Alex Perle Syracuse University, Class of 2015 BFA Communications Design Minor in Textiles
ALEXANDRA ROS
Photography by Joey Marion Modeling by Abby Starobin (Clearly pretty awesome people)
Hi! My name is Alex Perle and I am a graphic designer who is also extremely interested in textiles and patterns. I graduated from Syracuse University with a BFA in Communications Design and a Minor in Textiles. I love drawing patterns by hand, using color, and I especially love hand weaving on a floor loom. I just got one as a graduation present! I have always been very hands-on with everything. I love crafts and anything that you can make yourself. I used to scrap book, make jewelry, do ceramics, I tried to make a tote bag of some sort out of candy wrappers...that one did not turn out so well.
This book is a compilation of all of my pattern and textile works thus far. Some of them overlap a bit and it shows how they have adapted with me over time and from learning new skills (like hand weaving). To me, tedious imperfections means that making things by hand can be a very time consuming process, and obviously tedious, and making things by hand will never be perfect, but that’s the point. I think making things by hand is extremely rewarding and it is what I love to do. And the imperfections are what makes the work great; they make them quite unique, special and are something I am extremely proud of.
SE PLOTKIN PERLE
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HAND DRAWN PATTERNS Sketch Book Patterns Large Scale Patterns Patterns Transformed
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HANDWEAVING All the cloths I have woven, in order of when they were made. Scarves, shawls and a blanket.
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GAUCHE PAINTINGS Hand painted repeating patterns made in Patterns of Repeat with gauche paints.
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PAINTED SHOES Hand painted converse shoes, painted with fabric paints over the past 8 years.
Table of Contents
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When I am working on something and can tell it is going to turn out how I want it to, I have all the patience in the world.
HAND DRAWN PATTERNS 07
8.25x10.25 inches Finished 12/4/10 Moleskin Sketchbook .005 Black Micron Pen 12 Prisma Color Markers
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This is the first drawing/pattern of this kind that I made in my senior year of high school. I was in art class looking through my friend’s sketchbook and saw something he did and was inspired. I drew this shortly after, and then, for the most part, the rest of them just kept coming to me. This one is the most abstract and unorganized drawing I have done. I found that with each one I draw, they become more obsessive, controlled and organized. I realized that I make rules in my head while I’m working for how the lines should be, which colors can go where, which lines can touch or cannot touch, etc.
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8.25x10.25 inches 2010 Moleskin Sketchbook Black Micron Pens Prisma Color Markers
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This is the second pattern of this kind that I made, also during my senior year of high school. At the time, all of these patterns just kept popping out of my head, I had the time to draw all of them, and (somehow) was constantly inspired. It is much more controlled than the previous one. I found that as I continued, they became more and more organized. I (unintentionally) made more and more rules for myself to follow as I drew. I like the use of negative space in this one, but I wish the shapes that the patterns are in were more controlled and organized.
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12x12 inches 2011 Black Micron Pens Prisma Color Markers
I worked on this drawing on and off for about six months. I started it my senior year of high school and would sit in the hallways drawing. I then spent the summer before my freshman year of college coloring it in, mainly in the park by my house. It was taped to the
wall in my family’s living room, and though I thought it was safe, it was actually in the sun and over the past four years has unfortunately slightly faded. It is now waiting to be framed and hung up again (out of the sun where it is safe).
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8.25x10.25 inches 2012 Moleskin Sketchbook Black Micron Pens Prisma Color Markers
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I drew this pattern in my sketchbook, which then led to my final project in one of my freshmen year classes (next page). The final project expanded on this one by not just using circles, but adding in triangles and squares, though it has no color like this one does. I am not quite sure where the idea came from, but I think it came from seeing some Hindi patterns I saw in my Art History class at the time. This is also the first time that I only colored in some parts of the pattern; usually I cannot resist completely coloring in everything.
