Waddesdon meeting with Year 12

I met with the year 12 class from Waddesdon School online last week. This is the same group I have been in contact with since the beginning of the project. The computer at the schools end has the web cam embedded into the top of the screen, which was positioned facing the class. Students had gathered into a group to ask questions and have a look around my studio space, their first view of the space as a group.

The main theme to be discussed, in relation to the student's own project work, was abstraction. How is abstraction used in my work? How do I develop work through abstraction. A question very relevant to the way I handle imagery, extracting information in the form of shapes, textures and colour of interest. Selecting areas from a range of imagery and fusing together on a new surface, using fabric, dye, print and stitch-at the moment. This can change. Often I extract detail from digital files using Adobe Photoshop. I can copy and paste areas onto a new file, creating a new composition. This can be printed and Incorporated into my other fabric constructions.

Other questions from the students revolved around actively making work, what inspires a piece of work, how much time is spent on each piece, what price do I sell work for. How do i make a living? What career advice would I offer new artists? Getting tricky, these questions.

I'll meet a few students from the group this week, to view and discuss their work in progress.

Online meeting with The Grange

I met with about six year 10 students last week using Adobe Breeze software to broadcast our web cams and record a 'meeting' between my studio and the school art room. One student at a time talked about their ongoing project work and held up examples of artwork to the camera. They asked questions about ways to develop imagery further, resolving work towards a finished piece, practical questions about fabric dying and assembly of work.

We had a problem hearing sound from the school's end, though students were able to hear me. The Breeze platform has a chat facility, so students typed their questions and comments for me as well as using visual signs to the camera, lots of thumbs up and nodding going on. This was quite an unusual way of communicating, a bit disconcerting but I think overall, a successful session. The process was slowed down and allowed for thinking time for both participants. Students were very prepared and focused about what they wanted to gain from the meeting, and responded really well to suggestions and questioning of their work. I wonder if the students even felt more comfortable working in this way. In a busy classroom, maybe they were grateful for a quiet approach to the meeting.

The sound problem is temporary and will no doubt be a useful meeting to compare with those later on in the project. I will have to the chance to meet other students from the class this week.

Winslow School 2nd Visit

This visit enabled us to develop the ongoing experimental image making project with Piscasso's Ipod group. We looked at other low tech constructions that could be made and then photographed. In this part of the project, we had been looking at origami. Between my visits I had recorded a demonstration of print and origami process to build a box shape using Adobe Breeze software to record my own 'meeting'.

Origami demonstration

This resource was then viewed by the students at the school and used to build their own printed box shapes, which were very successful. Students had made several attempts with different sized paper and printed textures.

On this second visit, I was able to see their origami work and find out how easy the demo was to follow. Feedback seems to be, the format of videoed origami instructions are easier to follow as a group, being able to pause and catch up was helpful.

Building on these origami skills, we made paper angels in this session, linking the artwork with possible seasonal outcomes. Every student made their own angel, helping each other with each stage of the process. Using the same methods as in my last visit, students then experimented with ways to photograph these angels and also their origami original boxes.

What became apparent was the ease in which students combined both these shapes and developed their own narrative for the image making, helping creative decisions of colour and composition. I think the choice of a familiar, non-abstract origami shape influenced this response. Students happily invented the angel as a character, placing him in the origami box (now boat), on the water (white fabric), near a waterfall (bubble wrap), suggesting water current (printed textures on box/boat) and back lighting all these layers.

Student Photography from session

A possible next stage to the work will be to develop these origami images in Adobe Photoshop. Discussions with teacher Mrs Epps has brought up the usefulness of the previous recorded demonstrations. As a lead into my third and final visit of the term, I will produce a Photoshop demo, dedicated towards Picasso's Ipod, which can be viewed in the school's own time, but in preparation for further practical and digital work in the next visit.

Chalfonts 1st Visit

Intro talk with Year 12 students from Chalfonts Community College

Last month, my final intro school visit was to Chalfonts Community College, where I met with year groups 10-13. Chalfonts runs a GCSE Digital Art course along side the traditional art and design and graphics courses. It will be interesting to see how all these students relate to the virtual residency project.

My afternoon began with an introduction talk with year 12, about my work and use of processes. This incorporated student and staff questions. On discussions of light activated work, (fabric imagery I back light and photograph), one student inquired about using photo sensitive paper to make abstract marks onto, literally, drawing with light, which was a highly relevant connection to make between my own process and that of the student's. I look froward to seeing those experiments.

I also met with year 10 and a group of year 13s soon to be deciding on art college applications. It was encouraging to see the number of students thinking about taking art into higher education.

Activities carried on after school, with an open to all art group. The session on this day was to try out some experimental digital photography. I demonstrated some light installation ideas with which to take photographs and offered a selection of fabric, plastic and lights. I encouraged students to prepare their surfaces (to be used as filters) before taking photographs, for example, cutting into acetate sheets, painting onto plastic folders and melting wax onto fabric. These surfaces would then be placed with objects and further layers to be photographed with back lighting. By preparing surfaces by hand to as a first step, students will beable sure of achieving unique and personal imagery, not to mention extraordinary results. It was a very inclusive activity, with staff and students experimenting together in creating the imagery.

Some images of the session:

The Grange School visits

I've visited the year 10 group from The Grange on two occasions now. A class of about 18 students at the beginning of their art and design GCSE course. I've joined them a little way into their first project which is self directed. They have the opportunity to create and develop a range of imagery through photography, printmaking, painting, drawing, digital media and fabric work. The outcome to this open project is a constructed fabric/paper piece or a series of manipulated digital images.

