Three Busy Months Jan-March 1014

Having returned from a six week trip to Scotland at the end of the year I had expected to have a quiet few weeks to start off 2014. Not so! 

My first small project was for the City of Canning preparing some Tiger masks for the Canning World Arts Exchange concert on the Shelley Foreshore 1st February 2014.

                            

I followed this with a project for the City of Gosnells for the Homegrown Festival. This was a community engagement project to seek public opinion about the services and facilities past present and future in the City of Gosnells. People left their comments on the 'trees' about what they remember, what they have now and what they'd like to see in the future. The event took place on a very hot Saturday afternoon 23rd February!

 

Banner Design

 

The 'Trees'

  

Community Feedback

 I began a six week Artist in Residence at Bentley Adolescent Unit in mid February.This followed on from  my residency at PMH last year. Working with adolescents with significant mental health issues is challenging but very worthwhile. It can be difficult to decide what technique to use when working with groups where time is fairly limited. On this occasion I chose to use collage and drawing to produce individual and collaborative artworks:

• Production of individual artworks on 35x35cm art boards which had been pre-primed with very simple abstract designs, these then to be worked on using Posca pens, art paper and Styrofoam shapes to produce interesting and unique artworks some of my own examples below:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

•  The collaborative piece was constructed on a 90x120cm art board.It was the combined work of patients, staff and myself. This art work will be hung in the Bentley Adolescent Unit it is a bright and attractive piece:

Another project was the production of three banner designs for the Town of Claremont working with three local schools. This was part of a larger project which also involved a second artist who worked with a further three schools. My chosen method here was paper collage on foam core board using Posca pens to add details.  This was a quick and efficient way to construct the  artworks following brainstorming sessions with each group. John xxiii College decided on a map of Claremont as the centre piece of their banner. This was a challenging group comprising two classes each of 30 year 6 students.

Methodist ladies College decided to represent Claremont with a roller coaster going into Freshwater Bay 20 year 10 students took part. 

Freshwater Bay Primary School chose to represent Claremont Park the year 5 students produced some beautifully detailed work.

My final project over this period was 10 weeks with the Wellard Saturday morning Kids Club. A number of projects were undertaken mainly 3D sculpture works made from a variety of materials and culminating with an exhibition of work at the Kwinana Library at the Darius Wells community Centre:

3d sculptures made from Styrofoam plaster and plaster bandage

Small 3D collages made from Styrofoam, paper and chenille sticks

Hand puppets made from yoghurt cartons, chenille sticks and coloured paper

Artworks on display at the library

What next?  Watch this space!