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The original drawing was for one of my final projects first semester freshman year of college at Maryland College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore. It is the largest drawing/pattern that I have ever done. It was based on a smaller drawing I made in my sketchbook that only had circles in it. I never colored it in, though I always meant to. For my drawing class (second semester freshman year), I had the pattern printed on fabric. I then painted some of the shapes, embroidered over some of the lines, and stitched it into a pillow by hand. Making this pillow was the first time that I used one of the patterns I have drawn and turned it into something else; something no longer flat but a physical and three dimensional object.
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Circles, Triangles and Squares 20x20 inches 2012
Circles, Triangles and Squares Pillow 16x16 inches 2012 Cotton fabric print Fabric paint Embroidery thread Sewing needle & thread
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I create rules for myself in my head as I work in order to keep everything consistent; which lines are allowed to touch, what colors are okay to use, etc. 20
This is one of my favorite patterns that I have drawn. Everyone looks at it and sees different things in ithair, seaweed, grass- but I had nothing in mind when I drew it, just shapes and movement. I like the space that it forms around the edges. I think it is the most detailed and intricate pattern I have drawn in some ways even though the lines are the most simple and it uses the least colors.
8.25x10.25 inches 2012 Black Micron Pens Prisma Color Markers Moleskin Sketchbook
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These two patterns were more like doodles to me. I didn’t spend too much time on them, they are only half of my notebook instead of a page like all the others. They are simple, pretty similar to other patterns that I have done. I think that at some point there is space to expand on them and turn them into something great.
8.25x5.125 inches Finished 1/11/11 Black Micron Pens Prisma Color Markers Moleskin Sketchbook
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Mistakes make it real. I don’t strive for perfection, I strive for work that I am proud of and that makes me happy to look at.
This pattern was inspired by a paper weight, sitting on the table when I was super bored and trying to find ways to entertain myself.
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8.25x10.25 inches 2012 Black Micron Pens Moleskin Sketchbook
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I still haven’t decided if I actually like this pattern. There are parts of it that bother me, but then there are some elements that I really like about it. I see an opportunity to redo it at some point in the future and make it into something that I love. This pattern is one of the only ones that I never colored in. It is also the first time I tried to color one of my patterns in digitally. I found that it just doesn’t have the same feel and effect of coloring it by hand, and I actually hate how the digital versions came out. It was nice being able to experiment with color though, and see how things could look if I ever decided to color this pattern by hand. You aren’t stuck with the colors you chose to use since it isn’t on the final product.
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This pattern was made for Leibowitz Branding and Design. I interned there the summer after my sophomore and junior years of college. It was for their wallpaper project- every month a different designer in the company made something that could be downloaded for free from their website to be used as wallpaper for your computer or phone. I chose the colors because I thought they were kinda summery/ end of summery, but otherwise I was just trying to make something pretty.
August 8x8 inches 2013 Black Micron Pens Moleskin Sketchbook
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September 10x10 inches 2014 Black Micron Pens Prisma Color Markers X-Acto knife Colored paper
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It is exciting and satisfying to push yourself to try something new and have it actually work out.
This pattern was also made for Leibowitz Branding and Design my second summer there after my junior year. Once again it was for their wallpaper project- this time it was September. This is the first time that I made one of my patterns into something that wasn’t completely flat and 2D. First I drew the pattern, shown on the right. Next I colored in certain parts of it, abiding by the rules I made in my head for which sections were allowed to be colored in. Then I cut out bits a pieces of it by hand, also following a strict set of
rules. After that I photographed it on top of a piece of colored paper. According to my boss and teacher, the crazy and winding shapes throughout the pattern are what he imagines my brain to look like. I chose the yellow to contrast with the blue inside the drawing. I really liked how this process came out, how there were subtle shadows emphasizing the different pieces of layered paper. In the future I would like to re-make this process on another pattern.