My first visit with the group involved an introduction to my work, a talk through one of my project sketchbooks, focusing on the use of materials, experimenting with surfaces and approach to photography. The students had already completed a practical session on experimental photography and produced an impressive selection of sophisticated, abstract images. Using similar methods in my own work, students had photographed objects and surfaces with directed lighting and filters. For example, one student had drawn/indented into a sheet of tin foil, marking the surface and creating a new texture. This foil was sculpted into shape and photographed with controlled lighting directed at the new surface. The results I'll post up as soon as I can. But this work is a good example of the transformation of material which can take place and most importantly, doccumented by the students.

Image of indented tin foil

I think the high level of photography has created a new challenge for these students as they have to develop and build on their imagery. Many have started by using the photography as a reference in mono type printing. Lines, shapes, colours found in the image are extracted and mimicked on paper, acetate and fabric through one off prints. The students used a printing board, coated in paint/ink, scratched through with a mixture of mark making tools eg pencil, stick, bottle top, pen lid, cork etc. I've previously recorded a mono type print demo using Adobe Breeze software, here's a link to this which is covering the same techniques the year 10s have been practicing.

Mono type print demonstration

A further stage in development, means this printed material becomes new subject matter to be photographed using the similar lighting and arranging experiments as before. The prints can also be layered up together to be photographed or scanned so work becomes digitalised. Further editing can take place using Adobe Photoshop. The students are reaching this stage when I meet them for a second time last week.

The final stages of the project include bringing all this experimental work together. How to fuse digital imagery with fabric and paper, how to deal with changing scales, making decisions on successful imagery to be developed.

We began the lesson looking at the group's sketchbooks on a central table. Reviewing together areas of interest, explanations of technique, successful and contrasting work. I had the chance to speak individually with students, looking more closely at sketchbooks, which are revealing a range of interests and styles.

One particular student had maintained a very consistent approach to her subject matter, which was a grandfather's clock. Its a positive aspect of the project I think, that students have the freedom to choose objects of personal interest and significance. This student had photographed the clock face at various angles, focusing strongly on the decorative hands of the clock, cropping the image closely around the hands, altering the understanding of the subject matter, beginning to abstract the information from its source. The resulting images were referenced in mono printing, drawing and paperwork. The next stage saw paper cut-outs of the hands, suspended on string and photographed, capturing the shadows and delicate paper edges. These hands have taken on a new dimension in this group of images, that of unusual, irregular and sculptural shapes.

I will meet some of these students online tomorrow, who have prepared questions relating to their own work and the technical issues that are arising as they conclude their project.

Chalfonts Community College Meeting

Photograph of screen during Adobe Breeze meeting using webcams, left hand side is my studio, right hand side are Chalfont students in the art room

My first online meeting with year 12 students from Chalfonts Community College. Quite something to be allowed into the classroom via the computer screen. Bit of a test for sound and vision today but all successful, the plan is to be able to share and discuss digital artwork online which the students have been developing over the last few weeks.

Printmaking Recording

Example of print sample photographed with back lighting

Here are some links to recordings I've made about mono-printing, demonstrating the process and describing how print relates to my textile work as a whole. I use print samples as surfaces to photograph, creating new imagery, and also to assemble together to form large scale patchworks. Samples are cut and re-stitched onto various dyed fabrics.

Some of the audio from this recording is causing a bit of trouble. Words and sometimes whole sentences are missed. Something I will be trying to remedy as this project continues. The last section, part d, is nearly all without sound, a good one to fast forward and just get a general feel for work in progress.

Mono printing introduction.......part a

Mono printing inspiration.........part b

Mono printing practical (small samples)......part c

Mono printing practical (large scale samples).....part d

Textile construction including printed fabric

Origami and print demo for Winslow students

With some trial and error, managed a recording from my studio. My first demonstration online, dedicated to the Winslow School group called Picasso's Ipod. Feel more than strange, chatting away to myself like this, plenty more to follow.

Origami and print demonstration........part 1

Origami and print demonstration......part 2

Part 2 demonstrates the setting up of the origami shapes ready to photograph. Example of images viewed from link to Picasa Web Album:

Origami still images

Waddesdon School 1st Visit

My next visit was a return to Waddesdon Church of England Secondary School. This school had been the home to my first studio space since leaving college, as part of the Arts Council South East Setting Up Scheme. I arrived at the start of a year 13 art lesson with Head of Art, Mr Berrett. Listening at the back of the class I was struck by the air of calm and professionalism about the room. The 20 or so students listening intently to a talk about researching artists and relating information towards individual work, finding links, inspiration, ideas to try. Actively delving into an artist's work selected by students themselves, to aid own visual responses, taking responsibility for their own art learning.

With this introduction, I came over to the class with my sketchbooks, fabric samples and slides to explain my own approach as an artist. I talked through my journey from college to now, examples of finished work, for commission, exhibition and for ongoing development. The students were keen to look through sketchbooks and ask questions about method and use of material. I shared experimental techniques, using back lighting, continuous surface embellishment, using low tech materials, encouraging a sense of play with these familiar materials, eg newspaper, clingfilm, bubble wrap. Creating own subject matter, from scratch, to photograph, to scan, to draw from, to deconstruct.

These discussions continued into the afternoon as I was able to meet students individually, and talk through their current work. This term sees the start of their self directed project, a daunting task allowing a freedom of subject matter, medium and scale. The students individuality was already very clear, demonstrating influences form a whole range of styles and techniques. What struck me most was the ease at which these students were merging ideas from new media artists and old masters.

It's an area which stimulates my own practice greatly. This merging of new and traditional media, combining painting, drawing, photography with digital imaging, animation and sound. The scope which exists for students to visualise their ideas is enormous. Because of this great choice, the level of research and development must run deep to secure a strong and consistent visual identity.