Design Feature:

It is the annual Stanborough School ‘Career Fair’ in Welwyn Garden City , many years ago. A place where futures at ICI, Polycell, or Rank Xerox might be found. To one side of the assembly hall is a ‘general information’ kiosk.

Keen on drawing and pottery, I thought I should ask for information about the kind of patronage Leonardo da Vinci or Michaelangelo had. I was basing my entire understanding of how one might persue a career in art, on the contents of a series of three Ladybird ‘Great Artists’ books.

Although the baffled woman at the information booth did not have information about finding a patron, I was pretty sure that the Medici’s were not placing orders at that time. So instead, aged 15, I went to an ‘open day’ at an art college in Stevenage. It was just curiosity – and according to the friend who had told me about it -a legitimate day off school.

A few months later, I was listening with the rest of the ‘early leavers’ to our Headmaster wishing us well, and asking that we didn’t come back.

When attending an art college one is always on the educational ‘B’ List. The main college buildings were in the town centre next to the station. An additional bus ride would get you to the art college in a re-purposed old school on the edge of town. There, I found myself learning photography, life-drawing, graphics, metalwork, technical-drawing, film studies, typing, and ‘fashion and textiles’. A second year brought an opportunity to study a specific option.

I chose ‘fashion and textiles’ because the exceptional staff had encouraged us to be individual and creative. My hobby of ‘going to jumble sales’ finally had a purpose in supplying me with enough low-cost materials for daily styles. I was offically ‘a fashion student’, and didn’t even need a Ladybird Book to help me.

The great thing about being ‘a fashion student’ is that anyone can be one just by following some basic rules. Although, having said that, rules are problematic for fashion students, because it is also a rule that they should break rules. So to accomodate this dilemma, the rules change, and one just has to work out how, and when they change – but in advance.

One of the enduring rules is that anything well designed should have -what was specifically called, when I was a student- ‘ a design feature’. Fashion-students must also, always be ready to be asked, “what colours are in?” and “what will suit me?” by anyone, anywhere, at any time.

This will often be followed by a bitter lecture on why the fashion industry makes everyone wear terrible colours and styles, so that everyone looks bad in old photos.

So here is my ‘Design Feature’, where I endeavour to answer such questions and explain how I do everything I can to create beautiful artwork in colours people will love… even in old photos.

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Next Time: Drawing. A child can do it.