Self Presentation Brief: To create self portraits of my practice, and a ‘comfort zones’ task, pushing my comforts of my practice Process: I used pencil for the comfort zones task, and gouache for the initial self portrait, then Photoshop, then screen print Outcomes: One finished self portrait and one ‘comfort zones’ drawing Reflections: These were scary projects for me, as I never really drew people, and always spent ages refining images, so it was difficult to leave my ‘comfort zones’ task as a rough sketch (top right), but did improve my confidence in drawing figures. My first self portrait (left) showed my vitiligo, growth over the year and optimism, and I was relatively happy with it, but didn’t feel it represented my practice. I was going to turn it into a screen print through making positives on Photoshop (middle), but decided to use some work from my Eesti project as my final ‘self portrait’ (right), as it felt a lot more personal and better showed my process of working and aesthetic taste.
Megan Ojari || LAUIL603 || Self Presentation
Pattern Work
Brief: To create a pattern to be applied to different media Process: Cut paper shapes, turned into ceramics and screen prints Outcomes: Range of wrapping paper and ceramic jewellery Reflections: I’m pleased the aesthetic outcomes, and I think it’s good practice to see how I can apply my work to different media, but the project lacks a real purpose and doesn’t communicate much.
Megan Ojari || LAUIL603 || Pattern Work
Morley Newlands Academy Mural Brief: To create a racetrack mural proposal for a local school Process: After my initial research into the institute, I decided I wanted to focus on their aim of encouraging healthy eating. I trialled the scale through sketching a to scale section, before using gouache to create a visual racetrack proposal, and detailed section. Outcomes: Two gouache proposal paintings Reflections: This was a good way for me to learn how to create a professional proposal, and not worry about creating a final finished outcome. I really enjoyed quickly producing this, as it was a new way of working for me, and was a quick way for me to generate and explore different ideas. I also liked working for a purpose which would be beneficial to the students, and enjoyed studying photographs of vegetables to get the correct form. This was a good project for me to carefully consider the appropriateness and the audience, and how I can use colour and shape to reflect that, and offer a reflection of the school ethos. In addition, I learnt about how to scale up work, and to think about appropriateness of size, as well as how to explore and focus on key educational ideas. One key thing I took away from this brief was how to use extra research to my advantage to inform my practice and outcomes and deliver tailored outcomes.
Megan Ojari || LAUIL603 || Morley Newlands Academy Mural
Fabric Book Brief: For my niece’s birthday I decided the make her an 8 colour bespoke fabric photo book. Process: I used Adobe Illustrator to create the patterns, then in Photoshop bit-mapped the photos I had. The fabric was cut into small pieces to just fit one spread on, and I screen printed all the photos first, before following with the text side, then machine stitching the pages together with wadding inside. Outcomes: One 14 page fabric book Reflections: This was really good practice for skills within fabric printing, as well as crafting, as I wanted to improve my actual making skills, so that I feel more confident in creating items to sell. This was also the first time I was able to actually use bit-mapping to create effective positives, through thorough print testing. I also enjoyed working on Illustrator to quickly make work, and has improved my technical ability in actually making artwork in this program. Something I struggled with was the alignment, as it is far more difficult to register fabric printing than paper, and I made a few mistakes as a result. I also didn’t account for extra room on the over to accommodate for the thickness of the pages, meaning the edges were quite untidy.
ME
COUSIN FINN
EMILIE VAN OJARI’S FAMILY
AUNTIE MOLLY & AUNTIE MEGAN
UNCLE DAN & AUNTIE BETH
MUMMY & DADDY
GRANDMA & GRANDPA
UNCLE SAM & AUNTIE AURORE
Megan Ojari || LAUIL603 || Fabric Book
I think because it was such a personal project, and because it would be given to my niece, I really wanted it to be special, and ensured I invested time and dedication into the project. This was also a good lesson in the relationship between image and text, as well as creating something interactive and tangible. I would like to continue expanding the materials I use in my practice, but focus more on image creation and application, especially in fabric forms. Overall, I’m happy with the outcome, and feel that I crafted a high quality product, however it did take a long time to print.
Megan Ojari || LAUIL603 || Fabric Book
Gifts Brief: To make a personal humorous image based on specific stimuli list, and a ‘hen party’ poster of the attendees Process: These were both really quick projects, completed in less than a day each, and I tried slightly new ways of working for each. For the first, I used a technique that Louise Lockhart uses, and cut the shapes out of plain white printer paper, then scanned them in and used Photoshop to create compositions and change colours. For the Hen Party image, I drew people and scanned them in, then on Illustrator traced over the lines with a pen, then mixed around the clothes and hair colours and lengths, to create different people that reflected the guests at the party’s appearance Reflections: It was really interesting to try the same technique as Louise Lockhart uses, and was an easy way for me to quickly create the shapes I wanted with a cut paper feel, before developing this into a more screen print-esque final outcome. I also learnt a lot about how to just play without the pressure of it being a ‘uni project’, as it was just for a gift. This really opened up my creativity of how to portray simple objects. However, I could have spent more time focusing on shapes of unusual items, such as planes and robot, as these could be clearer. I also felt I had an over-reliance on text to signify items, and I would like to see if I could signify this through image alone. But I would like to continue creating things for fun, personal reasons, as I enjoy the process and lack of stress.