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This is one of my most recent patterns. Being busy with school I have produced very few patterns and just haven’t been able to find the inspiration. I think that this pattern took me the longest to complete because
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I just didn’t have the time to work on it. But it is also one of my favorites. I like it so much that I decided to make a larger version of it (on the next page) and ended up using it for a few other projects.
8.25x10.25 inches 2012 Black Micron Pens Moleskin Sketchbook
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After drawing the smaller version of this pattern in my sketchbook, I used it for the pair of shoes a friend paid me to paint for him. I then re-drew the pattern on a much larger scale, which I used in my digital fabric printing class. We printed the pattern and my teacher helped me to sew it into the shirt on the right. The sewing pattern for the shirt was based off of a shirt I
2014 Converse Hightop Shoes Fabric paint Canvas
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10x18 inches 2014 Black Micron Pens
Sleeveless Shirt 2014 Fabric print
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8x8 inches 2012 Colored paper
On the left side of the page is a piece of construction paper that I had cut the pattern out of with an X-acto knife. It was part of a series of project for my freshman year drawing class. After cutting it out, I scanned it and got it laser cut into a piece of wood, which I used in my ceramics class sophomore year as a mold by pushing it into the clay. On the right are the two sides of the piece of wood, I spray painted each side a different color.
8x8 inches 2013 Lasercut MDF Wood
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HANDWEAVING 39
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This is the first thing that I ever wove. It is a sample that was meant to learn how to weave. It was about exploring different patterns, colors, and materials that we can use and how they can be combined together. I had fun experimenting, but didn’t think much about the cloth and how it would all look together once finished. I was surprised by how well all of the colors went together in the end and I actually really like this scarf. I like how the ends aren’t actually finished and are uneven and none of the loose threads were cut off.
Weaving Sample 2013 12 inches wide Lots different yarns
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The hardest part about weaving is setting up the loom. Once set up, the actual process of weaving goes pretty quickly.
This is the second thing that I wove. The project was about finding and expressing contrast in your life. The warp is half black and half white, to show the different views of being an artist versus a designer. Then the light and dark blues in the weft represent when I transfered schools from Maryland Institute College of Art to Syracuse University School of Visual and Performing Art. By twisting the fringes together at the ends, it shows how everything comes together in the end.
2013 White, Black and Various Blue Yarns
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This is another project I did in my first handweaving class. I was aiming at using different colors than those that I normally use, and once again the pattern was the most important part to me. I wanted there to be a gradual change in color from the green to white in the middle, but I rushed the change in colors and it doesn’t look like the gradient I was going for. My lack of properly planning also made the “scarf � too short and too thick to actually wear as a scarf. It works better as a shawl. I think that this one of the more complicated patterns that I have ever woven.
Handweaving 2013 Green, white and black cotton yarn
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Weaving is really relaxing. It becomes methodical and is a great distraction.
This project was learning how to do a different weaving structure called overshot. It is used to make more intricate patterns. I spent so much time picking out the perfect pattern and was happy with what I chose, but the yarn I used was too thin. As I was weaving, the warp ends kept breaking and I started to give up, I couldn’t replace all of them. The woven cloth I was making kept getting smaller and smaller as I went, so in the end I had to sew some of it so it appeared to all be the same width. Originally it was supposed to be a rug, but once again it turned into a shawl, maybe a table runner.
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2013 Red and Pink Yarns
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This is the first thing I wove in Dyeing to Weave, my second weaving class with Sarah Saulson. The technique for dyeing the yarn is called a painted warp- after winding the yarn I mixed different shades of reds, pinks, and oranges and then painted the yarn. I wanted the colors to seep into each other, almost making gradients. I didn’t want there to be any pattern or stripes in it, all random. I wanted the pattern to be
subtle so that the colors were what really stood out. It didn’t come out quite how I expected to, but it made me realize that I really like the process of painting warps and the effect it has when done correctly. I realized that I tend to use a lot of blues in my projects so I purposefully tried something different in this project and was pleasantly surprised.
