Chalfonts imagery review

Online Breeze meeting with year 12 from Chalfonts Community College. In response to my visit and online meetings, these students produced a series of abstract, experimental photography which they are developing further within Adobe Photoshop. This post illustrates with screen shots, the use of power point images being viewed within the Adobe Breeze platform. The power point file of student's work was uploaded in preparation for the meeting by class teacher Mr Hodgson, the file was then controlled by all participants online. Web cam images of myself and the class can be seen in the top left hand pod in the corner of the screen. This pod has been minimized compared with other meetings taken place online, to allow maximum viewing of artwork in the centre of the screen opened in what's called the share pod.

Meeting plan inserted into the Chat pod, centre left of screen:

>Recap on what we did a few weeks ago when we met Clare online and discussed using light and filters to make abstract images
>Crit student work - random sample
>If time discuss the way they could use image making to expand upon or develop their ideas for the current project

Curriculum info inserted into Note pod, bottom left of screen:

A01
Record observations, experiences, ideas, information and insights in
visual and other forms, appropriate to intentions.

A02
Analyse and evaluate critically sources such as images, objects,
artefacts and texts, showing understanding of purposes, meanings
and contexts.

A03
Develop ideas through sustained investigations and exploration,
selecting and using materials, processes and resources, identifying
and interpreting relationships and analysing methods and outcomes.

A04
Present a personal, coherent and informed response, realising
intentions, and articulating and explaining connections with the work

Screen shots from meeting showing student's developing imagery:

Clare's studio view, work in progress

Work in progress, textile piece Thread Wood, 1.8m x 2.2m

Displayed here with back lighting (using over head projector) to accentuate surface marks. Work makes use of abstract mono type print, paint, onion skin dye colour, applique, hand stitched on multiple layers of recycled cotton and wool.

Other artwork seen in clip:
screen print fabric samples on cotton (designs from photography of origami + other 3d paper exercises), fabric dye experiments with onion skin colour, food colouring, tie dye, origami constructions, mono type printing onto plastic and paper, A2 black and white drawings referencing Thread Wood composition

Some still images:

Origami fabric constructions with naturally dyed fabric, hand-sewn

Developing composition, fabric screen prints pinned into surface

More images viewed in gallery>>>

Waddesdon 2nd Visit

I made my second visit to Waddesdon Year 12 group a couple of weeks ago. Having met the class as a group both online and on my first visit, this session I was able to talk to students individually about their current project. With self directed briefs such as urban environments, students have been building up sketchbooks and starting to move onto large scale work in paint, fabric, collage and photography.

I was able to follow up in depth and in person, a dialogue started online with two of the students from the group. Both have been looking at urban environments and researching a variety of 20th century artists such as Hopper and Blake. Research also includes their own documentation of urban life through photography and drawing. This is where a clear distinction takes place of interpretation and personal perspective of a theme, scattering sketchbooks styles far and wide.

One student was looking at how to fuse visually, urban and rural scenes, trying to suggest a gradual/subtle move between the two. This student had begun to work with fabric and paper and stitch, taking references from research from my own textile work. Looking at how to use a variety of surface, mixing hand dyed/washed fabric and painted fabric. We talked about using stitch to combine these layers as well adding detail to the surface to suggest shape and texture. Also being aware of the use of materials, maybe natural, rough fabrics like hessian and wool for rural depiction and lighter, shiner, smoother fabrics to suggest modern architectural details.

Another student taking a big influence from atmospheric painter Edward Hopper, had experimented with ink washes, flood lit city scenes, areas of light and dark, city perspectives and solitary figures. I liked how this student was using contrast in medium. Watery backdrops were combined with graphic, sketchy, outlined, illustrative figures.

Having the opportunity to support students in their work in progress, I become aware of the clear recall I have from my own tutorials while at art college. There are were a few, impacting comments made years ago, which always spring up when reviewing my own or other's work.

-the importance of unique, original use of colour, mix every time. Being careful where colour is sourced from, creating where possible my own coloured surfaces and combinations rather than relying on ready-mades, (from coloured paper to bottled paint). This can mean building up to decisions on colour rather than dictating from the start. Through the use of layers, (paint, ink, transparent papers, fabrics, types of fabric eg, synthetic dyes differently to natural), adding and removing colour, mask out areas, paste over the top, white wash and build up again.

-perfecting a new technique. Don't settle for first attempts at a new process. Learn through doing, over and over. For example, one of the students I met from the year 12 group was trying ink washes for the first time on a large scale. The results were great, bold and confident with some interesting effects. Even if this quality is achieved on first attempts, its essential to go back do more of the same. The learning curve is enormous as you teach yourself, and can begin to predict results rather than simply test.

And one thing of many I'm taking away with me from meeting all these students is annotating sketchbooks! Something I've relied on my memory for, looking back at old sketchbooks, I can recall methods but never in precise detail, This group explain themselves on every page and will have precious, lasting resources as a result.