Middleton’s Youth Make Mosaics

If you go down to the woods today you’re sure for a big surprise... in fact, you’ll have four!  Four huge ceramic tile surprises no less!  Because the youth of Middleton have been working hard to spruce up their woodland and park to create four awesome mosaics to make their estate sparkle.


On 27^th, 29^th and 30^th July over 20 kids from local youth groups Burnside and Riverside came together on a mission; to make mosaics illustrating the fantastic features of Truffet Park, Langley, and they came up trumps!


To kick start the project the kids took part in a creative nature trail around the park’s four key areas, collecting arty artifacts which might stimulate some smashing designs.  Back at the base kids worked well weaving their artifacts into their willow stick frames.  From bark rubbings to branches, wild flowers to baby frogs! (The frogs were quickly taken back to their habitat I hasten to add!), no artistic evidence was turned away until it had be analysed by the young artistic eyes.  


Inspired by the trail the kids then took part in the big draw, a mass picture making activity, the most vibrant observations captured down on paper.  One young warden said:


‘We found lots of baby frogs in the pond, I enjoyed collecting big strands of bull rush to draw in my picture’.


After an energetic health and safety talk ‘goggles on intrepid illustrators, these here tiles are as sharp as shark’s teeth!’, Thursday saw kids identifying their pictures in the mosaic designs, could you spot a bee buried in the wild flower meadow? Then one, two three and smash!  The hard work started with a bang, a crash, a wallop!  As each team member got hands on with their tiles and elbows high in adhesive, working together to form sensational displays for their park.  As eager young artist Aran suggested:
‘it’s like making a massive jigsaw, but this time we get to make the piece using the hammer, it’s great!’ glad you think so Aran, so do we!


By Friday morning the mosaics were well on their way thanks to the nibble fingered youngsters and, with one last surge of energy the pictures finally took shape.  Youth Worker Paula Amos from Burnside Community Centre noted:


‘The kids are really engaged, you’ve done a great job reaching some challenging kids.. They’re all working as a team, it’s good to see’.


So, a few finishing touches, a smothering of grout and this time next week Truffet Park will be proudly displaying four awesome artistic mosaics created by their estate’s own young hands.  As hard working Park Ranger (he also makes ‘well sick ham butties’ apparently!)Mike Cunningham said:


‘The mosaics will brighten up our park and the hard work of the kids has really paid off, we’re all looking forward to seeing them up and displayed’


I couldn’t agree more Mike, but hard work, nargh, it was just a walk in the park for those kids...

Wonderful Ways to Work Together.

Up and down the country, in and out of the streets the beginning of July buzzed with communities working together in the name of Co-operation.  To kick start the very first Co-operative’s Fortnight the country celebrated the success of common partnership through open studios, band nights, quirky videos, and yes, you guessed it, mass participation Art.Works. 

Eager to participate in this national first Art.Works created the most artistic of afternoons slap bang in the middle of the birth place of Co-operation, Rochdale town Centre.  Together with the town’s folk of Rochdale we created a giant mural of the Rochdale Pioneer’s shop that would make co-operative hero Robert Owen proud!

On a blustery Monday afternoon Art.Works worked with fellow co-operators ‘Peace Effects Media’ to create a live art pastel picture and vibrant video.  We spread the co-operative message, (working together we can do so much more) and soon had a helpful crowd of passersby, shoppers and a whole assembly of school children ready to pitch in and pastel their town centre all the colours of the proverbial rainbow.

Without the good will of Rochdale’s finest residents we would not have achieved such a colourful creation, as one participant put it: ‘it’s good doing it like this innit? Get more out of it when we all pitch in’.  I couldn’t have put it better myself!

So huge thanks to the kids, the teachers, the grannies, the shoppers, the Falinge massive, the crew, them all.  Big up Peace Effects Media’ who are editing their awesome footage as I type (look out for the special blog post and feature on their finished product) and respect to Lindzi and John at Co-operative’s UK and David from the Co-operative Group for their help and expertise.

A Little Round Up Of A Massive Month!

