Creative Workspaces Are Important Places Of Solace And Wellbeing. It’s Good To Make A Mess And See

Mark making. Playing with inks, bleach, water, scratching, layers…..

Plastic fantastic! Crazy, melted, recycled plastics embellished to eye-popping brilliance by FAD student. Love ‘em!

Moving forward to cropping and playing around with compositional decision making next. I am drawn to a square format and trying to maintain the expressive, gestural marks when deciding what works as a balanced piece.

 I may add further detail, maybe stitch or I might paint out detail and simplify the image. This is the fun part but something I am challenged by as really my default setting is the playful, experimental stage where I can be free and can work loosely enjoying the edges of one colour next to another and delight in the subtlety of a mark or appreciate the layering of a broad brush stroke next to a lightweight spontaneous drip or dribble. Endless possibilities that I do not want to end.

2017. Gabby Costello Art FAD exploring eco-textile printing and natural dyes. About to graduate from Somerset University, Taunton. All the best Gabby! This was your FMP show leaving Strode College in 2017. 

A level costume design exploring the theme of ‘Birds’ exploring the darker side of these winged creatures, inspired by Alexander McQueen’s exhibition ‘Savage Beauty’ at the V&A. An innovative use of materials such as bin liners and interfacing to create an ethereal, feathered quality in a series of cropped capes.

Great photo shoot with technical support from Dave Merritt.

Exciting A level work, developing samples from observational studies of fruit. Fab colour palette and adventurous textiles techniques explored : )

Just re-found these toys that my daughter and I made when she was small. We started with her childhood drawings of animals and imagined creatures, then I made simple templates from them to cut out heads and bodies etc from old clothing. Then we stitched them up and stuffed them. Each one had a narrative, they had names and quirky habits, likes and dislikes- kind of profiles. Some more recognisable than others. Penguin, frog, dog, rabbit but what about the pink one! The frog was only ever a head.

They remind me of happy times on rainy days indoors getting creative and having a laugh together.

Macrame madness. A2 exam outcome. Photos with technical support from Dave Merritt. Thanks x

Amazing digital floral designs heading for the print room by talented FAD student. Perfect for summer fabrics!

Congratulations Jessie Goad!

Jessie’s fashion collection explored the theme of ‘journeys’ and focused on favourite places, memories attached and evoked by walking in the locality. Maps were of particular interest and her digital prints were applied to garment construction to great effect.

We were fortunate to invite fashion graduate, Clancy Dawson, into college to run masterclasses with the Textiles students with a particular emphasis on quality finish when making garments. Clancy studied at Glasgow School of Art and has worked on Saville Row as a trouser tailor so her skills were invaluable. Jessie worked closely with Clancy and repurposed an original 1980′s trouser pattern and made it her own, cut from her bespoke fabric these were really successful and unique.

Jessie plans to continue developing her own brand and selling her fashion online. We wish her all the very best with her business plan.