It’s the Jubilympics!

Not one to miss out on a party I’ve had a right royal month creating for up and coming events of summer.  So imagine my delight when two summer events fall into my lap this month.

First up, The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, an excuse to paint the town in patriotic colours, wave a flag and eat cake. And it’s an opportunity to get arty too!

 On Saturday 4^th May I had a sell out success as children and their families flocked to Rochdale Exchange Shopping Centre to create their own celebratory crockery.  It seems everyone wanted to mark the event as the public gathered around craft tables designing and colouring their Jubilee Plates, no doubt ready for their street part this weekend.  I’m quite sure Mage would be pleased as punch to see her regal portrait replicated by so many eager Rochdale kids.  In fact, the arty session proved so popular it had to close before time as I ran out of resources!

I was delighted when I received the commission to create a gigantic table cloth celebrating Gallery Oldham’s 10^th Birthday and of course the royal event of the year, the Jubilee.  Out came the markers once more as I doodled past street parties from Oldham’s smoggy archive.  I thoroughly enjoyed searching through sepia photographs, stumbling on drizzly day photographs of children waving flags, the Queen’s visit to the cotton mills and a fully adorned Farantis Factory, covered from top to bottom in banners and bunting declaring ;’ God Save The Queen’.

And now Oldham have a nine meter cloth fit for an artist banquet.  The illustrations feature street scenes, a marching band, the queen’s corgi’s and not forgetting the magic ingredient marmite, no picnic would be complete without it!

And so on to the Olympics.  I’ve just today finished my thoroughly enjoyable week as artist for Holy Trinity Primary School’s Olympics Week.  The kids have been more active than a pentathlete squad this week, racing, swimming, long jumping, to name but a few!  Luckily they managed to squeeze in enough time to make some masterpieces to mark their week too.

Working with each class I created artistic activities to match the Olympic country they were representing.  From raging Chinese dragons to massive Matisse murals, from the delicatly decorated plates of Greece to the chaotic paint splashes of Pollack, each class took part in making sensational art.  Their finished work will be showcased in the school this week, what an artistic adventure!

Finally, don’t miss out on the Jubilympics fun, on Saturday 2^nd June  you can join me at Touchstones for an arty Jubilee party 10.30am- 3.30pm, and on Thursday why not come and create an Olympics coaster at Rebecca’s Coffee Shop, Littleborough, 10am – 12 noon.  See you there!

Unleash Your Inner Child

Recently I’ve had many questions regarding my illustration; do you sell your
pictures? (Oh, yes!) Do you do commissions? (Oh yes!) Is the picture of the
monster actually a self portrait! (hell, no!).

So in a change to the regular blog format, charting what Art.Works has been
up to over the last couple of weeks (running family fun days, continuing the
residency and securing funding for a new mosaic project since you ask) I
thought I’d give you a couple of illustrations to print off and enjoy.

Now remember, colouring ain’t no child’s play, it takes a keen eye and diligent
mind to keep the colour chart flowing. Go on, I dare you, drag out the rusty tin
of crayons that’s gathering dust on the book shelf or swirl some primary colours
across an old plate. Mix and match media; paint, cut, crayon and create!

The nights have well and truly drawn in, so there’s every reason to add a little
colour to these dismal grey days. Send a picture of your finished masterpieces
into Art.Works, either via email: art.works.coop@gmail.com or post them up on
the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/artworks and if you’re incredibly
imaginative I bet you could colour in front of X Factor...

Mummies and Pharohs

Family Tree Pictures

Scary Monster

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.

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...

Felt Fantastic and More Fun Filled Adventures

So the schools are way, but the cat will still play! I've been making the most of the school's Easter holidays by touching up on my own artistic skill, I've now added a whole new dimension, felt making!

That's right, roll up your sleeves, grab your squirty ecover and pop the bubble wrap, because all are vital tools in the felt making process! On Saturday 27th March I joined Jo Gornall, the expert felt maker for a day of creative construction. And some squidding, soaping, rolling, foaming hours later, hay presto! I'd produced my own fantastic felt masterpiece.

Keen to put my new found talent into practice I have incorporated felt making into the next big Art.Works commission. In May I will be working with the delightful pupils at All Saints's Primary School, Rochdale, to create two gigantic wall hangings which will transform their school's entrance. The work will include felt formed by the pupils, perfect dove prints, ceramic fish, and a little tile mosaicing too. Just another fun filled, soap spilled, messy Art.Works session then! And I can't wait!

As well as indulging in this organized chaos I've now designed Art.Works new 'Art in a Box' resources for schools, been approached with the idea to run holiday workshops for Hollingworth Lake Visitors Centre, and just today, won the tender to work at Abby Acre Care Home in Oldham to create a tasty mural for their new dinning area. Details of all these exciting new projects will soon feature on the blog, so keep your eyes peeled!

If you're interested in any of the work Art.Works offers, or want more information why not drop me a line? email: art.works.coop@gmail.com or phone: 07816168981, I like nothing more than a good gossip!

New Eco Schools Workshops with Art.Works and Touchstones

It might have been all quiet on the blog front but rest assured, the keys on this keyboard have been going like the clappers, all in the name of art!

Last week was an exciting week for Art.Works as we got ourselves in gear for the next school year. Thanks to the extraordinarily generous Education Co-ordinator at Touchstones, Rochdale, Art.Works will soon be featured in their school's programme! Karen Vine, Touchstone's Education Co-ordinator said she was 'looking forward to adding a new eco dimension to the schools programme', not as much as I am Karen!