Goodness!  what a gloriously busy month June has been for Art.Works!  We've been sprinkling our creative star dust high and low, from the the very first Fruity  Fairtrade Session at Touchstones to harvesting arts for Handa's Surprise at Bowlee Primary School, and not forgetting all the felt making, flag flying and mosaic making across many Rochdale schools in between. It's been a non stop art shop for Art.Works, just the way we like it!


This week alone saw the start of our exciting new project ' The Great Wall of Cartmel', aimed at involving six community groups from Falinge Housing Estate in creating their huge mural masterpiece to brighten up their living space.  


On Friday we kicked off with 40 members  Falinge parents and kids group.  we flung our shoes off and dived feet first, (ok, feet only!) into paint before splashing and racing over lengthy leafs of paper.  Spurred on by their paint splattered introduction members then formed ferocious monsters in groups, ready to grin and growl from their giant mural. And why did the monster knit herself three socks? Because she'd grown another foot of course!


The women's group are now armed with their cameras ready to click, flick and snap their estate in all it's glory.  they're looking forward to paining inspiration for their multi cultural inspired canvas.  Watch out Falinge, ladies with lens about!


The girl's group then got to grips with Warhol, transforming the Striking Cheryl Cole into a colourful canvas of silky cerise skin to a perfect purple pout,  nice!  The girls have decided to put their own image onto their canvas and will brave the colourful palette once more to create a quirky Warhol inspired mural.  I can't wait to see their transformation when we start the painting later in the summer. 


Here's to hoping all other community groups on Falinge feel as inspired as our intrepid artists on Friday, they've set the ball rolling, the paint palette swirling for a lively transformation of Falinge's Cartmel Wall.

Sunshine and Showers for Felting with St Edward's

Some might suggest it was the perfect piece of art activity for   ferociously  hot Friday; water sprays, bowls of soap suds a cool vapour in the classroom air, soothing felt making.  But don't be deceived!   I neglected to mention the extreme exertion required when felt making. The vigourous rubbing of olive oil soap to bind fibres, the rapid rolling back and forth, back and forth, of felting mats, the pummeling of fires.  Think of a room fueled with over zealous bakers, pumping, pounding, squeezing, squirting; that's the scene of a felt making classroom.  


Oh it might have been hot outside, there might have been litres of cooling water galore  inside, but that didn't distract Year 6 pupils from St Edwards' putting all their energies into forming fantastic felted pieces of art.


On a hot and sticky Friday in May pupils worked with Art.Works to create amazing felt animals, birds and plants to be displayed on a banner in their school.  Working in 3 groups of 16 the pupils immediately took a hands on approach to learning.  To kick off the sessions the pupils'  imagination came alive with animated suggestions they wanted to praise God for.  From the hump back whale to saffron winged butterflies, all creatures (great and small!)  were considered during the sessions.


The creative kids then selected their brightly coloured fibres to bind , shape and form.  Then, shirt sleeves rolled high above the elbow, soap suds and squirt bottles at the ready, pupils put their back into forming and producing a jungle of creatures that could put Noah to shame!


Art.Works had a fantastic day with Year six at St Edward's Primary School, their enthusiastic approach to art kept us entertained and their comments ensured we left St Edward's with an enormous smile on our face...


'This is brilliant, Cat is very funny (and) crazy.... Trish is kind... I want you to come back to our school' 
Year 6 pupil, St Edward's Primary School, Rochdale

What a platform for an exhibition!

There's something quite therapeutic about gazing out of a train window when you pull into a station.   It's faintly cathartic to watch others board the train, or imaging the adventures of those disembarking.  Your eyelids might get droopy, your breathing may match the rhythm of the train, that is of course unless you pull into  Todmorden Railway Station!  it takes a second glance, an involuntary gasp of breath, a rush towards the train's doors before the conductor blows his whistle.  and what makes this small Yorkshire station prompt such a flurry of activity, why, an art exhibition of course!


From the 8th May to the end of the month Tricia (of Art.Works fame) will be exhibiting and selling her vibrant and 'quirky' paintings in the platform one gallery, Todmorden Railway Station.  After a hugely successful launch, in which 3 paintings where snapped up by eager eyed buyers, there's been a constant stream of visitors pouring over the colourful canvases.