Megan Ojari || LAUIL603 || Gifts
I was quite nervous about undertaking this, as it would be seen by a lot of my friends, and was specifically about drawing people, but surprisingly I really enjoyed it. I had gained a lot of confidence in drawing people in my Art Fund collab, and so this only took me a few hours. I liked how free I was, and I didn’t feel like everything had to be literal, and since I only took the hair as the only recognisable feature, I could quickly develop a lot of characters. The things I would improve are spending more time in the face shapes and features, and this is still an area I’m not very confident in. I would also like to be a bit more free in my depiction of legs. I really like the wavy arms, and I would like to transfer this through to the legs as well. I could also spend a bit more time considering colour so that it is a bit bolder. I just used the ones I had from the Art Fund collab, but I could have tailored it a bit more to the party. However this has taught me a great deal, and has ensured I want to continue practising drawing people, and finding ways to quickly produce personal work, without feeling the pressure of having a completely perfect outcome.
Megan Ojari || LAUIL603 || Gifts
Renewi Brief
Brief: To propose a set of murals depicting certain eras and their technological advances Process: I had a quick turn around for this project, so after roughing, scanned in my pencil sketch then traced it in Illustrator Outcomes: Between two and five A3 mural proposal images Reflections: I really tried to use a very different colour palette to normal, which broadened my visions about what is appropriate in different settings. Since it was to be painted large scale, I wanted to minimise the amount of colours, so that if I were to win I wouldn’t have to buy a lot of different paints. I liked the use of minimal, subtle pattern in the 70’s one evokes a strong feeling for the era, and I would like to include more pattern work in my work. I feel that I could have tried roughing the ‘make do and mend’ one more, as the movement feels stilted, and it could have been more fluid. I also think the type on the ‘make do and mend’ is a bit out of place, and I should have chosen a more suitable typeface which embodies the era, like I did for the 70’s one.
Megan Ojari || LAUIL603 || Renewi Brief
Sunshine Project Brief: Self directed to create greetings cards for friends and family and for retail Process: Cut paper to get the initial shapes, then scanned it in and on Photoshop used the magic paintbrush to make positives for screen print Reflections: This was a small brief, which started with a get well soon card for my grandma based on my initial self portrait, and ended with an edition of 50 three colour screen printed greetings cards. I really enjoyed this process, as it was just a quick, cheery brief, where I was able to make something a bit more commercial than I am used to. I think the overall composition is strong and the colours are vibrant, but I could have included more overlay to add more character from the screen printing process.
Megan Ojari || LAUIL603 || Sunshine Project
Paper Gang Brief: To create artwork for a range of Paper Gang goods Process: I used cut paper and pencil to create the initial work, then used Photoshop to turn them into flat colours Outcomes: 6 different applications of the same imagery Reflections: This was a really quick brief for me, but I enjoyed the working process of making really simple vibrant shapes and applying them to badges, cards, boxes etc. I think this is fairly successful, but I could have refined the colours more to be reflective of my practice.
Megan Ojari || LAUIL603 || Paper Gang
Plant Project
Brief: To make a poster for the ‘re-potted’ event in the Union, advertising re-potting and painting plant pots as part of Welfare Week Process: I used collaged cut paper and pencil to create the initial work, then used Photoshop to turn them into screen print positives. I scanned in the prints and created a poster Outcomes: 4 plant prints and one poster Reflections: This brief didn’t end up being used, as there was a miscommunication and they were no longer needed. I therefore re-purposed the outcomes as A5 sell-able prints. I enjoyed this project as it wasn’t very demanding mentally, and I could just play with form and colour to make the outcomes. I would in the future like to pursue more complex topics though, in order to push my practice. I think the final outcomes are attractive, and the textures and colours add more intrigue to the pieces, and the funky shapes on the pot add interest. I think they function well as just an attractive print, but I need to carefully think before I make any more work on such a loose basis unless it will really advance my portfolio.
Megan Ojari || LAUIL603 || Plant Project
Megan Ojari || LAUIL603 || Plant Project
Secret 7” Brief: To create album artwork in response to Manic Street Preachers, Primal Scream and Jimi Hendrix songs Outcomes: Three 7”x7” album covers Reflections: I entered the Secret 7” competition, by re-using and reworking some old work I had, simply to see how my outcomes would work in context. It was an interesting lesson in how to quickly re-purpose work, as well as how colour and hue affect the mood of an image. However, I wish I had started these sooner so that I would have more original, strong images, but I still think it was a fun exercise. I tried to embed the tone of the song through the colours and placement of images, as they had many overtones of melancholy, and a lost summer love, which is why I used the flower print as a echo to a cassette tape to show old lost times, and the palm tree as a glimpse to lost paradise.
Megan Ojari || LAUIL603 || Secret 7”