My MTP is a marine wall hanging, inspired by my passion for the GBR and motivation to promote its protection to conserve its natural beauty. I was motivated by my multiple visits to the GBR, and created similar coral and aquatic species which are depicted in the wall hanging. This helped me create a piece that highlights the reefs noteworthy beauty and capability to allow life to flourish. My love for nature and natural wonders such as the GBR motivated my creative decisions present within my MTP. My MTP addresses the need to decorate an empty space, functioning as a wall hanging whilst further having the capability to raise awareness surrounding the reefs degradation due to climate change and anthropogenic stress. Thus, I wanted to address the beauty within the reef, emphasising how easily this can be lost and destroyed by becoming white and brittle. The main function of my MTP is to tell the story behind coral bleaching due to climate change through the ombre blue to white salt dyeing and emphasise the importance of coral and aquatic life, whilst being aesthetically pleasing. The driftwood and macramé string are functional aspects which allow my MTP to hang appropriately. Incorporating different colours, shapes and sizes allows a variety of aesthetic techniques to be depicted, and despite the contrasting nature between some, permits them to complement each other, conveying a story. The fine aesthetic details like intricate beading complement the bolder techniques such as the felted octopus. Thus, the large variety of complementing and contrasting colours highlight the diversity of sea life, amplifying the reefs beauty. I learnt to trust my own judgement and artistry throughout the design process, which helped me gain confidence in the decisions I made. My greatest challenges were determining which techniques to utilise in areas, whilst also being a perfectionist which made it hard to settle on the final placement of pieces. Thus, I re-made the octopus and some free motion corals multiple times. I am grateful to have learnt new techniques such as salt dyeing and felting, and am incredibly proud of my final product. I enjoyed how relaxing it was to experiment with new techniques like the free motioned corals and how easy it was to get lost in the process. Textiles was an ideal platform for me to express my passion for the environment through a creative process which I found highly rewarding.
