Work in process

I changed the idea of just focusing this window 'Kenya' to ancestral, so I have a wider rage of expressing myself.

Distractions

I've organised to collect one of my windows later on today, so I can start my half term early. I decided to do my work at home because it's more effective when it come to doing work, as I get really distracted into doing other things than work in college.

Laser machine, cutting a piece for my final piece (mocking bird)

Window 3 plan

People who are important to me

In this window I want to base it on family and friend because they mean alot to me.

Window 2 plan

Kenya

For window 2 I have planed to base this window on my Kenyan history. It will include my time line, my family, and culture.

Window 1 plan

Me, Myself and I

For one of the windows I have decided to concentrate on myself. In this piece I will be including self portraits, things that inspire me, my life and anything else that shows who I am as a person.

Recap

Today I have been working through my sketchbook to develope and help me get a clearer idea in which path way will be suitable to my idenity message.

Printing pictures

This week I have been looking everywhere for cheap photo prints for my FMP, but I could not seem to afford most of them because the other place were trying to charge me £27 for my print. Thank god my Mum told me about Costco photo centre, Friday I ordered pictures from Costco online, today I collected them. I got 120 pictures for £4.96, which is really cheap compared to the other places. Now that I have finally got my images printed I can continue with my work.

Originalty

Flowers...... are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty out values all utilities of the world

These are my self portraits I took and edited them on photoshop.

Windows

I have kindly been given three windows from one of the members of staff in college, because its not mine I shall have to be extremely careful not to damage it as she wants it back. As these windows have sectioned glasses, I will be using this to my advantage to create small art piece's to go behind the glass, so each section can frame my work .

Changing final piece

Its a day after the group critique and I feel like my final piece idea isn't as strong as I would have liked it to be. I discussed my feelings with Karen earlier on today. I had an idea of instead of panels to represent my self I want to us windows to show a hidden path to ones self. She loved the idea so all I need to do is find some widows for my final piece.

Group Critique

I just finished a concentrate group critique, and I found it effective because it gave me idea's which i can develop my final piece.

Animal alter ego
as I used animal's in my work before to symbolise pride of being Kenyan, I liked the idea to use the animal's in a different reading, than the original idea. By using the animal to represent my alter ego showing aggression, power and difficulties in my life. The reason being why I chose to use animals in my work is because of my love of all animals except snake's. As a result I will continue showing representation through animals, symbolising either my emotions or other things, because this is part of who I am.

Patterns of kenya

Issa Thawar building built in 1895 samburu road oldtown

Old Town architecture

I find the architectural decor of these historical buildings really fascinating. I might incorporate these pattern in parts of my work symbolising the area Mombasa of which my mum grow up in and where I was born.

Patterns of Kenya

Traditional Swahili henna patterns :

Henna has a strong sense of beauty which is express through henna tattooing amongst women. African henna patterns are bold and have large geometric designs. Varying designs have a different meaning for members of each culture, such as good health, fertility, wisdom, protection and spiritual enlightenment. Also depending on the celebration patterns are different, for example traditional bridal henna consist of using black and red pasted around her body makeing her stand out from the croud.

Fort Jesus, Mombasa door carvings

Fort Jesus (History of Mombasa)

Fort Jesus Plaque

FORT JESUS,
MOMBASA, KENYA

The Fort Jesus is located in Mombasa Island which is in the Coast province of Kenya. The Portuguese built Fort Jesus in 1593. The site chosen was a coral ridge at the entrance to the harbor. The Fort was designed by an Italian Architect and Engineer, Joao, Batista Cairato. The earliest known plan of the Fort is in a manuscript Atlas by Manuel Godinho de Heredia - dated 1610 which shows the original layout of the buildings inside the Fort.

Fort Jesus was built to secure the safety of Portuguese living on the East Coast of Africa. It has had a long history of hostilities of the interested parties that used to live in Mombasa.

Omani Arabs attacked the Fort from 1696 to 1698. The state of the Fort can be understood from the plan of Rezende of 1636 and other plans by Don Alvaro? Marquis of Cienfuegas and Jose? Lopes de Sa - made during the brief reoccupation by the Portuguese in 1728 - 1729. In the Cienfuegas plan,the names of the bastions are changed.

Between 1837 and 1895, the Fort was used as barracks for the soldiers. When the British protectorate was proclaimed on the 1st of July 1895, the Fort was converted into a prison. On the 24th October 1958, Fort Jesus was declared a National Park in the custody of the Trustees of the Kenya National Parks. Excavation was carried out and the Fort became a Museum in 1962. The Fort is now an important historical landmark in the East African region.

INTERESTING FORT JESUS HISTORY FROM WIKIPEDIA


Fort Jesus is a Portuguese fort built in 1593 by order of King Philip II of Spain ( King Philip I of Portugal ), then ruler of the joint Portuguese and Spanish Kingdoms, located on Mombasa Island to guard the Old Port of Mombasa, Kenya. It was built in the shape of a man (viewed from the air), and was given the name of Jesus, after Shaikh Isa Bin Tarif Al Bin Ali Al Utbi conquered the fort in 1837 after being asked for assistance by Sayyid Said Bin Sultan , Sultan of Oman . The name Jesus in Arabic means Isa, therefore it means the Fort of Isa ( Isa Bin Tarif ). Isa Bin Tarif , Chief of the Al Bin Ali Al Utbi Tribe , is a descendant of the original uttoobee conquerors of Bahrain . The Al Bin Ali were a politically important group that moved backwards and forwards between Qatar and Bahrain, they were the original dominant group of Zubara area , they were also known for their courage, persistence, and abundant wealth.

Week 7 of the Final Major Project

Silk Screen Prep

Artistic photoshot