Papier-mache Masks

Masks made by pressing extra thick aluminium foil over face and gluing newspaper and kitchen roll over then painting, and adding 'hair'

A skillful paint job

A punk robot?

Surreal

Sinister yet decorative

Paintings inspired by Gillian Ayres' work

Work Made at Susan's Summer Art Club 2012

Ceramic pot, carefully slab-built and modelled using flax paper clay, bisque-fired and then painted with tempera paint

'Bird' pot with an intricately modelled & painted handle

'Bird' pot

'Bird' pot with tree-shaped handle

Large beaked bird pot

'Peacok' pot with gold painted beak

'Bird with remarkably straight worm' pot

Fused glass tree,beach and sea

Glossy stained glass fused to create an attractive piece to hang in a window or on a wall, with interesting bubbles trapped inside the glass during the fusing process.

A calm seascape painted in pastel tempera & acrylic on canvas

A fun seascape in tempera & acrylic paint on canvas

Tempera & acrylic painting on canvas on cardboard using brush and palette knife: 'The Bass Rock'

Portraits

I printed another profile portrait in black outline, although some printed in a nice shade of sepia, a happy accident with our aging printer.I was going to repeat the exercise with the children tracing with carbon paper but as the prints resembled beautifully shaded line drawings I didn't want them spoiled. I mounted the prints onto black paper and told the children to add elements of themselves....coloured outlines, favourite things, pets, hobbies... little drawings glued round the portrait and overlapping its edges into the black.Last term we had discussed Chagall and his obsession with imagery from his own childhood, I pointed out that they were experiencing childhood when everything seems more very vivid.They were quite inspired, excited and produced some brilliant images.

Clay

More clay creativity this week, works include mirror frames with impressed decoration and tiny animals, a group of ships including a viking longship complete with sail and shields, a ferry, a ship wrecked and broken apart on rocks, a wall with 2 cats scavenging tin cans and a crisp packet, a self-portrait, a car, and a family of cats. We use Flax paper clay which is great for modelling as really fine parts remain strong, and it is really good for its dry strength. I have to transport the models from church hall to my studio along a cobbled lane. There was always one who had forgotten to glue parts together with slip causing a certain amount of shedding of noses etc just as I was about to load the kiln but now parts do not drop off so readily and are easily repaired with this forgiving material. During firing I have to run an extractor fan as the flax burns off creating a localised bonfire complete with fumes in my studio.

Clay Heads of Dads

Have just removed clay, or brains as I told them, from clay heads of dads made this week. Some great characters have been created. Plan is to plant cress to appear as hair so I will have the heads around for a long time, Father's day not until 20th June! One dad has a cat on his head instead of hair, his offspring was inspired by a picture of a Toby jug Long John Silver with a parrot. It looks surreal.Photos will follow eventually after drying, firing, planting and painting.