Plastic Bags have been a quiet obsession for a while now. So I was excited at another chance to get them out. The Urban Craft Club got going with bags, fruit nets and scissors back in May, on a project to make lampshades. This is Eleanor Salter's masterpiece.
27 July 2010
The Beauty of Rubbish
Plastic Bags have been a quiet obsession for a while now. So I was excited at another chance to get them out. The Urban Craft Club got going with bags, fruit nets and scissors back in May, on a project to make lampshades. This is Eleanor Salter's masterpiece.
23 July 2010
Children's Art Day
Children's Art Day brought a wonderful excuse to go mad with recycled decorations. Inspired by the Stables Gallery Artplay exhibition (a feast of recycled madness for children) we decorated the gallery railings with bottles, plastic bags, toilet rolls, bottle tops and play dough ... joyful mayhem!
13 July 2010
11 July 2010
Hoopla?
Funded by a little pot of Islington Council money aimed to encourage environment awareness, the Urban Craft Club this term went on a recycling binge. And our final project, a papier mache hoopla display for the Rowan Arts Big Day Out, was gloriously colourful, eccentric and well, dare I say it, genuinely brilliant - we had a wonderful time challenging visitors to throw the hoop over the snail antennae and the duck-billed platypus!
9 July 2010
Amelia's Magazine
Amelia's Magazine ... the magazine I browsed through longingly in the shops before it became only a web based creation. And despite my enthusiastic blogging, the internet and I spend as little time as possible together, so I didn't rediscover Amelia's Magazine again until tonight. This is from the gallery, Aerogenerator by Chris Cox, and I like it for it's '3d' ness. But I could have picked anything from this glorious website!
3foot People
Chelmsford's 3foot People Festival ... one of the most adventurous, brave, utterly fun, wacky and inspiring events I've come across - for children under 5. It presents quite a challenge, coming up with original and creative art activities for children that little. Especially if you're accustomed to children who can speak and hold a pencil. Two years ago I tried experimental printing, had a wonderful time and made an incredible mess. I thought I'd conserve on mess factor this time and use watercolours to create 'Secret Paintings'. An idea that went down so well that Dawn and I spent Wednesday evening drawing another 500 pictures in candle wax. It was great to give youngsters a chance simply to paint, and yet still enjoy the magic of a picture appearing beneath it. 700 children later ... yes, I think it was worth it!
7 July 2010
Mosaics on Display
Back in the spring, the Urban Craft Club spent many frenzied hours completing an exquisite set of nature-inspired mosaics, made from anything we could lay our hands on. For a while the finished pieces were displayed in the dining hall at St Luke's Community Centre, before they were moved to the Rock Tower, Tufnell Park rd, as part of Islington Exhibits. I think the stone walls make a natural home for mosaics!
Thirty Fish
My friend Fish turned thirty this year, so i thought I'd finally pay my respects to the London Aquarium, endure the customary fire alarm, finish off at the Horniman Aquarium and make a lot of mess with ink, pencils, felt pens, etc ... I had a glorious time so watch this space for more fish!
6 July 2010
Mad Hats
The Big Day Out, final bang of Holloway Arts Festival and my gang are making Mad Hats from rolled newspapers (guess how I've spent my June evenings) ... except one young lady of creative genius developed he mad hat into an eccentric character. Note the umbrella and bow tie.Artist quote: 'I could be an artist ... but it takes a long, long time to become an artist.'
And below, one of the delightfully Mad Hats I'd envisaged beforehand!
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