In Day 2 of our Wild Art course run by artist and Forest School practitioner Philippa Snell we continued to think about dwellings for the little people that may inhabit the common when we are not around. In Day 1 we learnt to build a round house for the Hazel Folk using willow to weave through whittled hazel rods knocked securely into the ground.

This year’s Wild Art course led by Artist and Forest School practitioner Philippa Snell looks at the idea of building a new civilisation.

Starting from the idea that a tribe of tiny people – the Choo Choo tribe – are finding their dwellings destroyed by clumsy Wombles, we began making new places for them to inhabit.

The second day of our Children’s Illustration for Wimbledon Bookfest enabled children to develop characters, taking them on exciting new adventures as part of a team. Children attending the first day of the course designed our characters and those joining for Day 2 developed scenes and stories to bring them to life in some amazing adventures. A few children attended both days but many chose to do one or the other – developing different skills in each day.

We were invited to work with Wimbledon Bookfest this year to put on a two day illustration course for children.

Artist Ania Bas and illustrator Amy Pennington took on the challenge to lead a group of children in activities that helped them develop ideas on a grand scale for new characters.These characters began larger than life then were edited down to form smaller drawings that could begin their life in a new story.

At Children’s Art School, not only do we work directly with artists but in our after school art clubs and courses we reference living, practicing artists all the time so that children can see the real place art has in our world and the value that it has.

If you have been following the progress of our summer outdoor painting courses in South Park Gardens, Wimbledon led by painter Matthew Krishanu take a look at the final day of Course II below.

This morning, after foraging for natural materials in the park, we made our own paintbrushes and then used our handmade painting tools to create colourful collaborative pictures.

On Day 2 of our summer Paint the Great Outdoors course, we continued to develop our skills for painting in the great outdoors!

In Day 1 of our summer painting course with artist Matthew Krishanu we had great fun learning skills for painting out of doors.

We set up camp in our local park South Park Gardens, and started by thinking about painting tools, and what we could forage to make our own. We looked at the different marks found objects could make in paint.

Playing Seriously

In our first Art Club session back at Merton Park Primary School, after the Christmas holidays, we began to explore ideas around building, structures and machinery.

I have been interested the idea of ‘serious play’ for a while in the work that I do; that is playing with ideas or materials with a purpose.

Teacher/educator/curator/mother/artist

I am very excited to share  my most recent article

A Professional Journey: Teacher/educator/curator/mother/artist has just been published by engage, the national society for gallery education.

Artist Abigail Hunt lead our two day Christmas art course for children, supported by Sabrina Smith Noble who adapted activities for younger children.

We investigated the limitless possibilities of paper for decoration, sculpture, collage and problem solving, sometimes with a curious Christmas twist.

Artist Abigail Hunt lead our two day Christmas art course for children, supported by Sabrina Smith Noble who adapted activities for younger children.

We investigated the limitless possibilities of paper for decoration, sculpture, collage and problem solving, sometimes with a curious Christmas twist.

After taking my children to family events as part of Tate Britain’s Big and Small programme, I was inspired by composer Neil Luck and artist Dan Scott’s work for children, that invites them to respond to music through mark making.

We arrived with trepidation on Tuesday morning hoping that our animals had survived the night. To our relief they were still hanging at the edges of our camp, looking even more beautiful as the morning sun shone through the leaves.

This half term Children’s Art School have teamed up with the BIG DRAW to go Wild on Wimbledon Common with Artist and Forest School practitioner Philippa Snell.

I have always loved autumn on Wimbledon Common and enjoy exploring with my two boys; making dens, soaking up the last of the autumn sun, chasing the leaves and wallowing in the mud. It’s  such a wonderful time and place to get creative outside.

Pelham After-School Art Club (Autumn Term Project)

For the first session at the Merton Park After-School Art Club, we decided to take advantage of the late September sun and do some drawing outside. Our focus was on leaves and the variety of shapes they form.

We began by exploring lines and shapes using graded pencils. We experimented with both quick sketches and more detailed studies of the leaves.

On Day 2 of The Art of the Game – our summer Art course for Children devised by artist Sarah Carne - we began by sorting and arranging the numbers into a board.

It was easy to see the mistakes we had made! But we found solutions for all the little glitches!

On this beautiful summer’s day, artist Sarah Carne began our children’s art course by involving them in games to get us making decisions and choices.

We then worked in teams to think about things that make us happy and healthy.

Will you go up? Or down?

This summer artist Sarah Carne will explore in The Art of the Game –  our two-day children’s art course with children – the possibility of building a human scale game similar to snakes and ladders incorporating issues that interest them. These ideas could could be as broad as recycling, climate change, school uniform or the length of their holidays.

They will be encouraged to share and debate opinions – and perhaps disagree, whilst developing skills in making: design, painting and building.