materials and techniquesI work with a wide range of materials and techniques. They are all connected by a love of texture, colour, natural materials and resources which enable inventions, stories, imaginations and creativity to flourish.
I believe very strongly that we are creatures who need to make, to invent, to explore and to experiment. I'm fascinated by the ways young children learn and the millions of ways in which they explore the world around them. I’m interested in exploring the relationship between people and places, working on projects which explore and record impressions of landscapes and buildings and the stories and histories associated with them. I’m fascinated by tales, words and narratives – real and imagined – and how these can be described visually and the shadows and traces people leave on their journeys. I’m driven by a love of the natural world and all the projects I work on seek to explore this and to collaborate with educationalists and others. I’m also passionate about the quirks of human nature – by the way we collect, arrange, select, explore, create stories and make things. I create work using a wide variety of tactile materials - layering textures, colours and marks through photography, textiles, print, drawing, paint, papers, light, projections and found natural objects. With groups I use materials / techniques specific to each individual project and seek to find processes which are inclusive, igniting playful exploration and imagination. I often use combinations of textiles, print, drawing materials, paint, papers, projections and shadows, puppets and costumes. his has led to the creations of books, banners, installations, performances, exhibitions, and processions. I’m interested in projects which create the opportunity for celebration, discovery, for a sense of awe, magic and enchantment. The following pages should give a taste of some of the materials and resources I use: drawings and patterns handmade books puppets working with light natural light lanterns projections natural materials and the elements willow water mud, clay and sand textures, colours and pattern hand made paper felt and fabric paint print making den making using words loose parts “Frank Wilson… (“The Hand”)“we are creatures identified by what we do with our hands” Much of our learning comes from doing, from making, from feeling with our hands; and though many would like to believe otherwise, this world is not entirely available from a keyboard… for a whole generation of kids, direct experiences in the backyard, in the tool shed, in the fields and woods, has been replaced by indirect learning, through machines…”” “Last Child in the Woods” Richard Louv |
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