Spacefruit Kids Art Club – Abstract Art Dice Rolling Game

This was a fun game the children played which got quite wild!

First of all we looked at some images of abstract art and talked about them and how you could often see just what you wanted to see in them. Then I gave them all a flat blank card dice to decorate each side of with something different; such as their favourite colour, words, spots, zig zags, stars, weather, animals, eyes, wiggly lines….. etc…

After they’d turned their flat dice into 3D dice, they set to going wild with a variety of art materials – inks, paints, oil and chalk pastels, pencils, wax crayons, water sprayer… I also set a timer for them to spend 3 minutes on each dice roll. So the idea was that they rolled the dice, then got going on their paper for 3 minutes with whatever the dice rolled onto, with whatever art materials they fancied. The results were quite wonderful.

This is a game that my daughter also really loves playing at home; we have a huge piece of cardboard that we roll out to cover the floor to protect it from all the splatters that follow!!!

Pssssst by the way… this isn’t just for the kids! I’ve used this game to create some pictures of my own which I quite like!

Kids Art Club Workshops – symmetry printing and 3-D beetles

Being inspired by the incredible patterns and forms of beetles, butterflies, moths and stick insects from around the world, the children started on making beautiful symmetry prints using acrylic paints as well as drawing with oil pastels. They spent an entire session just playing with the paints, building up layers of textures and colours on A3, A4, A5 and A6 pieces of good quality thick art paper which would be strong enough for constructing but still easy enough to fold and cut. I don’t like to give kids rubbishy art materials just because they are young! I want them to feel that their artwork deserves quality ingredients.

On week 2 they cut their papers and constructed some amazing creatures, wild enough to rival nature! This demanded some real engineering skills and I was so impressed by how they all helped each other and shared their ideas around for making them 3-D. I had shown them a few ways to turn a flat surface into 3-D one but actually they invesnted their own ways too! Have a look at some of their creatures which wouldn’t look out of place in an undisturbed jungle… 

Kids Art Workshops – papier mache cacti

For this project, we initially looked at the amazing wierd and wonderful sculptures by Chiaozza: https://www.eternitystew.com/ 

I also took in a selection of my own cacti and succulents for the kids to draw, to get their imaginations rolling and give inspiration for more shapes and forms. They then designed what they wanted to create in papier mache and cardboard, and set to with the papier mache! In total this turned into a 3 week project, as some of the designs were wonderfully ambitious – they really pushed themselves which was great to see!

The forms were constructed over wooden skewers which were then stuck into holes in wooden blocks. 

You can see the results, though the photographs really don’t do them justice!

Kids art club workshops South Devon holidays after school

 

Spacefruit Art Club Workshops

I’ve spent the past year running Art Clubs to mostly Key Stage 2 children in 2 of my local primary schools.

It has been some of the most enjoyable and rewarding work I have ever done!

Some art projects have included Papier Mache cacti, dice rolling abstract mixed media art game, incredible 3-D beetles made from wonderful decorated card which the printed themselves, playing with making stamps and decorating and covering their own small sketch book, amazing mini puppet theatres made from cardboard boxes, and clay animals.

It was hard to take photos when we were all so busy and right in the moment but I’ve taken a few. I shall write individual posts about each project. I am now planning some children’s art workshops for after Easter and over the summer holidays around South Hams Devon, perfect for your creative children and maybe some adult workshops too! To hear more about these, please add your name to the contact me page and leave a message in the box so I know that you’re interested in workshops.

Rabbits and Cats in sell-out show!

After school my daughter comes home really exhausted and often she just wants to play bunnies by herself or with her friend from next door. Bunnies in this case being the Jellycat kind, which she has too many of to count. Why does she have so many? It all started when she was born and my brother very kindly gave her a small pink bashful Jellycat bunny. He then gave her more… and she loved them SO much that she was given more. In fact for quite a while she actually lived her life through them.

So, fast forward a few years and my daughter began earning money by selling things she’d made. Guess what she spends her money on? That’s right, more Jellycat bunnies. We used to try and stop her, but to be honest she gets so much genuine pleasure and fun out of them that I’d be a right pooper to tell her what she can and can’t buy. They all have very distinct personalities and relationships and are so much of the family that whenever one goes missing (it happens…) that even I feel sad about it.

Well, that was a very long introduction to tell you about the marvellous creations she made for our little show last weekend. She made a vast amount of bunny-money, in fact she sold out!
Have a look at these, aren’t they just lovely. They’re made from lovely chocolate black clay and she used various tools to stamp patterns on them. These photos are from before they were fired. I managed to take not one single photo of them finished, nor of my daughter with her lovely little stall.

Next year I hope to start an after school art club and making some hanging decorations like these will definitely be on the menu 🙂

                                         

Contemporary Christmas Craft Fair

It’s always great fun doing a craft show at my husband Peter Lanyon’s workshop. This year is going to be no exception, it’s going to be great seeing old friends and making new ones. Check out this blaster of a line up: Me, Peter Lanyon (beautifully crafted sustainable furniture and lighting), Alice Wood (practical, simple and stylish leather bags), RAMP (stunningly decorated ceramics that makes me weep with joy), Sigrid Verschraeghen (unique bespoke clothing in natural fabrics), Zsuzi Morrison (exquisitely detailed enamel jewellery), ROCWORX (Marbled textile and leather home items) and Toby Hodges (Peter’s apprentice, who makes beautiful fine hand carved spoons)

Pop along to Lambside Farm, PL8 1HG (between Noss Mayo and Battisborough Cross in the South Hams, South Devon) on 4th – 5th December 2021 between 10 am – 5 pm.

Apart from our handmade wares, we will also be selling refreshments to raise money for Project Green Hands which is a huge volunteer driven tree planting project in Southern India to halt and reverse deforestation and bring the Cauvery River back to life.

Blue Magpie Contemporary Craft Fair

I’m absolutely delighted to be taking part in the fabulous Blue Magpie Contemporary Craft Fair again this coming weekend, Friday 19th, Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st November 2021.
Find me exhibiting alongside some truly wonderful makers. Stuff the big brands for your gifts this year, come and support small businesses, many of which have had a really rocky couple of years.
All details are on the poster below. Don’t forget to book your tickets in advance by going to the Blue Magpie Website.

New Cards

I’ve finally got round to updating my shop with new card designs as well as some CHRISTMAS cards!

Who doesn’t love to receive a super hand-written card through the post? If the past 20 months have taught us anything, it’s that the small things you do for people bring the biggest smiles and happiness. A card doesn’t cost much but it’s a brilliant way of sending a few words just to let someone know that you’re thinking of them. Far more personal than a text or Whats App message, this one will linger on a shelf maybe even for a few months (or often longer, if you’re in our house!) I don’t know about you but I spend ages choosing which image would suit which friend or relative.

All of this plus buying cards from designers, you’re helping to keep small businesses going. The #justacard campaign puts so clearly the message from a gallery who had recently closed down:

“If everyone who’d complimented our beautiful gallery had bought just a card we’d still be open.”

Please check out the cards section of my shop HERE

             

         

       

 

 

Craft Fair at Bovey Tracey, 10 – 12 September 2021

I’m very excited to be exhibiting at the Craft Festival at Bovey Tracey this week, from Friday 10 – Sunday 12 September. I’m snuggling up with other associate members of the Devon Guild of Crafts and you can find me in Marquee D, stand D1.

This year tickets need to be booked in advance; to do this you need to go to https://www.craftfestival.co.uk/ 

See you there, be sure to pop by and say hi!