Talking Colour / Pattern – Willow Ashbury

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Talking Colour / Pattern – Willow Ashbury
This floral piece was created using oil pastels on dark-toned paper, which I feel really makes the colours pop! It was inspired by a group of daisies I came across in my local park. I love the impressionistic quality of the work and the sense of fluidity it captures, giving the piece a soft, expressive feel.

Mirrored sample-

This piece was inspired by a beautiful moss covered tree that caught my attention. I was drawn to its rich textures and vibrant colours, which inspired me to recreate it in my own way. I really love the variation of greens and how the dark background helps them stand out. I experimented with mark-making and blending to capture the texture of the moss, but I think it could be interesting to recreate this using a different medium to achieve a more tactile, three-dimensional effect. -oil pastles

This observation was inspired by a view outside my student accommodation of a tree branch, that has pierced its way through a structured fence. I walk past it every day and find it incredibly empowering how nature always finds a way to reclaim space(although it has been chopped down it is still resilient.) To create this piece, I explored with collage, oil pastels and a scraping technique to add depth and texture. I also placed the piece on my window ledge to catch the sunlight, giving it a more lively and dynamic feel, which accidentally aligned perfectly with the real tree branch pushing through the fence.

Feeling inspired by my previous piece, I wanted to explore a design that reflects the idea of nature and distortion. I used oil pastels and a scraping technique to make the surface appear opaque and add depth, enhancing the sense of texture and dimension within the work.
A quick observation of a conker and its outer shell, focusing on the relationship between positive and negative space. For this piece I experimented with charcoal and an eraser to create a different sense of depth. This study helped me to better understand tone and explore new ways to illustrate dimension and form. I love the effect of the charcoal.
A very quick 30-second observation of a pinecone, created using a graphite stick. I really love the fluidity that this technique gives to the drawing, capturing the natural flow and form of the subject.

A quick sketch of my family home, drawn from direct observation.

An oil painting inspired by my neighbours geese. I really love how oil paints allow me to capture a soft, luminous quality, which I feel perfectly suits this subject. I quite like the unfinished look of this piece, as I feel it adds character and enhances its overall effect.

An oil painting of my family cat, using subtle blues and pinks rather than traditional colours. I find it really interesting to experiment with colour and how it can create a completely different mood and expression.

A sketch of a little deer I came across. I tried to capture the gentle presence and delicate features of the deer.

A quick acrylic study of flowers in a vase. I wanted to experiment with mark making to convey a sense of energy and movement in the piece. I really love how working with just two colours gives the piece a striking simplicity and focus.

Another oil painting, exploring mark making through expressive brushstrokes to create texture and movement.

Here is a quick digital floral design and visualisation to see how the design would translate into a fashion context.

This is another digital study where I explored variations in tone to develop depth and contrast within the design.

I recently came across some beautiful bluebells and was inspired to see how they might translate into a fashion context. I created a collage to visualise this, which later influenced this garment design.

Acrylic, card and oil pastle study. Thought this was a really inspiring peice of daisies growing through a gap in some concrete stairs.

Reflection

During this task, my main source of inspiration came from my local area in Tooting. I gathered lots of imagery, particularly of nature, as it brings me a sense of joy and calm. I find it really therapeutic to sit and sketch focusing on line, form and mark-making, while experimenting with different mediums to communicate a range of perspectives. A few of my responses were developed into digital prints exploring alternative colourways, which I’d love to continue developing as I feel they were very successful and hold strong potential for future work.Ive found this process really inspiring, making me more conscious of the intricate patterns within everyday life and how everything around us can be seen as art.Working with a variety of mediums has also helped me understand what techniques suit me best, while encouraging me to experiment in different ways to achieve the strongest outcomes. Through this I’ve learned to take creative risks and push my ideas further, which has greatly contributed to my growth as a designer and strengthened my confidence in exploring new approaches.Throughout this project, I feel I’ve grown as an artist. Even on afternoon walks through my local park or on my way back from uni, textures and colours began to stand out to me, and I often found myself stopping to capture photos. Looking back at those images and my responses, I’ve noticed that I’m naturally drawn to organic, flowy, and expressive lines, as well as bold, gestural marks. This project has taught me to let go of the need for perfection and simply create, allowing ideas to form more intuitively. It’s been a truly valuable experience that has deepened my awareness of my surroundings and helped me evolve as a designer.

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