2014 Fabric Dye Brown and White Yarn
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This scarf is woven using the process of shibori. The scarf was woven with only white yarn, but with strings that hang out making a specific pattern. After the cloth was fully woven and taken off of the loom, all the loose strings were pulled tight and tied off. Then the entire scarf was soaked in an indigo bath. After the cloth dried, all the extra tied off strings were taken out, and the pattern was left. The parts that were pulled tight kept the dye out of it, keeping those areas white. My
fingers were extremely sore after pulling all the threads tight, because if they weren’t tight enough the dye would seep in and the pattern wouldn’t be seen as clearly. I started wearing gloves as I pulled the strings to protect my fingers. I was happily surprised when it was finished by how clearly you could see the pattern. It is a little hard to tell, but the edges were woven with black thread to try and give the scarf some more detail.
2014 Cotton yarn Indigo dye
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2014 Red and Beige Yarns
Originally this scarf was supposed to be for my mom. She told me she wanted a red scarf to match her winter jacket. She didn’t like the beige and never wore it. It is a little hard to tell, but if you look closely enough you can see that the fringe is a 4-string braid!
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I made these scarves at the same time as an extra project. I wound on twice the length of warp that I needed in order to be able to make two separate scarves without having to set up the loom twice. This was a pattern that I found on Pinterest and I wanted the pattern to show through really well. I also wanted to make a thicker scarf for the winter, keeping the color simple so it would match various jackets and clothing.
2014 Red, Beige and Purple Yarns
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That’s me holding up my blanket in this picture!
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This was my final project for Dyeing to Weave. At the time I was on crutches with an injured foot and wove it with one foot. It is one of my most prized possessions; I am extremely proud of myself for making it. It uses a process called double weave, or double width. This is because it is twice the width of the loom it was woven on. On the loom, the blanket was woven in half so that while weaving, you cannot actually see the entire blanket. It wasn’t until I finished and took it off of the loom that I could see the entire thing. The two layers were woven at the same time.
I used a painted warp for all the greenish parts of the blanket, using a similar method as my pink scarf (but this time it came out better since I had more practice), and the navy part I died in an indigo bath twice to achieve its dark color. This blanket came out much better than I expected it to. I am still in shock that I managed to complete it. It is also the first time that I made a plaid design. Since it was my first double weave, I couldn’t make as complicated of a pattern as I generally like to.
64x64 inches 2015 Turquoise Fabric Dye Indigo Dye Cream and pink yarn
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GAUCHE PAINTINGS 55
2013 Watercolor Paper Gauche Paint Paintbrushes
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This was my first project in Patterns of Repeat. It is a ‘Contract Pattern’ where we were supposed to find inspiration in nature for a pattern. I found a really interesting picture of coral, which is where this pattern came from. I liked the geometric qualities
of it. We had to make the main pattern, on the far left, as well as a secondary one that went with it, and then two different color ways of the original pattern, which are to the right.
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This was the second project we did in Patterns of Repeat. We had to create bedding and find inspiration from nature, once again, but were focused on things that moved and changed; cracking, branching out, growing, etc. I found my inspiration from some interestingly shaped underwater plants and tried to replicate and show both their shape and their movement. There is the main pattern, which would be the quilt/ blanket on your bed on the right, then the secondary pattern which would be sheets, shown on the left. In the middle there is a throw pillow and a color way variation of the original pattern (which is very similar to the original).
2013 Watercolor Paper Gauche Paint Paintbrushes
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36x36 inches 2013 Black Watercolor Paper Gauche Paint Paintbrushes
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12x5 inches 2013 Black Watercolor Paper Gauche Paint Paintbrushes
Using gauche is really difficult (and quite expensive). It requires just the right consistency or the colors won’t be flat and solid but lumpy and see-through. You have to get it to be the perfect amount of gauche and water.
