More College outfits

These were also made for my recycling project in College. I deconstructed and cut into t-shirts, layered and gathered bits, and stitched them back together. Inspired by sections of some of my drawings of everyday objects, I also added black stitching to give a bit more detail. I really like being able to take something ordinary and change it into something new and different! All these garments appeared in the end of year fashion show at The Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow, and were pictured in The Evening Times!

Reduce, reuse, recycle

For a self-directed project in college, I looked at recycling and the idea of taking everyday objects and making them into something new. I took this idea into my fashion class and recycled a gents suit jacket and shirt into a skirt and top (both from Oxfam). I loved working on these, playing around with ideas on the mannequin until I came up with something that was totally different from the original garments, but used some of their features such as buttons and seams. I love to try and do more of this kind of thing - making use of old clothes or clothes in charity shops and giving them new life, instead of always buying new things.

Travis gig, Barrowlands

I quite often annoy the people around me at gigs by taking lots of photos, but I think it's a great opportunity to try to capture the moment and the atmosphere of the night. The results are a lot more spontaneous than my usual photographs, but still play around with light and silhouettes.

Botanics - Kibble Palace

Kibble Palace (one of the greenhouses) reopened in 2006 following a multimillion-pound restoration. It lends itself well to photography, with lines and shapes created by the impressive iron and glass structure, and is one of my favourite places to visit in Glasgow. I particularly like the top photograph, with the contrast of sun and rain, glass and iron, and the sense of looking in from the outside.

Botanics - secret staircase

In one of the greenhouses, partly hidden behind masses of leaves, is a beautiful spiral staircase. I assume it is used to gain access to the tops of the plants, but it's like finding a stairway to a hidden world, and the wrought iron is a beautiful contrast to the surrounding jungle. As it's so hot in the greenhouses, the lens on my camera steamed up, creating the effect in the final photograph - I think this just adds to the other-world feeling!

Botanics - leafy greens

While looking around the greenhouses in the Botanics, I found these leafy plants growing up towards the ceiling making it quite jungle-y. The sun coming in through the windows highlighted the variations of green in the plants as well as the different, overlapping leafy shapes, which contrasted with the lines of the window panes. I'd really like to be in the position where I could visit the Botanics regularly to see how it changes throughout the year.

Drawings and stitch work inspired by the Botanics

These are a selection of drawings and stitched samples that I did during my college project in the Botanics. At that time I mainly used fineliners and watercolours, but also experimented with other mark-making techiniques, including hand and machine stitch. I think these pieces of work are good examples of my style - delicate and subtle - and my interest in the structure and details within flowers.

Botanic Gardens - flowers

While the Botanic Gardens in Glasgow may not be as extensive as Edinburgh's, it's still pretty amazing and is home to some beautiful flowers, plants and buildings. These photos were taken during a project I did at Cardonald College a few years ago. I was really attracted to quite structured flowers, but focused on bringing out the more delicate side of them through looking at the level of detail and more subtle colours within the flower.

Glasgow structures

These photos were taken along the River Clyde in Glasgow. Silhouettes and reflections seem to be a recurring theme in my photography! From the top - Finnieston Crane and Clyde Arc Bridge (or squinty bridge as it's more commonly known), the cranes at the shipbuilding yards in Govan, and the Science Centre and Glasgow Tower.

Glasgow sunrise

I took these from my window in Glasgow, looking towards the city centre. I think the colours are amazing, emphasised by the dark silhouette and dramatic clouds.