dinosaur

Family felt making at The Hepworth Wakefield last Sunday, no photos of felt this time BUT this little lad created a picture on our magnetic wall - a dinosaur! He was one of the politest and clearest children I've ever met. Great boundaries wee one!

hepworth wakefield

Last Friday I had the pleasure of working alongside a group of young people at The Hepworth Wakefield. Our workshop coincided with the opening of Stanley Spencer: Of Angels & Dirt and we focused on his landscape paintings in gallery 9, discussing, writing and drawing in response to the work. Using fabric, rope and finds from the gallery store cupboards we assembled our interpretation on the grass outside the gallery. Focused engagement, playfulness and teamwork resulted in a fantastic day.

 Work Space

 Team work

 Rain stopped play briefly and left its mark

Action

leytonstone arts trail 2016

The Leytonstone Arts Trail runs from 2nd - 10th July. My interview for the trail website was posted yesterday!

 In my hand-made dress at my studio table

My newest work, an as yet untitled embroidery

PLAY / GROUND

During a chat about creativity and its nemesis, the inner critical voice, Siobhan Davis and Karen Logan spoke of childhood play and exploration, of becoming absorbed in process rather than focused on outcome - and the idea for PLAY / GROUND was born. The artists have created two outdoor workshops that compliment each other and consider playfulness, with a sprinkling of mischievousness and a desire to connect with kin.

Part of the Leytonstone Arts Trail our workshops take place on Sunday 3rd and Sunday 10th of July, they are FREE! Join us! 

hepworth wakefield

My two recent workshops at The Hepworth Wakefield with young people and families. An exploration of the Kettle's Yard exhibition culminating in painted stones, and felt making inspired by Yorkshire: Hepworth, Moore and The Landscape.

 Acrylic paint & sharpie pen on stone

 Balance

 Acrylic paint wash

 Protective eye

 Learning studios

 Felting table

 Nail varnish kid

Press

summer term - years 2 & 4 at drew primary

Another half term has flown and four classes at Drew have created AMAZING art. Y2 inspiration was provided by One Night, Far From Here, a beautifully poetic book about creatures and their habitats, the children were fascinated as we traveled the world from the Russian Tiaga to the Amazon rainforest. We drew, painted, learned basic colour theory, printed onto paper and acetate, laminated sparkly collages and created animal masks. 

One Night, Far From Here contains cleverly printed transparent pages which layer to reveal and create depth - so (of course!) the idea of the art sandwich was born! The children's final piece layered a painted fabric background, a printed acetate sheet and a laminated drawing decorated with sparkles, paper clipped together to form a book-like artwork that the children loved. 

Sometimes, at the beginning of our lessons children would quietly tell me they remembered words like acrylic, acetate, laminate, words as poetic as the book itself.

I took a deep breath before challenging the y4 classes to sew! I was a Rat! or The Scarlet Slippers is a book with an old-fashioned feel, of unkind treatment of children, dubious Victorian Sideshows and fairytales... Children's faces were transformed using school photographs and collage cut from images of rats, we created posters to advertise these fearsome rat children - studying vintage fonts, experimenting with line and ink and finally mastering running stitch, button stitch and blanket stitch to produce rat embroideries.

What I asked of the y4 children wasn't easy, especially sewing, but they tried and persevered, the more able stitchers assisting their classmates. The lessons were chaotic but embroideries emerged and some children surprised themselves with new found skills, a couple of children who had previously struggled shone and achieved. The teachers also got to brush up on their sewing skills!!!

Lynx mask and careful hands

Ocelot in the Amazon

Laminated layer for our art sandwiches!

 Year 2 zoo - roar!

Beware - Rat Girl!

 Capturing a nostalgic feel using ink and tooth picks

 Beautifully executed blanket stitch - well done!

 Even running stitch & perfectly attached button from a boy who had never sewn before

girlhood - spring

Just in from the woods and gathering seasonal photographs of my work Girlhood. It's a puzzle, repositioning arms, mimicking the previous photograph, back and forth, tweaking. The woods are peaceful with bird chatter as undetectably, tiny leaves unfurl their promise of the forest canopy. Teaming life, connected, precious. 

 Spring

 Summer

Autumn