The Art Exhibition

It is finally here. So guns blazing. On Saturday we hold our very first art exhibition at The Studio. I am very excited about it and the children have worked extremely hard towards it. Saving this space for more.....

Stepping up and stepping out!

This term sees our very first art exhibition. Latter on this term we will be inviting all our parents to come and enjoy their child's artwork done during the term. 

The children are ALL very busy producing excellent work and having fun.

The idea of an art exhibition has been exciting for most of the children but for one or two it has delivered stress. 

It has been interesting for me to see how the thought of someone comming to view their art can cause such stress that all the work done in getting this child to free up and take risks was undone!

My simple solution - you , my darling , are free from exhibiting or asking your family!

Art - kids-emotions and creativity are all extremely complex beasts!

More to come  about our exhibition!!

Star Wars visits Acrylic

Myart classes ae made up of a variety of aged children. 

 WE work together on a project but each child works at his or her own stage of devlopment and age range.

 I do not usually do work with popular icons but as I am a Star Wars fan and absolutely love the set designs, old yet new machinery and of course the elaborate clothing, we set about these amazing an fun works.

 Each child chose their own character.

 Each child had a picture to work from. They drew their work first using pencil and then set to work painting them. 

These were large works and took a whole lesson and some. 

 Just lovlely!!

Holiday art- The Selfie

My holiday art clsses are 2 hours long. This gives us a lot of time to draw and make.

This class was an exploration of self.

First of we worked on the proportions for facial features. ( not shown here)

Then the children had a mirror and could draw themselves.

We branched out into crazy faces on canvas with hot and cold colours and clay creations. 

Lots of fun!!

Holiday Art - a wash with water and colour!

This was a class of watercolour fun.

The children explored using watercolours without drawing in pencil first.

This is often a stretch for young children but I love it when they give it a go!

These pen and ink and then watercolour creations are fabulous.

Holiday art

 This holiday I ran several art classes at Art@Thestudio. We had a great time exploring birds.

 My classes are always mixed age groups and in this one I had 14 year olds right down to a 7 year old.

 The children worked in oil pastel on a fantastic, large bird head drawing.

 Latter on we explored sculpture with a bottle, tin foil and paper mache.

 I can fly!!

What is art for?

http://artfulmayhemstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Artful-Mayhem-Feb-2012-6.jpg

This term has been a fleeting one and we are fast approaching the end. It has been a term of varied work using all sorts of media including wire.

We have also continued to learn and thing through the 7 elements of  art. 

LINE

COLOUR
VALUE
SHAPE
FORM
TEXTURE
SPACE

Ask your children and they can tell you what they are and what they mean.

My son in grade 8 is taking art and in their exam the other day he was asked to talk about the elemnts of art and what they were. I was so excited because I thought , my art kids can answer that one!!

I was thinking through what we are actually doing here in this art class. 

It is not simply just a place to have fun and be "creative", although that is true.

It is not just a place to meet up and have fun, although that is also true.

It is a safe place where each child can and does explore art and things to do with art 

at their own , personal developmental stage and age despite the gifting they might have towards things arty.

It is a place where I try and draw out of each child that which they have lying dormant ( perhaps). The ability to observe and really look at objects, detail and indeed the world around them.

In the apple art lesson, the children have to really look and really see the colours on the apple and then recreate them in a measure. 

In the wire leaf work the children needed to really look at the shape of the leaf. Most children would draw a leaf as they thought it  was but here, after really noticing the curves and shape, they then truly saw the leaf.

In the pencil drawing of the wooden toys, the same was true. 

All art begins somewhere with a good, real look at something or someone.

We seem to be all so busy rushing through life and have forgotten the value of taking a careful and enjoyable look at the things around us. The shapes of flowers, the mountain light; the colours of buildings and the calming feelings of a garden.

In my art classes we begin to switch on to simply looking again!!

On my wall have had these few little ideas written up......

An Artist

* is someone who takes risks

* looks at things closely 

* finds beauty in everyday things

* never gives up

* creates just because

These are some of the principles and characteristics that I feel underline our art classes at Art@TheStudio.

The art we make is beautiful in the end because of the beauty in the process of making it!!

The process is the important part. It is here that we are learning and being stretched.

The artwork that YOU receive, as the parent, is only half of all that has occurred in art.

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