Children's art classes, Gorey

The after school art program in Gorey Educate Together National School drew to a close this week with a small exhibition of the children art. I was really please with how they went and especially with that age group junior and senior infants (ages five - six years). Along with teaching the children art I got to know them a little bit and watch the younger ones emerging creativity several of the senior infants already full own their creativity which is great to see. Typically I was too busy on the last day to take any photo's. But it was commented on that it was great to see all the work up on the walls and displayed for everyone to see. It was also nice to give parents feedback.

I've started to get phone calls and emails about art classes at the studio again. So I've decided that due to demand I will run classes in the studio again.
STARTING NEXT WEEK
Children’s weekly Art Classes
Wednesday 3.30 – 4.30pm
@ Ballygarrett Art Studio.
START: Wednesday 13 April running for 6 weeks.

Growing skills and building on ability in each class. 

Classes are €12 per child per class, €60 for a block of six classes paid up front. The classes will run through the Easter holidays.

EASTER ART & CRAFT Exploration sessions @ Ballygarrett Art Studio also more information on Classes & 1:1.

New experiment: access to art for all

I have been thinking for the last year about…well lots of things. That is part of what I do I think deeply about things and try to find ways to solve them, meaningfully share or process it by making my own visually work.
Part of what concerns me as an artist is how
• much access do people have to the arts and at a basic level to art materials
• do people engage with art or do they?
• Art can be used as a vehicle to teach other things; open learning, communications, lateral thinking, civic and community spirit.
• the arts can support community development, social inclusion, self esteem, education, personal development.
...and that is before I get into my own mark making, where I try to make sense of my world and perspective through creative process and visual imagery.

If you have been reading my blog or following me on Facebook or Twitter you will know that I have been teaching art as part of an after school program at a local national school in Gorey. The age group is Junior and Senior Infants ages 4-6 years. The offer was so popular that the class filled up instantly and a waiting list was offered a second class. Which is great and I have been having a very good teaching and learning experience with twenty one children. I've been getting feedback from parents that their children love the class and comments from the children "I wish I lived in my art class" and "art class is better then treat day". I have also been asked by parents if I run classes to give them support on what to do creatively with their children at home. So I have been thinking about that.
I’ve been also been thinking about ‘how much access people have to art materials. I’ve had this idea for a year or so about getting families to make and create art work together in community and sports halls but I have n’t brought it to reality yet.
The next thing I wanted to solve was making art more accessible at the local national school where I am teaching the after schools art class.

This is what I proposed to the school principal:
I’d like to offer art in a more accessible way at the school and use it to build community also. The aim is to offer a creative session to all children in junior and senior infants and their parents or guardians. I would like siblings to be welcome also. I will need to have an idea about how many children/families are going to present themselves so I can prepare the space and activity. If we exceed classroom size can we have permission to use the multi-purpose activity room or the hall?
In principle I’d like to offer a donation/ honesty box system with a €5-€7 suggested donation per family. This is about access to art so I would like to cover my costs; time plus art materials for the session. If there is money after that it can be donated to art projects at the school or to fund the next ‘experiment’. I want families at the school to feel they can just come no matter if they can afford to or not. I do not want money to be a barrier. This has to be balanced with people valuing and respecting what is being offered.
This is what I propose:
An art experiment and your invited!
Children in junior and senior infants and their parents/guardians are invited to participate in an open art session with artist Roisin Markham on 25th March; 1.30-2.15pm, in the Art Room upstairs.
A ‘make and do’ family activity will be offered along with ideas for creative projects at home plus a focus on thrifty art supplies.
Suggested donation €5. An honesty box system will be in place. Book a family space by signing your child’s name on the board.

I'm delighted to say the principal has given the go ahead and the experiment will take place. I'll let you know how it goes.

