Visual Consequences

A 'Giggling Hungry Bee' and a 'Farting Bearded Fairy' arrived in the kitchen on Sunday from Freya's hand.

Adjectives, verbs and nouns we have lists and  lists of them. When we are at a loss or want to play, we choose, using a  blindfold or rolling a button to randomly to select our subjects to draw.
It is wonderful to not have the responsibility of choosing the subject and work with the chance collection of words that consequences gifts you, though farting featured heavily this Sunday.

My subjects were a 'Whining Thoughtful Millipede' and an 'Angry Farting Ladybird.' Though I think the ladybird looks more embarrassed than angry.

Walking with Pirates

It is often difficult to encourage children to walk, so this weekend the 'walk' was made less traumatic for everyone by combining it with a hunt for possible pirate legs. There are eight years between my children and when my son was younger we used to do this and then make the pirates out of air drying clay, incorporating the twigs, shells and other found objects.
This weekend we did not have air drying clay, but we did have art materials so these are some of our pirates. Freya has given one of her colourful pirates a trumpet which was a dried flower that fell out of one of my old sketch books.

Why are you going to buy 20 cans of shaving foam?

                                    (Above and below) James Dorward's silhouette.

I like 'surrealist drawing techniques', methods of creating unintentional magic, surprises and inspiration. When you are jaded, or in this case it is drawing to the end of the academic year and everyone has been bogged down in preparing portfolios and completing course work, these techniques give a fresh breath of creativity and fun.
It has been a while since I shared a lesson with you as well, so here goes.

For this activity which is great for all ages you need:

A tray,
A can of shaving foam,
Three small containers of runny paint (different colours)
A scraper.
A stick or pointed object.
Paper

Cover the tray in a layer of shaving foam (I then smoothed this like icing a cake or smoothing meringue).
Then scatter splashes or spots of paint over the surface.
Take your stick, handle of paintbrush etc and draw swirls and patterns through the paint.
Lay the paper gently on top and pat down, you can see when it makes contact with the paint.
Peel it away from foam then scrape the foam from the paper to reveal a marbled effect.
You can use your tray of foam again and again, adding more paint and drawing patterns through it each time, until it becomes too muddy for you. We used the resulting marble effects to look and draw into, for collage, or to create silhouettes over like my student James Dorward's example above. Enjoy yourselves it's fun!

Printing Using Polystyrene Packaging

I haven't done this for ages but I wanted to pass this technique on just in case you didn't know of it. Yesterday I showed my students printing using polystyrene pizza bases. 

This is a cheap, effective and quick way of making relief prints using recycled pizza packaging. 
The polystyrene is very receptive to imprints, so anyone including small children is able to make a printing block using this material.

You can cut the polystyrene to what ever shape and size that you want, using a craft knife or scissors. 
Here I wanted to make two blocks that interlocked so that I could have two distinct colours in my print. 
You draw the lines that you want, or stipple, cross hatch etc using a biro or sharp pencil. 
As long as you can feel the imprint with your finger then it will print.

Above: you can see the inked block and the first print. 

I used block printing inks and a roller but you can use acrylic paint and brushes. 
Roll or paint the ink/paint onto the block, once inked  place on the paper. I always like a wider border at the bottom, like when you are framing a picture and try to place it centrally. 
It is important to  keep your hands clean so you get a clean print. 
Turn and rub from the paper side (friction on polystyrene can burn) be careful not to move the block on the paper surface. 
Peel the paper back on one corner to check that you have transferred enough ink.

Below you can see the red riding hood printed in red to complete the image. 
When you have finished printing for the day you can wash your block to use again, if you want to. 

Below: finished print on left and blocks on right.

Daniel Bruton

I still have some things to hare from DJCAD the Dundee degree show. This is the work of Daniel Bruton who made this wild looking costume, that reminded me of the Burry man, except that this is made from cardboard scales. Daniel was then filmed propelling himself at a ramp in a decorated shopping trolley (the ramp was at the wrong angle and you do not get to see what I can only think would be a painful result). 

Ice Pole Paint Sticks

These ice pole paint sticks were made in a silicone ice tray with a watery paint solution. I made them specifically for one of my students. They are good if you have problems holding materials, and would also be great on hot days for small children to do paintings outside.

Painting with Snails

It was wet here today, one snail crossed my path and one was hanging on to my cherry tree, the cherry tree climber is the artist. I once did this with my students, when I happened upon a boot full of snails on the way to class. No snails are harmed, just mix a tiny bit of food colouring in some water dip your snail and let it free on a nice piece of paper. It is great fun if you have a lot of snails, and a pallet of different food colours.

Match Box Art

We did match box art this weekend, Freya's boxes are top and bottom images. Cousin Rowan's 'Random Land' is the middle image. I am still working on mine, match boxes are lovely things to work with, it is great having a tiny enclosed environment to contain your ideas.

Rainy Day Art

Rainy day, and my last Tuesday afternoon group of the week, this is my liveliest and funniest class. To celebrate the pouring rain we made giant rain drops, hung them on the walls and pegged them to a 'make do' washing (rain) line. We added drying umbrellas and people made from the years abandoned paper mache projects. This was a lovely class I will miss all of the characters over the next weeks.

Cork Present

Above: Roy's Bird' Below: Zara's Bird

Below: Angela's notice board (by me)

I have been given cork tiles, I am (thankfully), often given trash and treasure. The cork tiles have sat for a while unattended to, but today that changed and they were transformed into notice boards. They had to be doubled up to make them strong enough, joined with a glue gun, given string and bead accessories and painted, easy and wonderful.

Surrealist Techniques

Above: Pirate Butterfly; Below: Crow

Below: Paint covered marble in tray with paper.

Teaching kids and adults who have been told for years that they can't draw, means a different approach is needed. Often I use Surrealist techniques of mark making (with no control) then encourage the student to see what they can see in the marks, and then draw what ever it is out. Sometimes when I don't have any particular ideas for my own work, it is fun to use these techniques and see what happens. This weekend we have used paint covered marbles on a piece of paper in a tray and rolled the marble around by tilting the tray.

Sellotape clear faces

Last week I started a sellotape sculpture project (inspired by the sellotape competition) with some of my students. (I will show you this soon).

To include my other students in sellotape madness I have spent the week cling filming desks and inviting them to collage; papers, cellophane, wool, fabric, etc onto the clingfilm, to create faces, this is then completely covered in sellotape and hung on a window.

I really like the results, especially the juxtaposition of the image with the sky and other environments through the window.

Snow Painting

While there is still snow (if you are in the northern hemisphere) try this, we did it today, it was great. You will need cups, watercolours or blocks of paint and if you can some pipettes or you can just pour from cups, (pipettes just allow you a little accuracy).

Mix some water colours into cups of water to get a solution of colour and go out and do some painting in the snow, I cannot express how much fun it is.

Christmas birds

Changing the design, very enjoyable.

Robins

Mobiles (again made of dense cardboard) painted with emulsion and then paint with ready mix paints. I like to do this when paint is wet so you can scratch through feathers and stripey legs. then thread up so they dangle and put feathers or pompoms in the tummy. I have made these for years and they are great, you can do angels, fairies etc