Lockdown creativity

So this week I've only been at work one day and as it's the Easter holiday I've been spending some time being creative and making things and getting some fresh air on my daily exercise - luckily for my the view above is just a 5-minute walk from home. I've had a few things that just needed finishing off sewing wise.

I messed up a welt pocket and ended up having to re-cut pieces but the second attempt was much better. I had a lot of buttons and buttonholes that needed doing. I make buttonholes on my Janome, so I packed the Bernina away (put it on the floor for a bit) and set up the Janome for the one-step buttonhole function and got to work doing all the garments I needed to finish off. I only bodged one buttonhole, but it was on wool fabric and really did take some unpicking. Garments now need a final press and photographing - so expect to see them in the next few weeks up on the blog.

It was my daughter's 17th birthday and I channelled my inner Mary Berry and made her a gingerbread house "cake". I don't think I've ever made anything quite as well when it comes to decorating cakes.

I decided that I'd like to make some portraits and stretched some paper ready to get started. I sat outside in the sun, but it was a bit too bright to see my source images so I decamped inside. I used a very basic grid to get the scale right. I don't always do this, but it can be helpful to work out proportion.

I'm planning on doing a coloured pencil piece and a graphite pencil study. so fay I've sketched the structure in for both and blocked in the tone for the graphite study. Hopefully, I'll start to refine this piece this week.

I've also been helping my hubby with creating the online content for our Church Easter services - mostly keeping quiet, but also doing some reading and setting up some visuals. you can see our Good Friday Tenebrae reflection here.

I started an upcycling project. Our old coffee table had a really damaged top and needed an update. I've been planning to mosaic the top for a while and this week I finally got it gridded and started to stick down the tiles. Unfortunately, I ran out of tile adhesive and need to find some before I can complete this.

My other creative pursuits bring together my love of art and stitch and I've been tackling some hand-stitched art as part of Textile Artist's Community Stitch Challenge.
The first challenge was set by artist Sue Stone and began with experimenting with just one basic stitch.

The second was set by Cas Holmes and involved using applique and hand stitch to create a small piece. Follow on Instagram.

And this week I've been working on an eye study set by Emily Tull. Its an exercise in observation and Emily teaches how to create curved stitches and had us making a drawing using stitch. I used a yellow background for this one and started with the recommended black, white and grey machine thread (never used this for hand embroidery before), but then sent myself down a rabbit hole and started with colour!!!! You can follow Emily on Instagram.

This task struck a chord with me as I've set my students an eye-drawing task for after the holidays. I even attempted a video - Too much noise in my house meant that I used written instructions and music background.

I can't wait to see what next week's challenge is and I'll try to get the mosaic finished. My daughter also wants to do an art day, so it might be time to get out the mono-printing stuff this week too. What have you been doing to keep sane during these mad times?

More art not less

It's that time of year when exams start. My eldest son has his first GCSE exam this week and my daughter has just taken her options. The year 6 students at the school I work in have just taken their SATs and a couple of weeks ago Ofsted paid us a visit.  There has been much change to the curriculum in the UK and the government first of all want all schools to become academies and then change their mind! Schools want to have outstanding Ofsted ratings and teachers are suck in the middle trying to make sense of it all. All these things have prompted me to write this post.

We went off to my daughters high school a couple of weeks ago to meet with her form teacher in order to agree her options for GCSE (She's only in year 8 and options are usually taken in year 9, but let's not get into that one).

Actually the process was quite painless. She knew which options she wanted to take and the school were happy with them too. She chose Art, Drama, Spanish and Geography. Completely her own choice, and supported by us. I know of other schools where students have been told they can't do arts subjects and they have been forced down a more 'academic' route. This saddens me as the arts have been left out of the EBacc and many schools are squeezing them out of the curriculum. Less art at KS3 and fewer GCSE classes. Often not replacing arts teachers when they leave.

I'm glad that the school my children go to recognises their abilities and preferences and will let them take the subjects they are interested in. Both my sons are quite academic, but they both have an arts subject. One took music and the other product design. I know that my daughter will thrive doing the arts and it's her ambition to become a drama teacher.

