Graduate Showcase: Nancy Frail

摘要

I was introduced to weaving through my Textile Design degree at Falmouth University. Already a keen handspinner and home dyer, weaving seemed to be a natural progression. The weaving process came quite naturally to me, as I enjoy the technical aspect. Looking back, I savour the experience I had at university. It allowed me time to experiment with colours, concepts and structures. I created hundreds of samples, and proudly achieved a First-Class degree at the end of it all. Focusing heavily on my inspiration and concepts, I was able to create expansive, cohesive collections. Often, I would use the natural world to draw inspiration from. Fungi, lichen and moss featured across two of my collections, allowing for interesting textures and natural dyes to further enhance my work. These projects were the most rewarding, because they allowed for my own research, outside with my camera, blending my love of photography with weave. Alongside this, I also had a witchcraft theme, using lurex and complicated weave structures to mimic the weaving of spells. My final year project at university was a bold change to my rich colour palettes. I started off looking at the royal family and its complex history, yet when I found the collection wasn't bold enough, I ventured into anarchy, questioning the concept of royalty. This resulted in a bright, tacky collection that stands out amongst my work and helped create quite a varied and versatile portfolio.