Lost in a Daydream

“Lost in a Daydream” is a textile and surface design project that translates the psychological experience of maladaptive daydreaming into a material, visual language. The work begins with photography as a grounding technique, using the act of observing and documenting wildlife to interrupt and stabilise drifting thought patterns. Birds and animals become anchors to the present moment, with long tailed tits, foxes, kingfishers and deer forming the core visual motifs. Their presence introduces a quiet narrative thread, echoing the fleeting, immersive qualities of daydream states.

These photographs are then reinterpreted through natural ink illustration. Using pH sensitive dyes derived from blue butterfly pea and red cabbage, the palette expands through controlled shifts in acidity and alkalinity. This chemical responsiveness produces a dynamic spectrum of purples, pinks, greens and reds, allowing the colour to behave unpredictably while still remaining materially grounded. Painting with a pipette gives the ink full agency on the page; bleeding, merging and drifting in ways that mirror the fluidity of internal imaginative space.

Each illustration is scanned and digitally manipulated to create repeat patterns and placement prints for both interior and fashion applications. The digital stage preserves the organic textures of the natural inks while introducing structure, rhythm and compositional clarity. Through this combination of photography, material experimentation and digital refinement, the project constructs a visual environment that sits between reality and imagination.
“Lost in a Daydream” ultimately explores how a liminal psychological state can be translated into tactile, expressive design outcomes. By grounding an intangible experience in natural materials, responsive colour and narrative wildlife motifs, the project proposes a gentle, immersive aesthetic that reflects the shifting boundaries between daydream and waking world.