Bit of Boasting

Hello!

Its been a while. Today I thought I would boast a bit about Ash West. We both have been trying to get our feet shoved firmly in the hypothetical designer door. On more than ten occasions Ive decided to give up design and jump into clown college or marry rich. But that is a whole other commitment issue Im happy to avoid.

Anyway. She is focused on embracing "user experience design, visual communication, design strategy and content strategy. This is with a focus on creating human-centred design solutions." With a fair bit of travelling under her belt, and a conceptual brain to boot, her works are always layered with insight and expressions of her own design style.

Head over to her site: hello-ashleigh and have a squiz at her portfolio. 

Update!

Along with the paintings, I'm making a pamphlet & business card. And possibly website (for the future considerations category in the marking guide...I think there is one). These are some spreads and cover ideas for the pamphlet. The cover will have black disappearing paint on the cover with orange stitching up the spine. Once people touch the pamphlet it will disappear showing a print under it. As of this moment, it will be the orange finger prints to reflect ergonomics and how people actually hold it. 

These pics show how I hold the pamphlet and position the prints.

After questioning many many people about it, the handprint option is a winner.

Countdown!

Last month until 30min presentations are due. 

I just bought the pigments to make thermo-paint. Itll take about 3weeks. From the states. To Sydney. Crap. After some research, relying mostly on the accounts from these two lovely sites: softcircuit2 & artisticjunkie, I've purchased the "dust" from solarcolordust and need to go buy a Liquitex Slow-Dri Fluid Retarder Additive from my local-has-everything-ever-imagined-artshop North Shore Art. For the presentation i'll also need to get a heating pad to put behind the displays in-order for the designs to change. 

Inspiration:

Face 37 - September Poster 
"September is typically regarded as a month of transition in the Northern Hemisphere as the dying embers of Summer are replaced by the cooler and greyer chills of Autumn and the onset of early darkness. It is often associated with melancholic self-reflection as if heat and sunlight are a temporary physical and mental panacea. inspired by the physical reality of changing seasons and simple emblematic change of colour of falling leaves, I used thermochromic ink that alters colour dependent on room temperature."

You can purchase it here: face37

Another Example: Im not sure of the name, or who created the design but it can be found here: miafranceskennedy.

This is just damn great. Again, no idea who created it. Has nothing to do with thermoes but its could be applied.

Experimenting

Experimenting with the idea of photochromic paints:

- how imagery appears with 'black' lights

- where to place it 

When researching photochromic/thermochromic paints, I immediately thought of this:

Glow worm caves in New Zealand or indoor star gazing.

So now I have to figure out how to use the paints:

- what colours to use

- how to eg handmade painting or printed

- figure out how "blacks" can appear whilst in normal light can be invisible

- when presenting: use a large page or "peel off" 

- when presenting: large black light or torches for interactive

- interested in thermochromic paint - added interactive elements however it changes the way "energy usage" develops or reveals the imagery.

Alicia Ingruber designed these posters about the Stitchbird in New Zealand. Its the kind of graphics works I like to do and appreciate the style. 

Now I have to figure out the actual design and decide how parts of it will glow.

Open Brain Storming

After researching photochromic and thermochromatic paints and their uses I've been thinking about the final presentation...Not long now. And I want to present something other than printed materials. I came across these handmade wall decals on facebook a while back. Just a bit of corn starch or a pre-made stick and boom instant wall art or wallpaper.

pistachioproject, sewingforscarlett & curbly have some good tutorials. 

While I wouldnt be allowed to paint a wall at cofa, perhaps I could stick it on and peel it off.
Crazy walls crazy walls crazy walls

Photochromatic Stuff
The museum goudA redesigned their torture chamber using UV. Illustration - Jos Verwer, and Type - Trapped in Suburbia

Internal Philips Design Metamorphosis document. The bookcover uses photochromic and thermochromic ink. 

Calignosity by Andreas Pohancenik - UV Varnish and invisible UV ink screen print on ebony plike, A1

Photochromic & Thermochromatics

So the last couple ideas were not working out. They were catering towards the tutors' specialties and not necessarily as a combination of my majors: Graphics Media and Environmental/Spatial Design. I wasn't however processing the feedback correctly, even if Richard's was "make it". 

Now. I've been looking at lights:

Anthony McCall, "Five Minutes of Pure Sculpture" & United Visual Artists, "Vanishing Points"

Other things:

Jody Xiong, "Green Sidewalk Campaign" & Adam Niklewicz, "The Charter Oak"

And Brad, in our thursday class, discussed going back to graphics in the environment using UV paint that reacts to blue light. Tunnel vision had set in and I hadn't analysed my process from an outside perspective. I had become to accustomed to Katherine Moline's graphics class, where sets of tables or the entire class would go round to each persons' work and give feedback. Now there are too many students per class, and not enough time to talk with tutors. That and my own tunnel vision. 

Now that all this has been understood, I am adjusting my thinking back to graphics-y things (so i can still use a bunch of research including info-graphics!). Photochromic inks change colour when exposed to ultraviolet light from the sun or a black light. Examples: 

Clothing: Printed shirt alters colour in the sun.

Health: "Sun Watch" changes colour and illustrate needs when exposed to the sun.

Structure: Christoph Klemmt's award winning Or2 Photochromic Canopy Structure.

Paper: Advertising for skin cancer.

Which then brought me to Thermochromatic Ink. Instead of light affecting the chemical structure, this relies on temperature.

Architerials has a great look at Thermochromatics and its use.

Film: 

Polyester:

Click on pics to go the links and information.

Ground Control

Trekked it into the Glue Studio today to have a chat with James Dive! It was really interesting getting information from a practicing creator outside of uni. And I spent more time talking about my project with one stranger, than the combined time spent with both tutors over the last 5 weeks (giant class sizes are to blame). I now know what it feels like being a tween-girl watching twilight....What a dork. Next stage is compressing the ridiculously long brief cofa assigned and busting out some more research. 

Dive mentioned Storm Glasses that "detected"...storms. There were sealed containers with distilled water and chemicals. (This was thought of due to the narrowed down idea of "creating atmospheres to demonstrate energy usage" and responsive objects/installations).

And now some new designs:

Storm Glass, Craig Borum, 2011

Tempo Drop, Perrocaliente

Scientists still don't understand exactly the way it works, however theories include temperature changes, electromagnetic changes and particles quantum tunnelling through the glass. They're a great example of objects that react to the environment which is kinda cool. 

Nasa releases time lapse videos every now and then and proves just how insignificant we all are. It brings into sharp contrast our inflated opinions of the human race (just because we have opposable thumbs). That and atmosphere. 

And then the slow-mo guys uploaded a video of paint exploding at 15000fps! Once paused the images give the same impression. Now imagine that as an object! A bit off track but scale it up a bit and have the lights pulse BOOM!

atmosphere atmosphere atmosphere atmosphere atmosphere atmosphere atmosphere atmosphere atmosphere