Art projects and Creativity in Context with Children

2010
January – March: After School Art Program for Junior and Senior Infants, Gorey Educate Together National School (GETNS)
February: The magic of Felt, exploring thread as part of the National Curriculum. Demonstration and workshops on making hand rolled felt with Sixth Class GETNS
2009
August: Murrintown Community Summer Camp: arts and craft activity with children aged 5 – 12. Six sessions designed to open up ideas and creativity towards expanding skills and communications. A broad variety of materials were used; clay, paper, paint, glue, crayons, pastels, cloth and fiber, buttons. Techniques included design, collage, group work, team work, individual, colour, reuse and second life for rubbish, make and wear.
July: Gorey Family Fun Day ; devised, project managed and participated in community arts element of the fun day in Gorey with Wexford County Council. A variety of arts experiences were offered; make and do; paper airplanes, felt making and traditional crafts; ‘That’s rubbish! but is it art?’, community circus. Read more.
Make and Do: wrote and illustrated website content for Mykidstime.ie, downloadable easy to follow make and do activity including instructions and illustrative graphics, ages 2 - 12.
Spring - Summer Programme Ballygarrett Art Studios. Weekly Children’s art classes; The art of construction with recycled materials, Choco-Tastic! Edible art and construction. The stay and create philosophy and why parents drove 20 miles plus for an art class.
2008
September - October: ‘Poet-tree’, School arts project, GETNS. Designed and created a tree in the new school library as a place to hang English projects and art work. Worked with 1st – 6th class, teachers and parents. The project work included concept, construction of tree, guided visualisation, decorating the tree in layers with images the pupils created about their ideas of what the tree could be for them, plus using a list of words that came from the visualisation. The words together, imagine and friendship were translated into different languages representing different cultures in the school. Using different typefaces and fabric textures the words were cut out and incorporated into the design of the tree.
April: ‘FISH’ School arts project based on using recycled aluminum cans and foil, Ballygarrett National School, County Wexford. Working with 180 pupils and staff to create fish made from recycled materials. The fish are hung from catgut suspended in air to form a shoal and a fish ball. They are free to move and also generate sound.
April: Being me. 'No table day', Senior and Junior Infants group GETNS. Workshop about being unique, being different being the same and being in a group, with art materials and movement.
March - February: School Community Multi-disciplined arts project, Gorey Educate Together National School (GETNS), County Wexford, street theatre entry for Gorey St. Patrick’s Day parade. Developed concept, co-ordinated and organised pupils, teachers, musician, parents and guardians for the overall wining entry of the parade. Theme ‘Grainne Mhaol’, incorporated music and art workshops for the development and production of street theatre, included musical instruments made from recycled materials.
Spring - Summer Programme Ballygarrett Art Studios. Introduction art materials. Basic techniques for making and creative construction with art and recycled materials, Weekly Children’s art classes in Clonevin School House, Ballygarrett.
2007
Autumn - Winter programme. Introduction to art materials and perspective, Weekly Children’s art classes. Ballygarrett art studios, Gorey, Co. Wexford.
October: ‘Planting a rainbow’ Gorey Educate Together National School. School project planting spring bulbs in the shape and colours of a rainbow. Project taught children how to plant bulbs, practical use of Maths, colours in the spectrum, basic horticulture, value of teamwork, provided a sense of inclusion and developed civic awareness.
March - February: Gorey Educate Together National School (GETNS), Wexford. St. Patrick’s Day parade entry, School Community project, first prize in group section.

2006 May: GETNS, Senior Class (Ages 8 - 12). Team and communication workshop based on creating group clay model, where verbal and written communications were not used.
2005 - 1997: Creative Visualisation, Art and Creative play, Communication and team building, Community Children and Adult workshops. Various locations in Dublin.
2000 July: Whitechurch Summer Camp, (Ages 14 – 17). Community Art Workshop with challenging teenagers. Dublin.

You’re invited to

a workshop introducing

the magic of sheep fleece to felt
on Saturday 3rd of September,
3.30 in Ballygarrett Art Studio.

Ballygarrett Art Studio invites you to discover the ancient tradition of felt making with “the magic of felt” workshop series. An opportunity for hands-on learning in the workshop at the studio. Children are welcome with a parent or adult.

Learn how to make felt at one of the workshops:
Saturday 3rd October, 3.00 – 4.30 pm
Tuesday 13th October, 3.00 – 4.30 pm

Saturday 17th October, 3.00 – 4.30 pm

Workshops €25 per person + €5 for materials. Child & adult price €40 + €8 for materials.

Book your place call Roisin on 086.1546163 email ballygarrettartstudio [@] gmail . com

Join in the creative fun with artist Roisin Markham at Ballygarrett Art Studio, Templederry Lane, Ballygarrett, Gorey.

What is felt? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felt

I will be demonstrating wet hand rolled felt making and some needle felt.

The Workshops are about learning how to make wet hand rolled felt.

