I’ve really enjoyed getting back into the school routine during September. I’m teaching at a new school where I am also art subject leader which means I get the chance to plan whole units of art for the school. This is something I’ve really enjoyed. I love thinking about how skills can be developed from simple colour-mixing in Y3 to expressive painting and perspective in later years. I also love finding new ways that children can express their creativity. Working out how the curriculum can do both these things is the sort of puzzle I enjoy and it’s led me to learn about Adrinka textiles and the work of David Hepher – both new to me and really interesting.

The After School Club at Bradfield Dungworth Primary has also started back up but this term I’m working with KS1 children aged 5-7 years old. I’ve talked the school into getting some lovely resources to use and so far the children have really impressed me with some excellent watercolour painting of apples and some paper weaving.

Here’s a round up of what’s coming up this month!

Adult Art Club at Dungworth Village Hall

Thursday 17th October, 7-9pm

This month we’ll be focussing on drawing and painting pumpkins and harvest vegetables. We will focus on the use of watercolours, mixing colour and playing with wet on wet techniques to build the texture of the vegetables we’re studying.

I’m looking forward to this one a lot because I have a plan to make a pumpkin spice cake that I can’t get out of my head!

The group os very friendly and open to everyone with or without prior experience. Why not come along and give it a go?

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Family Autumn Watercolour Workshop

Saturday 26 October, 9:30-12:00pm

Other great things to do in October!

• Get out in the woods – Woods are really special places in October. The leaves turn to reds, yellows and browns putting on a final show before they fall. Then there’s the seeds. I can’t walk through the woods without returning with pockets full of conkers, acorns and beech nuts. And if you look closely, lurking down low amongst the leaf litter, you’ll see some incredible fungi, some brown and uncomplicated, others frilled and delicate.
• Visit the Light Organ – As part of the Sensoria festival, the old Cole Brothers department store in Sheffield will be transformed into an interactive artwork this October.
• Go to the theatre – As the nights are longer and the weather less inviting, it’s a good time to enjoy a show. I love our local theatres and I’m looking forward to going to see ‘Art’ at the Lyceum at the end of the month. This play about what makes art art centres around friends arguing about an all-white canvas which one of them has purchased for an enormous fee. I’m going to see it with my husband who was memorable underwhelmed by the ‘monochrome’ room at the Pompidou Centre in Paris when we visited so I think I can guess which side of the argument he will favour!
• Paint this – These are Ameythst Deceivers – one of my favourite fungi. You’ll know when you see one as they have this distinctive purple colour and look like something from anther planet. I last saw them on the banks of Agden reservoir. Have a go at painting them. Can you mix the pale purple colour and show the fluting with different tones?

Thank you so much for reading this and supporting me! I really hope to see you at a workshop soon. If you’ve enjoyed this newsletter and want to stay in touch with upcoming workshops, ideas and tutorials, please add your email below to subscribe!