The Art Department was a creative hub last week, when three artists based in the Southwest came to run workshops with our students. The artists put up a special exhibition of their own work prior to running the workshops in order for students to derive inspiration from their creative practice.
Dorcas Casey, (who has a growing reputation nationally, and who was commissioned to produce work for Dismaland) worked with Year 12 for a concentrated day, leading a workshop in creating animal head sculptures using low tech materials. She demonstrated how to establish a wire armature in the first instance; how to use pipe lagging material to cover the wire; next how to use old socks filled with wadding to achieve the stuffing; then how to build up certain areas to suggest the facial structures of the animals. Lastly she demonstrated how she uses old knit-ware stretched over the heads to give varied textural effects, before dying the whole sculpture with fabric dye.
Abigail Reed’s large scale images of animals were dramatic and effective. She worked with Year 8 and 9 in three sessions of an hour and twenty minutes. Abigail challenged these year groups to produce large scale animal imagery themselves using charcoal or ink. Students had to work swiftly to complete their work in the time available and it was good to see their spontaneous, confident, large scale images take shape.
Victoria YJ’s work was completely different. Finding inspiration in the land and seascapes of Cornwall, Victoria’s work is abstract and open to different interpretations. She led Year 6, 8 and 9 through a series of explorative workshops using wonderful mixtures of materials like PVA, ink, Vanish stain remover, salt, fabric dye etc. The workshops were like scientific experiments, where students dripped, flooded, sprinkled and dragged the pigments around to achieve dramatically vibrant and abstract effects.
What was impressive throughout the week was the girls’ interest and appetite for Art. They rose to every challenge, and were willing to explore and discover new approaches and techniques. Thank you to all our artists!
“I loved showing my Mum all the work I had done with both of the artists.” Natalia (Year 8)
