The Smart Tap

Year 9 students have been rearranging their photographs of the site to produce photomontages which reflect their views & opinions of the school.  Interesting results!  I'm in the process of putting the montages together as some kind of wall hanging but here's one I'm using as a motivational poster....

DNA 'Sampling'

This term the visual research I'm carrying out with students is based upon physical aspects of the school: the buildings, gardens, local environment.  Each year group has used a different method of collecting evidence; some have taken photographs, some have foraged for items which have then been drawn or printed with, some have taken rubbings from various surfaces around the school.  I love the research stage of a project because it makes students really look closely at things that perhaps they've walked past a hundred times and never noticed.  We've remarked on how clean and tidy the school grounds are, we've noted the use of symbols & signs (in particular we love the little stick man who shows us where to walk!) and we've acknowledged how lucky we are to have a garden, Nature Reserve and such a beautiful green site in general. 

All of this 'evidence' we see as part of our school 'DNA' - it's what makes Oldbury Wells unique - and we'll be using our visual research to produce art work which reflects and celebrates the school.

POP!

I've been working with a lovely group of Year 7 students who, although I've only seen them four times, have produced a great piece of work using their vibrant paintings.  We began by creating simple line drawings of science equipment, added vibrant colour and then collaged in the style of Pop Artist Roy Lichtenstein.  The group have worked with diligence and great enthusiasm and this shows in their final canvas - I'm just adding a little taster of it so as not to spoil the surprise when you see the final piece.

Endless Forms

A few weeks ago Yr 8 completed some beautiful observational drawings of botanical specimens found around the school. I'm now asking them to be designers and have shown them a simple way of generating repeat patterns using an abstracted part of their drawing as a template. The designs are fantastic and really show that in design as well as nature there are 'Endless Forms' as Darwin said.

We'll be working into these designs with collage and then developing them into our own hand printed fabrics which I'll put together into a large patchwork piece.  I think it will look stunning when finished.