Gorey Family Play Day, 1st August 2009

The place to be is at the Town Park in Gorey on Saturday afternoon!

I've been amazed at the amount of people who do not seem to know where the town park is so here is the map.

Read more about the events that will be on here.

Gorey Family Play Day

Gorey Town Park 2 -5pm, Saturday 1st August 2009.
The one and only place to be on the bank holiday weekend. You can go to Wexford on the Sunday and the Tinahely agricultural show on the 3rd but the first of August belongs to Gorey and the excellent afternoon of activities planned for family fun in the town park.
A free family fun play day as part of the 150 years celebration of Gorey Town Council. Hosted by Wexford County Council it is a welcome addition to the summer schedule.

I have been working with the Arts Officer in Wexford CC, Rosaleen Molloy to plan some ARTS fun. It has been great fun to think about what different age groups might want and engage in.
I'll post the full list when I have it.
So far Ballygarrett Art Studio has organised or is directly involved in:

• I live... here place a sticker on the map to show where you have come from for the day.
• Community Circus performances plus play and learn
• Jigsaw search and make
• That’s rubbish – but can it be art? Transforming rubbish into something, exploring the afterlife of an object in reuse, recycle; coffee cups & plastic bottles into objects, aluminium cans into metal sculptures. Demonstration & make and do.
• Flying things. Paper planes, kites (things to run around with)
• Newspaper Flappers. Draw fish, decorate them and cut them out. Grab a newspaper and flap the fish in one of the Newspaper Flappers races.
• Bui Bolg ‘Fox in the Bin’
• Face painting
• Knitting circle for some full on clackity clack show and teach session for all ages (if your a knitter come and join in bring what your working on and sit and knit with others)
• Demonstrations of traditional crafts: Willow weaving, Spinning & weaving, Felt making, Pole-lathe turning

There will also be sports, traditional games, messy play, a DJ, climbing wall, skate boarding action, clown, puppet show and lots more...

See you there!

Summer Camps for Children

Offering children creative fun during the summer!

July, 10am - 12 midday
21 Monday & 22 Tuesday Model Making
23 Wednesday & 24 Thursday Print Making
27 Monday & 28 Tuesday Animation with Sandancer studio

Ages 5+. Younger siblings can be catered for on request with parents stay and play option.

If you would like a specific activity or session for your child, family or a group of friends email me; ballygarrettartstudio at gmail.com.
And yes that includes if it rains for days on ended or your at the wits end and you need to get the kids out and about to do something.
Book a creative adventure at Ballygarrett Art Studio!

Information to follow on adult summer camps... well why should the kids have all the fun.

Type - 3D

I've rediscovered my love of typography again, the shapes of letters and words. The curve of an a, the crossing of a t. This has happened for three reasons.

Reason 1. I've been teaching and getting the children at Ballygarrett art studio kids class on a Tuesday to work on a four week type project. It's a project I have done before and kids of all ages love it.

I kicked of the project by asking the kids to have a look at magazines, the newspaper, books and look for their name or their initials. This bring their awareness to printed type. With older children I sometimes get them to go through magazines and make a montage with the text. Then I showed techniques for creating hand drawn typefaces. The kids also drew and coloured in their name in different sizes and styles. Following on from that they drew their first initial large and we cut it out twice.
This Tuesday was spent constructing these two 2D initials into a 3D initial to act as a piece of sculpture in the kids bedrooms. They work really well as stand alone items but they can also be hung from the door or the ceiling. I particularly like them on shelves. These 3D shapes will be decorated in next weeks class. Really looking forward to seeing what these kids do with these shapes.
This project can be done with recycled materials, tape and glue are needed also.

Reason 2. A recent commission for painting room names in a healing centre. It was a lovely job to get. Raphael was painted in red with copper on the elaborate 'R'. The small 'R' was matt varnished to stand out from other letter which were gloss varnished. Painted on to wooden four panel doors.

Reason 3. Designing a type based logo for a new company,

...and I have discovered fontspace.com! Gone for ever are the days of the letraset book. I wonder does anyone have a copy lying around?

Tuesday Afternoon Class for Kids

3.30 - 4.30pm at Ballygarrett Art Studio

And will continue to run up untill the end of the school term.

Children's drop in Art Class start again today

Families and children are welcome to join the drop in Childrens Art classes run weekly at Ballygarrett Art Studio, Gorey, County Wexford.

