Tag Archives: education

Wee Wellie Wander

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duck webI wanted to share the learning resources I’ve created for Angus Councils Ranger Service to support Teachers and Early Years Practitioners to engage at Crombie Country Park, Forfar Loch and Monikie Country Park.  Packs are designed to engage young children creatively in using the park as a stimulus to looking, exploring, listening, talking, making and doing.  Each packs is a colourful self-led facilitators packs for teachers and EYPs that includes images and descriptors for a variety of rich and creative learning activities using simple tools and natural materials.  The activities are all very open so they can follow the interest of the children and can link lots of areas of the curriculum.

pecking webI created this resource within my time as freelance artist & designer at Angus Council Schools & Learning within the Creative Learning Team and worked in partnership with the Ranger Service.

New packs have been created for Monikie Country Park and Forfar Loch from the success of the pack created for Crombie Country Park.  The Crombie pack was funded by Creative Scotland through the Creative Learning Networks fund.

Crombie tree wrap 2 smallEach pack has been adapted to suit the location with core elements the same but also have additional bespoke activites suited to each site.  I love working at site specific places and responding to the surroundings, coming up with ideas and bouncing ideas with the rangers.  It was great to work with Rangers – Kat Durkan from Monikie and Mhairi Kimmet from Forfar Loch who were so passionate about love of their park and outdoor learning.

monikie monster webForfar Loch additional activities are ‘fabric of the land’, ‘wullie the woodlouse’, ‘wish you  were here’, ‘i see a shape’ and ‘bug eyed’.  Monikie additional activities are ‘countryside clues’, ‘pecking the patterns’, ‘natures perfume’ and ‘monikie monster’.

As a designer I enjoyed illustrating the maps for the new packs at Forfar Loch and Monikie Country Park, I wanted to create something simple and decorative but also practical and informative.

forfar garden webMonike Map web

Myself and the rangers co-facilitate CPD sessions for Angus teachers and EYPs which are very popular with great feedback from previous attendees.  CPD sessions are designed to develop teachers’ skills and confidence to creatively engage young learners in learning outdoors using art, design, and the natural environment.    Once attending the CPD the resources can be booked out at the parks to use with their classes and groups.

 

 

colour spots photo smallI feel that this project really matched my passion for the great outdoors, being playful and creative and love of encouraging learning.  With my own work I’m fascinated with colour, pattern, mark making and I wanted to bring elements of my work came into the park such as I used my bird stencils but instead of using paint as I do in my studio we used bird seeds or breadcrumbs to create pictures that repeat and also can play with symmetry and watching the birds and ducks eat them.

Crombie Woodland Weaving small

I highly recommend Crombie Country Park,  Monikie Country Park or Forfar Loch for an explore and  wander.  Also look out for the Giant in the Forest  at Crombie or Monikie!

I feel that being outdoors really inspires me and I don’t pretend that I’m an expert in nature but I used my creative thinking to get ways for people to look, stop, think, question, record what they see through simple activiities.

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Wee Wellie Wander

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ground graffiti web smallI wanted to showcase a different type of work that I do.  If I’m not designing my own surface patterns I do some work for Angus Council Education Development Service creating and delivering project for schools.

One of the projects I worked on was Wee Wellie Wander, I worked in partnership with Angus Council Ranger Service at Crombie Country Park to develop a Learning Resource to support teachers and early years practitioners to engage very young children creatively in using the park as a stimulus to looking, exploring, listening, talking, making and doing.

I created a colourful self-led teacher pack includes includes images and descriptors for a variety of rich and creative learning activities using simple tools and natural materials.

Crombie tree wrap 2 smallI loved doing this project as it really matched my passion for the great outdoors and being playful and creative.  It was great coming up with ideas and taking the ideas to final pack where I’ve seen children enjoying taking part and asking interesting questions and seeing their learning and curiosity.  I also brought on artist Astrid Leeson to bounce ideas and have a few creative days in the park coming up with ideas.  It was great to feel like a big kid and come up with things others would enjoy doing and discovering.

