The green leaves offered children options of tone, in particular the Buddleja which has a dark green front and a silvery grey underside. The conifer leaf which is made up of multiple sections were utilised by separating the sections into smaller pieces.
Wood bark proved to be a popular medium with many children creating geometric forms with the sections.
Week 2. Andy Goldsworthy was the inspiration this time and the children were given a selection of natural materials and a sheet of black card. Looking carefully at colour, texture and tone the children created some amazing art work in the style of Goldsworthy who creates work in the landscape using only what he finds. Often his work can be connected together with water or small pine needles in very intricate patterns and forms.
After a lesson on techniques the following lesson introduced the students to structure building such as using multiple bands of woven willow together to create a strong structure. The outcomes were great as the pupils created their own structures and even tried their hand at weaving their structures.
Creating knots such as the ‘Gods Eye’, stripping the willow withies into fibres and weaving were just some of the methods the pupils used in their experiments.
Weaving wreathes of willow together to create strong bands
Plaiting strands of willow helped the pupils to create stronger sections
Week 1.
Working with willow the pupils experimented with various knotting techniques and learned how to fasten lengths of willow together.
Mickleover Commission - School program
An important element of the new commission is the involvement of local school children. Working with artists first hand is something that can both inspire and inform pupils giving them an insight to the working life of the artist, how commissions work and how to take inspiration and ideas forward into a fully formed sculpture.
The school that I have chosen to work with is Murray Park School which has a close proximity to the new development. Over the coming weeks and months the pupils will be introduced to natural materials and processes with a view to the children creating their own sculpture for the school premises.
There will be pictures posted shortly and some comments from the students, and in the new year the school and I will be creating an exhibition of pupils art work for the public to view.