Trish said 'I'm so happy so many people were able to come to the launch and I'm really excited to see all my paintings displayed together in one space.'


So, if you find yourself pulling in to Todmorden station why not hop off for the train for a while and indulge in a little creative delight guaranteed to put a smile on on the face of even the most miserable of Monday morning commuters!


Info: Platform one gallery is open Thursday- Sunday 11am-4pm.  all proceeds from sales will go  to buy clean water facilities for friends in Uganda.  Thanks to Phill Atherton for the photos!

Little Fingers Make Murals for the Garden

So, who said painting can only be done with a brush?  This week the early years and reception children at All Saints Primary School, Rochdale have been proving everyone wrong.  The creative kids have experimented with using all their body; from their tiny little toes to their clay covered finger tips to make some seriously messy murals! Experimenting with tone, colour and texture the children enjoyed splattering paint across the boards building layers with the paints and their bodies to tell an artistic tale.


Pupils took part in an interactive story session, trying to find the perfect home for little bird and his friends.  Then, beady eyes at the ready, armed with magnifying glasses, they scoured the school grounds in search of that ideal nesting place.  No stone was left unturned, no plant plot left unexplored, as the pupils decided where little bird may live.  Eventually an oak tree proved the perfect home, near enough to the silver streaked slug to be neighboroughs, but far enough away from the road to avoid the buzz-buzz of traffic.


But little fingers itch to keep creating, so after a thorough soil analysis the children used their experiences to paint four gigantic murals illustrating the bird's flight from the long, lush grass to the cool shade of the oak tree.


Over two fun filled days pupils have walked through paints to create a path for the birds, they've made tracks by driving toy cars through paint and smearing it across the boards.  The talented toddlers have rolled tufts of lush green grass high onto the meadows for the mural and printed leaves to canopy the trees.


And now, (after a little meddling on my part)All saints early years and reception children have formed  a fantastic piece of art to brighten up their outdoor classroom, and of course, give little bird a place called home!


If you'd like more information, check out our photo album on the Art.Works facebook site: www.facebook.com/pages/artworks or drop me a line: 078 1616 8982 to receive or 'outdoor classroom' resource pack.

It's all change on the blog front!

So.... you've might have noticed a few changes a foot, no, I'm not talking about the faint smell of summer in the air, or the increasing anticipation as the general election approaches, I'm talking about the Art.Works blog of course!


After receiving requests from follwers for a more accessible format for the blog I've descided to have a reshape.  I hope you find the new look blog easier to follow, read and interact with.  You'll notice some snazzy extras too:

• a resources shop: (it's in a tab at the top) this is going to feature resources for you to download for free or buy to help inspire creativity in the class room and beyond.  There will be lesson suggestions for key dates like Fairtrade fortnight, anti bullying week etc.  It will also feature the resources we sell, interactive and informative resource packs for curricular texts and environmental projects as well as the all important 'Art in a Box'; resources for you to buy and create in the classroom, or indeed wherever you fancy!    If there's anything you'd like to see featured in the resource shop, shout out! let me know and I'll see how I can help.
• an arty shop: (again look at the tabs at the top).  This will have original pictures and prints designed and created by yours truly, available to buy.  Do you have a special occasion you'd like to commemorate?  drop me a line and I'll design a piece of work especially for you!  The arty shop will also feature the  'Art in a Box' resources for you to buy, purely for the fun of it.  If you've ever fancied making a funky felt necklace, or your own ceramic mosaic you can now do so from the comfort of your own sofa!  Just choose the box you want, I'll send you the box including resources and instructions, then it's up to you, your imagination, and a little elbow grease!
• a facebook page! for up to date info of what we're up to join our facebook group: www.facebook.com/pages/artworks

And, of course, if you want to know even more about what we're up to you can subscribe via email, just pop your details into the box to the right labeled 'subscribe via email' (funnily enough!) and we'll let you know of up and coming workshops we're running with kids and adults.

So...thanks for following the blog so far and I hope you'll find the new look blog the bees knees!  *Unfortunately the new blog still features my over zealous vocabulary, like an ever flicking thesaurus, it's just something I'll have to keep working on...