>Coughs and sneezes
July 18, 2009 § Leave a comment
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In the circumstances it may be sensible to give some thought to how education could be sustained if the curriculum becomes disrupted. So I have begun to set out some ideas on the Bucks Grid for Learning. I have also opened up a collaborative page (called a wiki if anyone is interested) so art teachers could share ideas and comments. You will need to logon to Bucksgfl using your username and password to contribute – although anyone should be able to read it. It can be used by primary and secondary teachers and I rather like the idea of cross phase co-operation. In truth I set up the wiki because I am intrigued at the opportunity to work together in the face of a common issue using this simple technology. So swine flu is not a dire emergency to be solved but an excuse to try something out. Do have a look and contribute if you can.
Parking
July 15, 2009 § Leave a comment
Gifted and Talented
July 15, 2009 § Leave a comment
Earlier this term I wrote about two 6th form students who were clearly gifted and whose choice of career seemed almost predetermined by their natural ability. They were going to follow degree courses in architecture and stage design.
Today in Turnfurlong Infants School I found a third pupil who displayed extraordinary talent. This time she is six years old. Her ceramic rat is extraordinary. The shape of the muzzle, eye sockets and flattened forehead shows an ability to understand and model form with a maturity and mastery which is way beyond her age. I was able to talk to Leah and to confirm that it was her own work and that she worked from a picture. It is true that her grandmother is a potter and her father an architect but the modelling is her own and she described how she constructed it over a paper and bubble wrap body which burned off in the kiln – six years old.
To conclude this post it is interesting to note this other small ceramic sculture. This time from a sixth form student at the Royal Grammar School. He had made a set of small nudes all developed from an extruded clay tube. It makes a nice counterpoint.
On Display
July 14, 2009 § Leave a comment
Cross Fertilisation.
July 13, 2009 § Leave a comment
It was interesting to note the cross-over of practice from secondary to primary phase, because I first saw this exercise in Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School five years earlier. Here it was by 6th form students. It is not uncommon to see ideas for work being passed around secondary schools but it is quite unusual to see ideas cross phases in this way.
Textiles and Tracey
July 9, 2009 § Leave a comment
Spent time this evening at Sir William Ramsey (Arts College). As always a superb show. Its intriguing to see how work continues to evolve and develop in this department. A particular strength is in the textiles which are always exquisite and never fail to delight. Interesting to see the way that some students this year are using stitching to draw with. There are similar echoes of Tracey Emin in the work of some other schools such as the large stitched nudes from Aylesbury High. These can be seen in this years gallery on Flickr.