Work Shops
Where possible the workshops are carried out in the outdoor environment, making use of school gardens and local nature reserves. They use a variety of different natural, recycled and found materials to create sculpture. The workshops can be tailored to incorporate themed topics and connect with the National Curriculum.
Workshop Structure
The
workshops teach Environmental Education through the medium of art, with
focus on the local environment. I often focus on the animal species that
are present within the UK, or that have at one stage existed here. Working
directly in the local environment helps to form a connection with it and
to give a personal perspective on the importance of safeguarding these areas.
Workshops can be adapted to meet the needs and requirements of the group. Generally they begin with a discussion of the animals to be depicted. The behaviour, characteristics, habitat, rarity and the impact humans have on the species are all considered. Following this, we ‘brainstorm’ how to translate the findings into a sculptural form. Considerations in this part of the workshop relate to the materials, construction, use of texture and colour.