This was the final project in Patterns of Repeat. We had to make our own take of an animal print, which then became a large circle rug and a stairway runner rug. This was my favorite project. I love the colors and how it turned out, and how the background was black, which I never do. The pattern was based on a close up of a dragonfly wing that I found. We only had to paint a quarter of the pattern, I tiled it together digitally to see what the full rug would look like. I had the original hanging in my room throughout college. I painted this on the floor of my sophomore year dorm while blasting music. I was in the zone and just painted for hours until it was finished.
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HAND PAINTED SHOES 65
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2012 Found hubcap Spray paint Paint markers
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8.25x5.125 inches 2012 Black Micron Pens Moleskin Sketchbook
These shoes were also part of my drawing final project during my freshman year. The pattern came from a little doodle I did in my sketchbook shown above. I then drew it onto a hub cap I found on the street in Baltimore, which started a new line of projects for me. I have collected a few hubcaps since that are waiting to be painted.
2012 Converse Hightop Shoes Fabric paint Canvas
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These shoes are my favorite ones. I don’t love the pattern, seeing as they are quite simple, but I love the colors. I love how each foot is different, but I think they go together. Though they may look pretty simple, they were actually a lot harder to paint than a lot of the other shoes I have done. This was because of all the lines and everything needing to be straight and properly aligned. Any little parts that are off or little mistakes are much more obvious. Originally the light blue lines were yellow, but it looked terrible so I had to paint over it.
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I wore these shoes so much that I literally walked a hole in them. It was raining and I couldn’t figure out why my right foot was getting all wet. There was a hole in the bottom of my shoe.
2011 Converse Hightop Shoes Fabric paint Canvas
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Though these look like four different pairs of sneakers, it is really two pairs. I bought a pair of toddler-sized shoes because I was trying to sell them to a store that only sells handmade products made in the USA. I wanted to show the store the variety of patterns I could make for boys and girls shoes. They loved the shoes, but in the end we realized the time it takes to paint the shoes makes them too expensive to sell in a store and wasn’t worth it. They have never been worn, they are just sitting there on my shelf looking all nice and shiny and new.
When you really want to do something, you will step up to the occasion.
2012 Converse Hightop Shoes Fabric paint Canvas
I used the eraser at the end of a #2 pencil to make all of the circles on the shoe below. It is what gave all of the circles their texture and what made all of the circles so perfectly round.
I was walking home one day in Manhattan and passed a store that was selling custom painted (knockoff) Converse. I had never seen that before, so I went in and ended up talking to the owner, who was interested in my shoes. I brought in a few pairs, and he ended up giving me a pair of shoes from his store to paint. I did something different on each shoe to offer some variety
2012 “Converse” Hightop Shoes Fabric paint Canvas Painted for Hip Hip USA
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in what customers could order. The store was called Hip Hop USA and was all graffiti and spray painted shoes, so my shoes were different and he wasn’t sure if they would sell or not, but figured we could give it a try. The shoes never ended up selling, though people seemed to really like them.
I went back onto their website and discovered that they made a knockoff pair of my pattern. Even used the exact same colors a mine.
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Making artwork for commission is the hardest thing because in the end you want to keep it, but you just can’t. I painted these shoes for my friend James. He told me I could do absolutely whatever I wanted. It was great having no direction, and I think that they are the best pair of shoes I have ever painted. It makes me sad knowing they aren’t mine, but it is also nice to know something I made and am extremely proud of is being worn and shown off. I love the colors, and the scale of the pattern, and how well the pattern translated from
my sketchbook to the shoes. I wish this pair was mine. It makes me think about how I have been working on a pair of shoes for myself for two and a half years and they still aren’t done. I think that the main reason they aren’t done is because I don’t like where they are going, or where I think they are going, but also because I just haven’t had the time. Now that I graduated maybe I will finally get them done!
2014 Converse Hightop Shoes Fabric paint Canvas
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