This is an exciting project to further develop pupils’ basic artistic skills through a creative response to the environment around us.
The project is now complete. Everything went to plan, so the proposal is now a report and and we have added added a photo record.
During June and early July 2018 Debbie Mahon, an experienced art teacher and artist of ‘Canvas’ Arts and Crafts Clubs and Winchester School of Art, delivered a series of three two-hour afternoon art workshops to the year 6 pupils in both the Romsey Primary and Romsey Abbey Primary Schools.
The focus was on developing pupils’ observational skills, photographing and sketching, then drawing and painting as a creative response to the natural world around them.
Materials were provided by the Arts Society. Pupils made their own sketch-books and a range of their photographs, drawings and paintings from these workshops were shown in the Young Arts Challenge Exhibition 2018 at King John’s House, Romsey on Tuesday 17th and Wednesday 18th July.
Pupils who wished to take this experience further were able to take part in our Young Arts Challenge Day on Saturday 7thJuly. Pupils from both schools worked with two professional landscape artists; Lindsey Cole and Jerry Smith, in the beautiful location of Lockerley Hall, near Romsey, by kind permission of Mrs. Elizabeth Van Geest.
Pupils sketching in the grounds of Lockerly Hall
The day ran from 10am to 4pm with pupils benefitting from demonstrations and workshops with our two landscape artists, with Debbie Mahon from the school workshops providing continuity between the workshops and this additional exciting opportunity. Parents were invited to a Private View of the days’ works, and although up against a World Cup England match we had a very good showing! In addition, much of the work from the day was included in the project exhibition at King John’s House mentioned above. We have had great comments about the exhibition and a report will be in the local paper this week (July 27).
An additional benefit of the day was that pupils had a chance to meet other like-minded Year 6 pupils who may be about to go to the same local secondary school.
We are grateful to The Arts Society Romsey, The Arts Society Hampshire and Isle of Wight Area and The Patricia Faye Memorial Fund of The Arts Society UK, for their support for this project.