really liked, and it was a quick process although you need to be careful with choice of colour and how much enamel powder to add to the metal. Then lastly, I worked with filigree, it was quite intense, but I liked the final outcomes of it.  

So, after the exhibition, I decided to further the concept of making Contemporary Indian Jewellery but with having to work with piercing as I initially said in my interview for my acceptance as well as enameling, filigree and try the bead slumping technique. Designs will be inspired by the Indian cultural patterns and designs used either on fabric, Mendhi, and jewellery pieces. 

 

 

End of Semester first attempt

first end of semester 1 exhibit

This was the outcome of my first attempt for the end of semester 1 exhibit. The outcome of this presentation was seen as a fail as it was felt that there were too many experiments been shown but not much of the Mendhi pattern concept interpretation being shown in the pieces made. This in a way made me think more in depth after this day about what I really want to do and see myself designing with what could take me out of my comfort zone as well as enjoy being either techniques learnt or experimenting to make a success work out of it.  

End of Semester Display

 

Lotus collection

This is what my end of semester submission looked like as an end result. The neck piece consists of the silver lotus pendant that is made up of paisley pattern for the lotus petals and filigree of Mendhi patterns being the spirals and silver balls to create the design for the inner petal, beaded chain in a contemporary Indian jewellery form, beaded flowers for the first half of the chain and the rest goes in simple beading style of just beads colour coordinated on the string.  

The earring is also a simplified silver lotus design with the use of the paisley pattern and spirals and silver balls forming a filigree for the inner pattern and transforming the earring into a stud earring by adding a simple pierced lotus petal as the stud design.