Secret Santa Stockings!

This week we are celebrating our final lesson of the year with a colourful Christmas Stocking collage. Our stockings are filled with messages of friendship and miniature art works created by our randomly selected Secret Santas. How special it is to give and receive these hand crafted gifts that while small in monetary value are certainly big in thoughtfulness and goodwill! 

Our collages are made with joy and true Christmas spirit as we farewell 2017 and look forward to seeing each other again for more art fun in the New Art Year!

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Pandora's Box

In ancient Greek mythology Pandora (meaning "All Gifts") was the first mortal woman. Zeus gave her a box but told her not to open it. For a long time Pandora obeyed, but finally her curiosity became too much, she opened the forbidden box and all the evils escaped into the world! She quickly closed the box but it was too late, she only managed to keep 'Hope' in the box.

This week we've explored symbols! We began by creating a most beautiful, bejeweled gold or silver box, which we surrounded with symbols that represent some of the elements we do not want in the world (for example illness, greed, famine, war), and of course a beautiful symbol for Hope. I love the variety and thought each person has put into designing their symbols to create truly impressive collages! Well done everyone!

Claire T

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Phoenix Sculptures

Our clay this term is based on the Phoenix from Greek mythology.
Arising from fire, at the end of it's life the Phoenix returns to the flames to be born again!
Our Phoenixes are created from clay, wire, feathers and beads, cardboard and metallic oil pastel.
Of course we have taken some artistic licence in our interpretations, so we have Phoenixes of fire, of ice, of the oceans and of the forests! They are stunning!!

Tabitha's Ice Phoenix

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Octopuses!

A creature of the oceans, the octopus moves through its constantly moving environment with fluidity and grace. The octopus motif has been a popular design on Greek ceramics and frescoes since the age of the Minoans, and has become a symbol of intelligence.

Claire

After drawing our octopuses with thick black permanent marker, we laid down layers of oil pastel followed by black tempera paint. Our original drawings re-emerged as we scratched through the layers with empty ball-point pens. The final result beautifully conveys our octopuses hiding in the ocean depths.

Octopus jar circa 1500 BC

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Happy Hippy Hair!

I want it long, straight, curly, fuzzy, snaggy, shaggy, ratty, matty

Oily, greasy, fleecy... shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen

Knotted, polka-dotted... Twisted, beaded, braided

Powdered, flowered, and confettied, bangled, tangled, spangled, and spaghettied!

(from Hair the Musical)

Listening to 'Hair', students worked with photos of themselves creating their own 'hippy hair' using organic line and shape while others decided to do a personal Medusa make-over, giving themselves a head of hissing snakes! Each area is filled with pattern for an intricate decorative effect before finishing with a splash of soft pastel colour.

Let it fly in the breeze and get caught in the trees
Give a home to the fleas, in my hair
A home for fleas, a hive for the bees
A nest for birds, there ain't no words
For the beauty, splendor, the wonder of my hair!!!

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Illustrating Aesop's Fables

Fables are short stories, usually created for children, to teach a lesson... Perhaps the most famous fables were written by Aesop in ancient Greece, more than 2600 years ago! Using animals as the main characters, many of the lessons he taught so many years ago are still relevant today.

We hope you enjoy our Aesop's Fables illustrations.

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