I've been busy creating innovative workshops to inspire pupils to engage with art, drama and even a bit of eco warrior-ism, all in 2 new ninety minute workshops. From April schools can book, through Karen at Touchstones, the Art.Works sessions 'Fruity Fairtrade' and 'Re-work it'. They will enjoy hands on workshops in the inspiring surroundings of Rochdale's impressive heritage centre, Touchstones. The sessions will be a snip, at around £68 each (this price will be finalised later in the month).

So, to any environmentally aware teachers out there, it's a great opportunity to get out of the class room and into the museum of inventive disarray (that's the Art.Works sessions, not Touchstones in general!)

Splashing paints in the library

It might have raining outside, but in All Saints CE Primary the sun was shining, in fact it was gleaming, a huge circumference of a solar grin splashed across Ebony Wormald's canvas.

Art.Works has had a most enjoyable afternoon today, working with an artistic trio in All Saints school, Rochdale. Adam Hussain, Hannah Hussain and Ebony Wormald sparkled as they spalshed their winning designs for the school's library onto huge canvases.

The talented threesome got to work straight way, selected the particular paints for their palette, choosing the right brushes and creating bursts of colour, shape and texture. Their master pieces are sure to make their library buzz with animation and creation. Indeed, so intent were the pupils on producing the perfect picture, I had trouble getting a word out of them! Only my terrible singing finally raised a few cries of horror and disbelief!

I'm looking forward to finishing off the edges (that's like crossing the t's and dotting the i's in teacher terms) and taking the canvases back to the imaginative students next week.

Art.Works in Africa!

There might be snow on the ground here in Littleborough, but in Africa there's a mosaic to be made! While the rest of us are stamping our feet and rubbing our fingers to keep warm Trish is busy getting creative in Aru, in the Congo. Not deterred by the lack of conventional materails, or indeed the searing heat, Trish has been working with the community to make a fantastic floor mosaic. They've been using stones, pebbles and a curious mix of Tuff Bond and water, how's that for creative thinking?!

I'm hoping Trish's French has improved a little since she flew out over a week ago as the last I heard she was 'going to have to rely on the art and drama of pulling of funny faces!!' to teach the pupils at the local school. oh, dear... but I can't wait to hear about her African adventures, spreading Art.Works to the furthest most points of the Atlas.

Back in frost bitten Blighty I've been busy taking bookings for book week, creating an awesome resource pack (if you've ever wanted to know how to screen print a t-shirt with sticky fingered seven year olds nows your chance!) and freelancing at Touchstones.

I left lots of smily faces puckering up with a huge cheesy grin on Saturday as I facilitated at the family fun day in Rochdale's inspiring museum, Touchstones. We created a pop up paper camera, perfect for capturing all those moments so vivid in the imagination, but the conventional camera lens doesn't always see. Everyone say cheeeeeeeeeese!

Summer will sparkle in Failinge

We are chuffed to bits at Art.Works this week. Following on from our success a few years ago working with Failinge Youth Group to create their stylish mosaic; a prominent feature which welcomes visitors to their estate, we're at it again! and this time it's bigger and better than before.

We have just received confirmation of funding to work with some of Failinge's exciting new community groups such as the over 50s group, the parents group and, of course the youth group. Jackie Robinson, Failinge's Priority Area Worker, said she was looking forward to working with Art.Works on this new project.

In Summer 2010, the tenants and residents of Failinge will be rolling back their sleeves to create 10 large scale murals illustrating their fantastic thoughts on life on their estate. I can't wait to work with the groups and help their imaginative ideas turn into an eye catching wall of colour and vibrancy. It'll be an adventure, all group members will be armed with a brush and a paint pot, working together to add a little sparkle and transform their community space.

And if that's not enough, we'll be giving the community centre a bit of a facelift too! The youth group have decided to revamp the dull grey shutters on their building and add a splash of colour to make the structure shine.

So roll on the summer, roll back the rain clouds and get ready to be dazzled as Art.Works and Failinge paint the town red! (or green..or yellow...or blue..)

lighthouses, lunches and a lot of art.work!

Another first from Art.Works! Because we're just big kids that can't grow up we've decided to launch a book week extravaganza! Excited? you should be!

We're celebrating world book day (4th March) in style. think big, big butties, big seagulls, big characters. What am I talking about? why 'The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch' of course!

Fresh off the press Art.Works has created a fun filled day to explore the themes of this classic children's tale. What did Mr Grinling do at the Lighthouse all day? How do you deter a screeching seagull? Is Hamish a courageous kitten or a real scaredy cat?

Through role play, mosaic making and a little bit of printing too pupils in and around Rochdale will be taking part in the most animated book day this side of the book's deep blue sea (at least I hope so...)

Art.Works

it's a monumental day, the very first blog from Cat at Art.Works, and, too be honest, I find it a bit scary, once I click 'publish post' it's here, on line forever! It'll be like an English essay littered with superlatives, but I'll try and get it right.

We at Art.Works have been busy beavering away, facilitating exiting projects in schools, with local services and even finding time to create are own little masterpieces.

We're just wrapping up our first special needs room renovation at St Mary's RC Primary, Oldham. With the help of kids in every key stage we've transformed a dull store room into a tactile learning space and can't wait to put the final touches to the room.

So get that paint brush out, give your primary colours a squirt and join in our colourful adventures here with Art.Works