Maxwell and Myrtle have completed a challenging climb, past the pencil precipice, the crayon crevasse and on to the steep slab of the boxwood ruler – not for the fainthearted. The climb is rated 5b. The idea came after looking at Camilla Engman‘s very inspiring blog.
I’ve designed and made a set of badges in a bag ready for a giant game of Eels Out! with the families from Liberty School at the London Voices workshop next week with the National Trust at Morden Hall Park. The creatures on the badges are all found in or around the river Wandle.
The Monday art club at Singlegate Primary School in Colliers Wood have been hard at work painting out their designs for the four-panel mural. It’s on a railway theme, but with some extras like a blue rainbow and a flock of coloured birds.
I’ve been back at Ronald Ross Primary School to make a suitably marine environment for the giant whale I made with the children last week – I painted a multi-coloured swirl of fishes going round the whole room, then used self-adhesive translucent film to create the same effect on the windows. From outside the school it almost looks as if the whale is about to eat them (plankton, though more scientifically accurate, wouldn’t have had the same visual impact….)
Maxwell had a lot of fun in the snow last week, even though his sledge was an old scratched tray and not much use.
Today was the first of the National Trust London Voices workshops at Morden Hall Park working with families from Liberty School in Mitcham – and it was also the first voyage of the little test ship on the river Wandle. It was lovely to see so many families who had taken part in last year’s project returning and everyone got stuck right in to making some beautiful boat bases. Regular volunteer at the park Fred, who remembers the famous film star parties of the late 40s and early 50s and was rescued by Margaret Lockwood herself when he fell off a wall, was instrumental in the testing, salvaging the boat with a net before it went too far. However by popular demand there were three tests, and on the third the boat tipped down a weir and disappeared under a bridge – emerging some minutes later to huge cheers. Can’t wait for the boat race at the final session!
For the last couple of days I have been at Ronald Ross Primary School in Southfields creating a giant blue whale with Years 4, 5 and 6. It’s been great fun and we have tried to make it as lifelike as possible, with baleen and even barnacles. The framework is made from willow.
Maxwell and Myrtle are getting ready for Valentine’s Day. They will be in a special Valentine’s show at The Old Sweet Shop, opening on Thursday.
I’m working with a small group of gifted and talented pupils at Singlegate Primary School in Colliers Wood this term – we are making four mural panels on a railway theme to go outside the main entrance of the school. Last week the children did some drawings, and I have made their work into these designs. We couldn’t start painting today because the school was closed by the heavy snowfall, but we’ll get going next week. The panels are 2.4m long each.
