Mosaic Artist

Our Key Stage 1 Hall is going to be having a revamp this summer and as a Key stage we would like to create a large piece of artwork to put up in the hall.
Our initial idea is to create a big mosaic wall hanging. I have been looking on the internet to find independent mosaic artists but can't seem to find any in the area.

I would be grateful if anyone knows of anyone or if you have any other good ideas.

Thank you.
Hope to hear from you soon.

Thames Primary

Two art activities to try in class

This is a piece by Polly Apfelbaum, she has created a colourful floor sculptor.

You can use her work as inspiration for your own floor collage. Ask the children to plan it out first on paper, then maybe either in the class room or in the school hall lay out the collage on the floor using tin foil, wall paper and materials including beads, plastic bags crayons etc . The pupils will learn about colour and they can also work in teams to complete the task. Photos will be needed to be taken as it will be temporary.
Here is an oil painting by Yuko Nasu.

You need a canvas or cardboard and paint (preferably acrylic). Squeeze a splodge of colour in different places on the canvas, do this with all three colours. Drag the paint brush through them (a bit like joining the dots) but the trick is to be drawing a face at the same time. The brush will create swirls and patterns of the colours mixed together. The children will enjoy the lack of control and having to be flexible with the paint. It is a really good way of learning how to use paint and be confident with it.

Tony Cragg - Sculptor

Tony Cragg's new sculptures could be the start of a really interesting school project looking at form and recycling.

Ask your class to collect various objects in one colour (red, blue, yellow etc) and then spend a day outside in the playground creating a sculptural form. Have fun with the shapes. As it is plastic it will last in all weathers so it could become a permanent feature in your playground.

In support of this project you could visit Blackpool's Great Promenade Show which is an open-air art gallery of public art along the south promenade. Click on the link below for more information.

http://www.greatpromenadeshow.co.uk/

Independant Consultant for Schools contact

Westcliff Primary School have recently had an inset day with an Independant Consultant and would like to recommend an art inset day in your school with Catherine Glynn.

Catherine was a qualified teacher for six years when she moved into a management position at the school and then onto an advanced teaching position in Art and Design.

If you would like to know more about Catherine's services please contact her via email: glynness@hotmail.co.uk

Martin Parr - Photography project

Martin Parr is a British photographer who likes to document society, consumerism, family, relationships and food. His work often explores 'Britishness'.

You could look at his work as the starting point for a photography or documentary project on their life at home, living in their town or even where they go on holiday.

Ask them to cast a critical eye over the things they eat, buy, do for fun and what they do on holiday. Encourage them to take photographs and draw the ordinary scenes around them, paying particular attention to the typical and ordinary objects and things, like Matirn Parr has done in the photograph above. They can collect 'stuff' from their world and eventually all this can be collated into a journal of their life and experiences.

A nice idea is to swap these journals with another school from a different country or from another part of the UK, to learn about their lives and experiences.