I'm also fortunate to work in a school that values the arts. Since starting there in 2014 I've seen students become passionate artists. From learning new techniques to working as artists and creating individual pieces that reflect their personalities. There's still a long way to go, but I'm so impressed with the work they have created and I wanted to share some of it here (sorry for the picture heavy post, but I am one proud teacher).

We started the year with quite traditional techniques and then work increasingly independently as they become more confident. I expect a lot from my students and they do work hard. But it's a different sort of work to English and Maths but is still rigorous and fun! This different way of working allows students to develop creativity in a wider context and become wholistic learners.

Some students really do engage with all aspects of art and you can see the joy on their faces as they create work or learn a new technique. Others just enjoy the physicality of the subject and engage with the messy stuff. I have just started some clay work with year 7 and they are having a whale of a time with it. I will share some as they progress.

Making and creating is part of being human and should be fostered in our education system at all levels.

I'm glad to be where I am at the moment. I get to be part of developing creativity in young people and that is set to increase next year as we run an arts trip to London and start to deliver the Arts Award for our students. I'm excited for this and can't wait to see the young people I work with grow and develop. #moreartnotless.

Year 5 South American inspired masks, Year 6 Still Life food, Year 7 Impressionistic Lamdscapes, Year 8 Portraits and Tom Phillips style found Poetry. Still to come. Year 5 using colour and pattern, Year 6 Printmaking. Year 7 Hybrid animals in clay and year 8 recycled book art.

Creating a Beautiful Mess.

Last weekend we set some time aside to be creative. John decided to brew. Making his first beer since October last year. My friend Alli, my daughter and I decided to have an arty day. Alli was keen to try some printmaking.

I cleared some space, put a plastic cloth over the table and set aside all other tasks for the day. We started with some simple transfer prints by drawing on a sheet of paper laid over a thin layer of ink, which had been rolled out onto a piece of acrylic sheet, and by impressing objects into the ink and then printing them. The technique is simple and if you are interested I can share a tutorial.

This feather print turned out exceptionally well.

We then started to paint with the ink, rubbing areas away, brushing inks on, adding textures and colours. I worked mainly with landscape images and Alli worked in a more abstract manner. We pegged the prints on the clothes airer, but soon hand more prints and they were laid out all over any spare space.

We used an oil based ink, which generally dries quite quickly, but some areas of ink were very thick and one or two prints are still drying. - Messy but fun and I think i'll work into some of the prints over the coming weeks.

I'm looking forward to trying John's Vanilla Porter, unlike my art work the results are not quite so immediate and it will be several weeks before it's ready to drink.

I'm also working on a series of portraits of family members, these are just the first studies and I may develop and work into them with inks and paint, but I haven't quite decided yet how I want to capture the personalities of each person.


I had left it way too long before having a totally creative day and need to do this more often. What do you find is the best way to stay creative? What stops you creating?

Challenge, Creativity and and Charity

I've been away from my blog for the last month or so - it seems like work has consumed all my life and is starving me of creativity. In a bid to bite back I'm using my creative outlets as a way to raise much needed finds for my trip to China next year to join a short term team with International China Concern. On the 26th October I'll be teaching my first sewing class, learning how to make a simple top. there are still a couple of places if you are interested! and on the 30th of October I will be undertaking a 24hr paintathon. where I will make art for 24 hours solid. I did this several years ago and it is no mean feat, particularly at 3 in the Morning.

So from 9am on the 30th to 9am on the 31st I'll be painting, drawing, printmaking and offering those who visit a chance to see art in action and perhaps make their own unique piece of art!

This will be a sponsored event, and i'll be selling the work produced, also to raise funds for the trip. I'd love it if you could consider partnering with me or would like to come and see what I do. Please contact me by email if you'd like to do this.

I'm also taking commissions for portraits and a special rate of £40 or an original graphite drawing, so if you're after a special gift for someone this could be your opportunity!