Tuesday: 3.30pm - 4.30pm
Wednesday: 3.30pm - 4.30pm

2+ welcome with parental supervision.

Families are traveling to Ballygarrett Art Studio to take part in fun creative activities. As a parent I understand the pace of a school pick up and a drive to an activity so parents are welcome to stay with their children, enjoy a cup of tea and have some chill time. A small box of toys is offered for the smaller siblings to play with.

Stay and create rates are offered along with a drop and go rate.

Adult creative classes are also offerend contact me for more information, Ballygarrettartstudio@gmail.com.

Fantastic Choco-tastic!

On Tuesday Ballgarrett Art Studio was host to kids for Choco-Tastic! Edible art and construction with chocolate and marzipan.

Thanks to the Mykidstime.ie website demand was so popular that I hosted two sessions. Ages 2 - 13 participated and the chocolate fun was great.

The children made nests for mini Easter eggs and then we had a fluffy chick to place on top of them. If was all about the senses; the smell of the chocolate, the feeling of the twigs, licking our fingers as we went, fun and edible.

The second activity was a bit different we used marzipan and coloured white fondant icing to making a chick, duck or animal shape out of marzipan, just like pottery but edible! The kids were not so impressed by the marzipan so this activity was more about making rather then eating.

We particularly liked the duck with boxing gloves (age 4)

and these dainty decorations on this chick (age 7).

The second group was a group of older girls and they really went for mixing it up with their marzipan creations.

Thrifty art supplies

You don’t have to spend a lot of money on art supplies to enjoy art!

If your kids like to cut and paste get them to make collages with a glue stick and a pile of magazines. Reuse old postcards, magazines, newspapers (great for cutting out words for kids that can’t write yet). Second hand shops are great for old magazines at affordable prices. The doctor’s surgery, dentist and local hairdressers are all good sources for these magazines when they are finished with their stock. Try to get a mixture of topics and avoid real trashy celebrity magazines.

A list of potentially useful items:

• Newspaper
• Postcards
• Magazines, flyers, newspaper supplements – for colourful images and coloured paper for collages.
• Cardboard from cereal boxes makes great card for art projects
• Buttons. When recycling clothes cut off the buttons and keep them in a jar they make interesting additions to pictures- Lids. Twist top cartons lids like the ones used for litres of milk or juice cartons. Even the two litre milk cartons can be used. Jar lids can also be used.
• Tissue paper. From new shoes boxes or wrapping. This can be used to paint on, layering over images and for making flowers.
• Cotton wool
• Twine or an assortment of wool and threads
• Feathers
• Straws
• Ice cream sticks
• Easter egg wrappers – great opportunity to collect different coloured foil.
• Brown or white paper bags
• Egg cartons
• Toilet roll inserts

Commercial craft bits & bobs that kids like. Keep an eye out in your local stationary shop, local supermarket or book shop for when they discount craft items and keep a small stock. Or you can go to one of the on line craft suppliers and stock up.

• felt pompoms,
• googly eyes,
• pipe cleaners
• Glitter, glitter glue, glitter gel, sequins, sequin mesh - all colours
• Stickers for younger kids, it can be old out of date supermarket promotion stickers, hold onto them. The kids can always colour over the original content.

Keep all the craft materials in a box including scissors, glue and tape.

Teach the kids to clean up as part of the activity that way you don't get left with all the clean up.

Kids Weekly Art classes

3.30 - 4.30pm: Tuesday and Wednesday at Ballygarrett Art Studio
The childrens pay as you go drop in Art classes at the studio on a Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon are going really well. Families of 2 or 3 kids are showing up. I know the stay and play price is great value. I have families coming from Camolin, Ferns and Blackwater. The cup of tea for Mums is a plus to.

The plan is to grow the numbers and then move to the Old School House across the road.

I'm always facinated at how children love to make things. Along with doing the typical painting, drawing and colouring I really like to show kids how to construct things. We've done construction with no glue only using string, cardboard and straws. Amazing creations were made including bats, fish and robots. Some of the younger kids learnt to tie their first knot.
This week we trialed the diamond pop up card activity the kids really enjoyed it. The details of how to make the pop up card will go out in the next www.Mykidstime.ie Newsletter you need to subscribe to the site to get the free newsletter.

Lots of fun and exciting things planned for the next three weeks see Ballygarrett Art Studio's Spring Programme.