Friday 23 May 2014

Brave, brave boys!

Meet the guys who gave up their leg hair so the Art Foundation students could have their final show.....
 
 
Bruce

Martin

Michael

Nathan

Nik


We all flinched, ooohed, gasped & cried with them! Although to be fair, we cried with laughter!
 
 
Nik not daring to look.......
 
 
Bruce, also not daring to look!
 
 
All missing leg hair! Thanks guys for stepping up & raising much needed funds for the Art Foundation. I've heard you have raised £700. Wow! Well done! Also a massive thank you to Letitias mum, Angela, for coming in at very short notice to do the waxing. 




Nearing the end........

The 2nd years will be leaving for pastures new this week (sob!) I have a love/hate feeling with this time of year as we are nearing the Summer Hols (yay!) but we are also saying goodbye to students who we have seen every day for the past 2 years. (nay!)
 
I have taken a few photos of final pieces of work, as the timetable this year leaves us no room or time to do an end of year exhibition. I'm sure I will add more as we get nearer & nearer to the end......
Georgina Barker A2 Art

Shona Hepworth A2 Fine Art
Tasha Barker A2 Fine Art

 
Leah Patel A2 Fine Art

 
Lizzie Castledine A2 Fine Art



I also snapped a couple of AS......
 
Jenny Bates AS Fine Art
 
Sophie Keay AS Fine Art



 
Believe it or not, I do like an organised/tidy room. I managed to sort all the AS/A2 bays out and clear the drying rack before the final deadline. Here's the proof!
 

 
AND just because its also a rare sight......
 
 

Megan 1 & Megan 2 working hard! Well done to those who managed to hand in on time. I've mentioned it a couple of times on this blog, but I'll say it again.....the standard of work is very high this year. Hopefully I will be able to photograph and blog some more bits and pieces before the summer.


Monday 19 May 2014

Hope & Elvis - Mandy Pattullo Workshop

 
On Saturday myself & Letitia travelled to Worksop for a Workshop! We went to Hope & Elvis to the Mandy Pattullo strippy quilts textiles workshop. Now Hope & Elvis is a place of beauty.....Its like a magical place where you go and learn new techniques, but you get to laugh, eat cake and chat as well! Its run by the very, very talented Louise who has the rare ability to make you feel very welcome and, honestly, no matter what your capabilities, you never feel like you're way in over your head! I love this place and if I had the chance I would do every workshop but that crazy thing called 'life' gets in the way! Here's a snap shot of the day......
 
 
 
 
I have seen these skirts on Pinterest, blogs and the internet a trillion times, so to see them in the 'flesh' so to speak was one of the highlights of my day. The actually work that has gone into them is truly amazing.
 


 
These little 'books' are made from very old leather wallets. They are full of gorgeous scraps of fabrics and embroidery. Layers and layers of fabric which make pages & then binded in the traditional way.
So after eating lots of the above and listening to Mandy explain her work, we got started.... 
 
 
 

 

We made a mad dash for the suitcases which were full of lovely textiles and we collected scraps from cut up quilts (thank you Louise for sharing your precious bits) and other scraps of fabric and lace, we started layering. Mandy was very adamant that diagonals were a 'No', so I tried hard to avoid them. This is not as easy as it looks! You spend your time adding, then taking away and then moving this way and that, but finally you think, 'yes - this looks good' You then stitch all your bits together and Voila! Job done! But no....you end up adding more and then the odd embroidery stitch gets added and then you tack a bit on and before you know it, its a foot long! Fortunately, I was sat next to Letitia who didn't care about my feelings and told me to stop! But also hack off this bit and that which resulted in this.....
 


 
Of course its not really finished, but I did manage to add a hangy thing.....
 


 
Which, in my mind, means its finished! (I do have a pic of the back, but I don't want to show that as then I will have to admit its not finished!!)So getting to this stage took til about 3.30....which left me an hour for a brew, a biccie and some pics of Louise's workshop/studio/stash of happiness....
 
 
 
See what I'm talking about.....I was debating about hiding out behind these suitcases......as for the fabric stash.....wow!
 
 
Oh look! A Mrs Bertimus! (I also spy a bit of Julie Arkell too)
 

 
Beautiful things where ever you look.
 
 
'Dolls hospital' - kind of creepy - kind of nice too!
 
Finally all done. I could add loads more photos but I don't want to crash the site! Let me know if you want me to show you the basics of the workshop - my needle is poised ready!
 

 




 
 


Wednesday 14 May 2014

BTEC 2......Cleethorpes Visit

On a very wet and chilly day, we hopped into the mini bus and headed off to a not so sunny Cleethorpes. The 2nd year Btec needed a gallery visit and Fine Art staff needed fish and chips!
 
 
'Before we set off' snap....Alex on the left looks like she has horns coming out of her head (HeHe!!) So, I took another........
 
 
Almost all of the BTECers - back row - right to left:
               Sian,Megan,Deanna,Hannah,'Spud',Shannon
                          Alex & Pui Si
Harley, Chad & Francis were all M.I.A but we did think about you all - briefly!
 
 
Alex having a nap on route.....Pui Si sat next to her revising for her textiles exam.
 
 
I would just like to point out that I was in a cafe having a brew while the heavens opened and it poured down, so the next few photos where taken in the dry!
 

Does look fairly bleak!

 
Oops......window frame in shot!
 
 
Meeting up with the students for lunch. We were a wee bit late but not one of them had ordered food! (or had a go at us for being late!)
 
 
Chips & chicken nuggets seemed to be the preferred choice, although I can spot a bit of salad on the far table!
 




I loved that the curry sauce came in a little silver 'dessert' dish!

We then headed off the the Discovery Centre to view an exhibition, but they were in the process of taking it down! Btec students had their cameras out and were snapping away before they could tell us to leave! We taught them well! So, we decided to head off to Brigg and visit the Steele Rooms so at least the students had options for their journals.

 
Lovely little shop, cafe & gallery. I did happen to notice a few familiar paintings in the window.....
 
 
 
Ummmm.....Miss Thompson these look like yours!
 
The 2nd year BTECs will be leaving us very soon. After 2 years of seeing them every day to not seeing them at all will be sad. We have had laughter, tears, tantrums (usually me kicking off over something & the students telling me to take a 'chill pill') but most of all, they have become a group who all help each other and try to do their best in everything we throw at them. We wish you the very best in all you do in the future and honestly guys, you will ALL be missed. I personally will miss the constant banter, but I shall NOT miss shouting across the art room at Megan & Chad to do work! And if you are both reading this stop now and go and do some work!!
 
 
 

 
 
 


 


Tuesday 13 May 2014

Your move....your future......

A long while back,college opened its doors once again for prospective students and families. Once again, we in the Creative Arts, set up a very 'mini' exhibition. We did not expect it to be so busy, so we only have a few images from the very beginning.
 

I like to do the easy stuff first.....so out came the information leaflets!
 
 
Big cat head.....knew this would entice future students!
 
 
Although space was at a premium, we managed to swipe a few extra tables so each Creative Arts Department had its own little area. Graphics above, photography below. 

 
By this time, word had got round the room about the free crisps from a stall in The Core.......thanks Mr Piper for my tea! (Kaiser Chiefs song is in my head now!)
 
 
The Art Foundation course, as always, looking fantastic!(Thanks Adrianne for staying & helping-you did us proud lass!!)

 
And that is it-photo wise, because from this point onwards, it got very, very busy and we had no time to snap! (I have just noticed that Fine Art is not really shown on these, apart from Cat Head, but we were there-honest!!)