Crombie Woodland Weaving small

Park Ranger Lisa King was a wonder to work with, as she’s is so passionate about the park, open to ideas, very proactive and practical.  I wanted to do some sort of weaving using natural materials, so we chose the best spot and she made a frame by the time I came the next week – you might see it if you’re in the park (look out for the Magic Spot), feel free to add to the natural cloth!

colour spots photo smallWith my own work I’m fascinated with colour, pattern, mark making and I wanted to bring elements of my work came into the park.  I used my bird stencils but instead of using paint as I do in my studio we used bird seeds to create pictures that repeat and also can play with symmetry and watching the birds eat them.  I’ve got a fascination with yarn bombing and I love moss growing  up trees which I though looked like leg warmers so we decided to get lots of colourful balls of wool and wrap the trees.  Other activities include recording markmaking and memory string that allows pupils to collect mementos from their day so they can revisit it.

I highly recommend Crombie Country Park for a wander it’s one of my favourite places.

Pupil quotes from using the Wee Wellie Wander pack

“I liked squashing the plasticine to get bumpy bits from the trees” – P1 pupil

“I made a sun picture, and we made it with seeds and it’s going to feed the birds” – Nursery Pupil

“I liked reading the story in the forest and doing al the actions and noises” – P1 pupil

Teacher quotes from using the Wee Wellie Wander Pack

“the pack was easy to use and the activities were enjoyable – my pupils had a great time and are still talking about it.  It allows the children a hands on learning experience in and unfamiliar and exciting environment” – P1 Teacher

“We had great fun and learned lots of new and interesting things and are looking forward to developing our new ideas in our own outdoor area!” – Nursery Practitioner

I have facilitated CPD with Park Ranger Lisa to a range of  for Angus teachers and Early Years Practitioners so they can bring their own groups to experience the richness of the park.  The pack and resources are now available at Crombie to use (booking is essential through Crombie Country Park)  You can also see a copy of the pack here

The project was funded by People Directorate – Arts and Cultural Education Team and Creative Scotland, Creative Learning Networks fund, developed with EDS Project Artist in Residence Louise Kirby.

 

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Childhood inspiration, fun and games

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I have discovered the V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green in London, I loved it! Some much to see – tin toys, puppets, spiro-graphs, sooty and sweep, folk art toys. A great place to be inspired by and reminisce about.

Great exhibition of Judith Kerrs illustrations ‘From The Tiger Who Came To Tea to Mog and Pink Rabbit‘, lots of fun interactions for the kids and big kids too!

Lovely detail and craftmanship in the mosaic entrance with the 3d pattern.

There was a great exhibition where artists worked with school children to create an exhibition called ‘stuff of nightmares‘, the whole thing was put together very well with a pretty dark side from the line up of toys who were suspects, a lovely hand quality to the newspaper trees, great mix of toys and random things – it created a whole scene! Here’s a couple of photos of it.

Scottish Parliament – what is child labour?

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I was really privileged to be invited to the Scottish Parliament to celebrate the artworks created by Scottish pupils, where pupils looked at global citizenship through the visual arts ran by Learning Teaching Scotland.

Myself, both primary 7 teachers Mrs Martin and Mrs Jack, head teacher Mrs Davie and 3 pupils Yasmine, Rachel and Caitlyn took the trip through the rain through to Edinburgh to see the exhibition. It was lovely to be there see the textile cushions in the Parliament also the diverse range of interpretation by other schools and to see the interior of the building.

I was the lead artist that worked with Fintry Primary School, primary 7 classes to look at – What is child labour?  Pupils discussed issues and translated these through a range of textile methods from hand printing using stamping and relief printing, applique, embelishment and blanket stitch to make cushion panels that explored issues of child labour.  Sketch books were also on display showing the issues, templates, ideas in progress and test samples.

Pupils looked at Article 32 or the United Nations Convention on the rights of the Childs – ‘The government should protect children from work that is dangerous, or might harm their health and education’ – They explored the links between the textile industry and child labour and what is sold in shops in the UK.  The children printed patterned on to the fabric  – a metaphor for the comfort we in the West can take for granted as the expense of others’ living and working conditions.  Learners gained an insight into the lives of working children and this provided them with opportunities to discuss the complexity of child labour.

For more information of the exhibition please follow this link LTS

It was a delight to also got see the wall hangings of textile artist and researcher Norma Starszakowna  – amazing flow of colour, texture and marks!