textiles

Yesterday in textiles club we finished our padded keyrings - made as Father's day gifts.

sewing

Today in y1 we stitched images of flowers. Using wool, plastic needles and a piece of pre-punched card we carefully sewed flowers, stalks, leaves and grass. It was the first time the children had sewn and, using tremendous powers of concentration, they managed to do a fantastic job.

sgraffito & Tudor housing

Today y3's decorated their fired terracotta coil pots from last week. They used a sgraffito technique to scratch through a layer of black paint back to the clay.

Meanwhile the y4's have embarked on an ambitious Tudor housing project. They are aiming to construct 20+ two-storey dwellings complete with thatched roofs! First part today was to cut the timber to construct the panels that will make up the lower storey.

after Rousseau

Today the y2's had a go at recreating their own versions of 'Surprise!' by Henri Rousseau. We changed the tiger for a cheetah and drew, painted and collaged to create our pictures. We only had an hour (!) in which to try and complete them.

flowers

Following on from their flower painting last week, the y1's looked at Van Gogh's iconic work and had a go at painting their own sunflowers.

It was good practice in both colour mixing and brush technique.  

Escher & Rousseau

Last week our y5/6's looked at the work of M.C. Escher. We focused on his 'altered' perspective works. We then had a go at drawing, in a very simplified way, our own versions. Rotate your screen or tilt your head to see if we managed it.

Yesterday I took apart a broken chair and reassembled the pieces into the rough shape of a horse. I intend to use it, once it's been fettled a bit, as part of a y3 Trojan horse piece (they are currently studying the Ancient Greeks).

In class the y2's have been learning all about the weather and in Literacy have been writing non-chronological reports about cheetah's, so today, after looking at and discussing Henri Rousseau's painting - 'Surprised!', we drew preliminary sketches (in readiness for paintings next week) of a cheetah in a storm-lashed jungle! 

flowers

In y1 today we painted flowers. Unfortunately the weather prevented us doing it 'en plein air' but they remembered what they had seen earlier in the week. We painted the stalks with brushes, after having mixed a green, and the flowers with our fingers! We have some children who need to do things in a very kinaesthetic way. We started off by creating pictures of daisies and then progressed onto wild flower meadows.

                        

finished

The paintings are now finished. I seem to be accumulating quite a few footy paintings - I must get around to putting them in my Folksy shop.

All are 18 x 24cm, mixed media on canvas board.

                        

A is for...

 Today the y2's drew cheetahs. They have been learning all about them in class and did a 'before' picture (top left hand corner). They then followed simple, step by step instructions to enable them to draw more easily recognisable images. We did both standing and running versions. We even detailed the faces. 

Meanwhile, progress on my 'painting' table.