Monday 21 November 2011

Sketchbook








Pages from my sketchbook - The night shift
To see more in this series, visit my exhibition at patchworkbutterfly 

Friday 11 November 2011

b's evening stories




I am very excited to share my dear friend b's evening stories - "the stories i write come knocking on my door during the day but i only let them in in the evening, when the sunlight fades and i am willing to listen. sometimes they come as pictures first. the ones that stay always leave me with a sense of wonder. i don't believe in the word 'the end' 
You can find three of her wonderful stories and photos in my exhibition space. Have a peek , they are just heavenly . b's evening stories

Friday 4 November 2011

School











This last 2 weeks I have been working on a couple of arts projects within schools and the children are always brilliant, work hard, laugh lots, and have fun. So why is it that schools leave me with a shiver? A prime example this week was an art teacher using some kind of crowd control techniques that wouldn't have been out of place in a riot situations. Blowing a whistle to crowd control. that whistle was blown 55 times in a 45 minute lesson. So what did those children learn and why were they so unhappy in that class?  I came away feeling very sad. So was it the content of lesson, teacher, the way the lesson was delivered, sterile environment, the hospital green or sick bay yellow paint the awful smell of classrooms. I don't know. Maybe one maybe all. It made me think of the classrooms in a very poor rural province in Cambodia where a school has been built with government  funding. They learn in mother nature's classrooms open rooms created outside to learn. I spent some lovely days there working, with some children who had never encountered paint, brushes, and glitter things, working with teachers who were as excited as the children to be learning about new things. The children were very happy to learn, well behaved and full of fun. So does the space in which children learn effect their want to learn? I know for me personally those classrooms in Cambodia were richer in learning  than a lesson delivered by a smartboard over here.

Tuesday 1 November 2011

Never judge a box by its cover


Never judge a box by its cover ! This is an opportunity to win a box of handmade treasure from patchworkbutterfly. To see more of what you just might find, go to patchworkbutterfly
All you need to do become a friend of patchwork butterfly on my  Facebook page and leave a comment on this post saying who you would most like to jump out of a box and why? Closing date is Friday 24th November. Those already friends are very welcome, to take part. Please feel free to invite new ones !!!! Good luck !l