Eesti Project Brief: To create a personal outcome based around my Grandma and her Estonian heritage Process: Firstly I sketched imagery associated with my Grandma and Estonia, then turned these into paper cuts. I then scanned them in and used the magic paintbrush on Photoshop to turn them into screen print positives Outcomes: Twelve roughly A7 mini screen prints Reflections: This project was a result of my tutorial where we discussed my mini screen prints from my Student President Campaign, and how they looked good, but didn’t have a personal intent. I really wanted to make a more personal, sensitive outcome, which I was excited about working on. My Grandma was such an influential woman to me, and I am so proud of my Estonian heritage, so I wanted to really celebrate her life and passions through a tangible outcome. I felt that the initial drawings I did didn’t do justice to her personality, and looked a bit stilted. Them I stuck some negative space scraps I had down and I really liked their simplicity and inclusion of white space, so decided to pursue this kind of outcome. I was heavily influenced by the work shown on Match Bloc Instagram of old, often Eastern European, matchboxes. The artist is often unknown, but they have a concurrent theme in their aesthetic style. I really wanted to create something which would fit in with them and be funky and fun, just like my Grandma always was.
Megan Ojari || LAUIL603 || Eesti Project
Through the paper cutting process, I was able to create some colourful, unique compositions which really show the main things that defined my Grandma to me. The colours I used have had a lot of positive feedback, and as they’re different to what I normally do I’m pleased they are received well, I would like to continue using contrasting colour palettes. One of the most successful aspects is the instinctive cutting of the paper, as Matt encouraged me to follow my intuition, which is really working for me, and I’ve been able to make some outcomes I was really happy with. I also really like the elements of pattern making in some of the designs, and the abstraction of the imagery works to make the designs more inviting and intriguing to the audience. However, I’m not sure if I used too much texture and pencil marks, as they don’t fit as well with the clean paper cut edges as I would like, and this could be too much added on. Overall I think the mini screen prints are successful, but I’m not sure if the content is too personal to me, and if I should make it more accessible to a wider audience.
Megan Ojari || LAUIL603 || Eesti Project