I AM VERY VERY USEFUL!

Post 9

High schools would often contact the education manager wanting her to program a day’s excursion to the centre to hook in with the school syllabus. I would research specific local artists and their work to find a match in medium or theme as requested, so these artists would be employed to facilitate a workshop with the students. Depending on the facilitator the centre would charge the school a fee per head.

The education manager had a request from a local school for such an excursion for a class of 18 year 12 students. They wanted a tour of the gallery with a curator and 3 hour practical workshop with an artist. I don’t know how but I do know why I was asked to take this practical art class of 18 year 12 students. I have taught children art and craft classes previously, but I had never discussed this with anyone at this centre, and I do paint but again I had never discussed anything about my practice with anyone there either – for all they knew I painted houses! Anyway I thought it would be fun and good experience, and I knew I had a huge range of practice and knowledge to be able to engage them in something.

Having set up a still life with a variety of forms that males and females could both relate to, I structured the first half of the class with a series of drawing exercises to get their eye brain and hand talking to each other, and for me to see their skill level and concentration. The second half of the class I had planed to do one long detailed drawing, but clearly after the morning session, they did not have the focus for this. In the break I quickly scavenged for material through the art studio, and the office recycle bins, finding various papers and glue sticks. The afternoon was spent tearing up these different coloured and textured papers, and using the forms of the still life as a guide, they created collage works. I worked my way around the room demonstrating different paper techniques, and the results were fabulous – I know they liked it as these works they took home!