We have decided to create our own screen printed wallpaper to hang in the bus shelter. Each of us is working on a design related to the theme of birds and their shelters-nests etc. We feel a bird motif fits in with the chintzy, vintage style of decoration we have chosen to use.
For my design, I was inspired by reading about the Bower Bird, a bird species native to Australia, in which the male constructs a small shelter or bower in order to attract a female mate. Not only do they build this structure, but they also decorate it with flowers, grass etc, placed in patterns. Sometimes they even paint the walls using a mixture of their saliva, and pigment from things like berries or coal to create a kind of paste applied with a piece of bark for a 'paintbrush'. Each bird makes a different bower and after finding a mate the shelter is not lived in but left to disrepair. It is purely for the purpose of attraction.
For my design, I was inspired by reading about the Bower Bird, a bird species native to Australia, in which the male constructs a small shelter or bower in order to attract a female mate. Not only do they build this structure, but they also decorate it with flowers, grass etc, placed in patterns. Sometimes they even paint the walls using a mixture of their saliva, and pigment from things like berries or coal to create a kind of paste applied with a piece of bark for a 'paintbrush'. Each bird makes a different bower and after finding a mate the shelter is not lived in but left to disrepair. It is purely for the purpose of attraction.
An example of a Bowerbird and its bower:
I feel that this idea fits in quite well with the bus shelter, as our aim is simply to attract and interest people, make the laugh or smile, the decoration isn't supposed to be practical or permanent.
I did lots of different designs before choosing the final one. I decided to use bold, black ink pen to give a modern aspect to the design and make it clearly visible as it's audience would be passers- by. However, I concentrated carefully on changing line thickness and the flow of lines to keep the fragility, fluidity and natural feel that I think of when I imagine a bird.
Some of my sketchbook work for shelter:
This is my final design for the wallpaper motif:
Emma's flyer design to promote the project:
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