Perranporth

Here are some pictures taken from 2 days work with Perranporth school in Cornwall. We worked outside for the 2 days and we were very lucky with the fantastic weather.

 Varnishing the giant fish made by the children. This was made with stones and pebbles which the children painted during the day. 

Screwing the children's paintings together so they are ready to be erected around the celtic hut (in the background of this photo) once the school have completed it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

I work as a visual artist alongside a Musician and Storyteller for Blazing Tales, an expressive arts group.( www.blazingtales.co.uk )and we have just returned from two wonderful sunny days working outside with a 100+ children. The theme of the project was celtic settlers and we worked from a more creative angle rather than purely historical. It was brilliant to work alongside a school who were so clearly keen to incorporate creativity and play into the childrens education. I really recommend having a look at the schools creative blog below. it includes photos of the school's making of a celtic hut with the children in their wildlife garden. Can't wait to see it once they have finished it and the children using it. This link goes directly to photo of our day two's time with the school but you should be able to access the rest of the blog from there.

http://perranporth.j2webby.com/?p=1409

Our photos from the day to follow.....

Below is a link to some photos of another Olympic Banner in the making, this time at Doddiscombsleigh Primary School. I loved the final result. Wonderful group of artists!!

http://www.doddi.devon.sch.uk/content/olympic-banner-project

I have just spent the day with Newport Primary school in Barnstaple. The children in Class 5 both conceived and created this colourful mixed media image representing 'Determination' one of the Olympic values within the day. This will be one of the many banners from schools in the surrounding areas which will be erected around Exeter Cathedral as part of the Olympic celebrations 2012. We were inspired by James Rizzi, the American pop artist who just recently sadly passed away. We thought his eye catching colourful creations were fantastic inspiration for our Olympic and Paraolympic banner. www.jamesrizzi.com

These shadow boxes where created by KS1 children at Marldon Primary School ready for the Bear Hunt exhibition at the Northcott Theatre, Exeter. They look best in a dark spooky place.

These cave paintings were painted by reception children.... some of which were still only 4 years old. They all tried out painting and drawing with Earth Pigments, chalks and charcoal. It's so interesting to see that when you give small children little paint brushes that they can (and do) paint/draw pictures with delicate and intricate features. It is such a shame that something as simple as being able to use a small paintbrush is becoming rarer in schools today with tight budgets, because the quality of drawing even in very young children can change dramatically when given the chance to use better quality drawing tools. Here is a small selection of paintings from Bowhill Primary School in Exeter during November 2011.

These fabric paintings are inspired by the Senufo Mud Paintings from the West Coast of Africa. The children were really stimulated by the Senufo cloth which uses shapes both for pattern and form within their designs. These simple shapes helped the children generate ideas for patterns and how to draw animals using specific shapes. During the second day the children, working with the same creatures made 3D versions from clay.

These mosaics were made by KS1 children from Cyst St Mary. Each mosaic is based on an animal that they would find in the 'long wavy grass' from the book 'We're going on a bear hunt'.
Thanks to British tiles for their contribution to materials.
http://www.britishceramictile.com/blog/we-re-going-on-a-bear-hunt



Between the 8th December and 1st January 'We're going on a bear hunt' will be showing at the Northcott Theatre. On the run up to this a team of artist, myself included will be working with schools throughout Exeter to help create the scenes from the book. These will be exhibited throughout the theatre during the show. Watch this space.....

Below are some images created by students at Willowbrook primary school in Exeter. Based on the illustrations of Jan pienkowski. More to follow later in the week.

A fun days work at a school in Axminster. During the day we made giant sculptures of the bugs we found whilst we had been out exploring in the morning. Pooters and magnifiers at the ready.




...We found.. crickets, bees, moths, millipedes, ants, slugs and Beetles.




Using the projector to see our bugs enlarged we studies their form and structure. Next drawing begins.







and by the end of the day.... we had a giant beetle, moth, bee and cricket.. Below is a photo of the very wonderful giant cricket.

These are a taster of my most recent project, illustrations for a book called Baba Scrumptious and the Bamboo Baby written by Dera Lowe. So fun working with bright colours and patterns.

Yesterday I spent the day at Dalwood school in Axminster. I worked with all the pupils from Dalwood (all 12 of them!!!!and a class from Musbury school. It was a fun day creating a mural of a countryside village. Originally, our plan had been to create a mural of Dalwood village with a walk in the morning exploring for ideas, sketches and designs. But, unfortunately in true Devon Spring weather the rain put a halt to these plans..however, the sun did finally peek its face out.. but only once all children had gone home at the end of the day. This was also the moment I decided to photograph their wonderful work... look you can see the sun in my photograph.. Hooray for sun and the children's lovely mural but boo for my rubbish photo..

I worked with nearly 90 Children at Wynstream school this March helping them to invent and create their very own unique mixed up creatures from fabric. Culminating in two colourful wall hangings for the school.

Workshop with three different classes set over two days. Helping improve expression, style and general drawing techniques.