pachyderms

Today has been 'elephant' day! The youngest ones pasted scrunched up paper onto a heavy card backing in anticipation of assembling the dried pieces into an elephant.

 

 

The Y3's completed their appliqued and embroidered Indian elephant motifs. We stitched on beads and washers (!) for leg jewellery.

clay people

Today the little ones (FS2, 4/5 year olds) made simple semi-relief clay figures. One chap even imprinted 'bones' onto his figure, having remembered the printed skeletons we did last week ! We have plans to either paint or collage tissue clothing onto them when they have dried out.

 

 

In Y2 we completed our 'stained glass' pieces by adding thin black strips. When they're dry we intend to display them altogether on a large window -I'll try and get a pic.

globe shaping up

Week 3 of our 'Globe' model. We've got as far as assembling the seating 'units'. Here they are glued and held together with bulldog clips. Each stack of 3 is about 30cm high. Stacked like this, even at this early stage, there's a semblance of similarity.

 

 

Once dry, the brown paper will be torn off and the boxes opened up. Next week we plan to floorboard and attach the front railings. Keep watching this space.

ww2

A couple of our current displays. The first was inspired by the painting of Paul Nash - 'Battle of Britain'. The backdrop was done with oil pastels and torn paper - each child created a separate image of the GB coastline, hence the disjointed look,although I think it works. The aeroplanes are card models hung from the ceiling. I had to perch atop a rickety ladder to get this shot as the ceiling is about 10 foot high.The display is intended to get the children looking up - much as children would have done in 1940.

 

 

This is a panorama of The Blitz- again done with oil pastels.The searchlight beams were masked off whilst the 'glow' was applied using yellows, reds, oranges and purple. They were then picked out in white. 

circus

Our FS1 setting has a circus theme in one of it's areas. Today we coloured 'acrobats' to hang from a 'high wire' (woollen thread).This is a pic of my mock-ups to test the idea out. Obviously based heavily on those plastic monkeys that come in a barrel.

 

 

We've also been drawing clowns. From the starting point of a triangle and, by following step by step instructions the children have drawn some fantastic juggling clowns- not bad for 3 year olds.

today's art

After Y2's visit to town last week they felt inspired to create 'stained glass' windows! We've started them off by pasting tissue paper onto acetate sheets. We'll add the leading (black paper) next week.

 

 

In FS2 as part of their 'all about me' studies we printed skeletons today! lollipop sticks, fingers (skull) and white paint fitted the bill perfectly. We'll add eye sockets etc when the paint has dried.

recent work

3 small paintings.

All mixed media on canvas board.

The swimmer is 10x10cm.

 

 

pop ups

Today the y6's made pop-up Anderson shelters - they're looking at aspects of WW2 from a child's perspective. The aim is to stick them in their 'topic' books accompanied by relevant facts. These are pics of my mock-up to test the idea out. The last one shows a variation where you can take a peek inside the shelter from the back and see a bed/bench. They are A5 when folded. We used crayons/felt tips to add a representation of corrugated iron and details of sand-bagging or covering with earth/soil. Will try and get some pics of the finished pieces - it was a bit hectic during the lesson!

 

 

sketching en plein air

Armed with sketchbooks and pencils the y2's (6/7 yr olds) ventured into town today. We looked carefully at buildings in the old parts of town and tried our best to sketch what we saw. I've included a photo of what they were actually looking at and what they drew in response. Some of them really surprised me with the level of detail that they managed to capture.

 

 

Whilst back at school the bigger children got around to painting their papier mache ships. Next week we attach sails (the children decided that they wanted to make them out of fabric, like real sails) and rigging.

autumn leaves + cow

Printing today with the FS2's (4&5 yr olds). Using pre-cut stencils and red and yellow paint we sponged autumn leaves. The children noticed that red + yellow = orange and managed to create some quite effective prints. We used thin paper to print them on so hopefully they'll crinkle a little for added effect. We'll cut them out once they've dried and use them as part of our seasonal display.

 

 

Whilst the children are registering I generally do a few quick sketches. Here's one of todays. I've titled it 'Polka Dot Jersey' (a play on the link between the King of the Mountains Jersey in the Tour de France and a spotty Jersey cow !!).

the globe theatre - foundations

Today in y4 we embarked upon an ambitious technology project. We are aiming to build a representation of the Globe theatre, using (real!) wood for the main structure. We sawed and glued a lot of pieces that we then assembled into panels that will be clamped together to form the cylindrical shell. It won't be an accurate scale model but will hopefully bear more than a passing resemblance to Shakespeares old stomping ground. I'm envisaging it taking a good few weeks to complete as we only get an hour or so once a week in which to do it. I'll hopefully post pics as it takes shape - if I can remember to take them in the heat of construction.

 

 

today's doodle

Had a hankering to do some chaps in top hats. Decided they might look better if I exaggerated the height of the hats. Am quite liking this as a quirky doodle - though it used up a sizeable amount of pen! 

 

 

 

 

'Bankers'

18x14 cm, pen in notebook

collage faces

In y1 today we created faces from cut and torn papers. Inspired by the work of Andy Warhol we eshewed naturalistic colours in favour of bold bright ones.

 

 

even more cards

Yet another card 'design' - ballet dancers. It's quite therapeutic to draw these cards. If no-one buys any I'll have plenty to go at when I'm stuck for a last minute card! 

 

 

A6 single fold, pen & pencil.