Mindful Stitch Animation


Mindful Stitch Animation - Click here


Zentangle Animation


I have started to experiment with illustrating my narrative using zentangle methods of drawing.
I want to create scenes almost that reflect on what I want to say, for examole for the 21st century hurry virus I have come up with this city landscape that has repeat patterns similar to zentangle and harsh angles to show the fast pace harsh dynamics a busy life can carry.
I then struggled to think of what shapes could be used to illustrate mindfulness. I began to think back to when I went to a mindfulness sessiin here at the university and recalled how when I came out of the session I wanted to draw the movement of my breath I  the body. It was fluid and swirly! Although for this I used a lot of colour where I felt more in connection with a body part it felt a warmer colour and vice versa. For the animation I will stick to a monotone as I think there will be so much happening this will allow the viewer to see everything clearly and boldly.







More Animation Stuff


Coming along slowly but surely. I think I may have underestimated the intensity of this anination on my body! Muscles are aching from bending down to draw. Nevertheless I am please with what I have so far I just hope it looks professional enough for a degree show! Considering I’m not an animater! But it is fun to do and a bit of a challenge but and enjoyable one, it really adopts those methods of mindfulness being in the present moment. I feel like as I am drawing I think of nothing but that. The marks and what they portray for me. It is becoming a labour of love and is quite a personal piece. Must get back to drawing now!









Statement


21st Century sociological observations suggest that society is infected with the hurry virus. Mindful Stitch services community derived workshops whilst facilitating the practice of the individual with the skill of a mindful application teamed with hand embroidery.
Using underlying methods of social inclusion and outrospective empathy, Mindful Stitch generates dialogue in and around the threads of wellbeing, taking time out to slow down and live in the present moment through embroidery techniques on and off the body.
Development research around how freedoms and constraints can impact on an attentive thought process to the embroidery sympathetically engages with the subjective approach to Mindful Stitch. Additionally highlighting how for some simply watching the breath, as mindfulness coaching is often practiced, is not necessarily fulfilling, but applying the skill of a mindful practice to a task may be.
Alternative methods of stitch making considers drawing using the Zentangle method. Using those same mindfulness techniques derived from Zen Buddhism, the Zentangle method within Mindful Stitch explores the use of less conventional stitching mediums.



Dotty


Having a play around with ways to show mindfulness and hopefully contrasting with the harsh marks of busy 21st Century. I wanted to show social inclusions in some way but I struggled with how to represent people as the individual makes society. I originally played with a more literal observation of the body with a head and body but they looked too much like snow men or Russian dolls. Which lead on to this representation through dots. The dots create a more aesthetically pleasing scene on the animation, by slowly building them left to right I have created a wave of people.



This too a long time and fills the whole of the shot. I ended up taping two pens together to try and speed up the process. It took a while to build up and actually show on the camera but I think it’ll look great in motion.



Mindful Stitch Animation


Yay it’s finished! Mindful Stitch animation will be on display at University of Huddersfield 14th-20th June.


Paper version of animation
The actual animation will only be on show at the exhibition for now as it is too large for me to upload onto vimeo but I will find a way to get it online asap.
This venture was really something that was personally inspiring for my practice. Having had some tough couple months mentally I was excited to start a mini project that would help me be kind to myself.
The animation looks at Mindful Stitch as a project so far and the importance of our mental wellbeing but as a society we still place physical wellbeing above our mental wellbeing. In terms of precautions in place to maintain a positive mental wellbeing there really are very little.
The animation took about five weeks from the initial mark making and narrative to the final edited piece lasting 3 minutes 10 seconds. The animation has a total of 2,333 frames.
For me it was great to concentrate and be mindful on only one task. Although made up of drawing using the zentangle method and stitchig as well of photography and editing, the process itself was at a slow pace meaning I really did have to be attentive to the present moment. Overall I estimate I took about 110 hours of actual drawing, it may be more!
For the entirity of the drawing/stitching process I was in my bedroom but because it was such a slow process I made sure that I took time out to go for a little walk, and I made sure that I left plenty of time to complete the animation without rushing and getting involved by the hurry virus!

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