27/11/2008 by James.

I’m working closely with The Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum at the moment to plan and fundraise for a residency with them for next Spring/Summer.

A series of participatory events in early Summer supporting the local community to use art to explore their relationship with their local environment and the museum collection, will lead to an exhibition curated by myself running from the beginning of August to the end of October.

The exhibition will focus on the relationship between people and nature through history, and will bring together artefacts from the museum and specially created artworks by me. The residency is set to tie in with the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth, and the 150th anniversary of the publication of ‘On the Origin of Species’

More to follow as it happens!

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24/11/2008 by James.

The online exhibition based on this year’s research, is now available to view on the 5×5x5=creativity website.

Please follow the link below, to view snapshots of the work carried out by myself with Pitton Pre-School and Salisbury Arts Centre, and some of the other settings involved in the 5×5x5=creativity creative learning research project, 2008.

Information and images from more of the settings involved will be following in the next couple of weeks…

http://www.5×5x5creativity.org.uk/?id=131

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20/11/2008 by James.

The second week of this creative learning project for reception and year one children and their families.

This week we made simple books in which to document the children’s experiences of The Salisbury and South Wilts Museum, and to take back to school to inform the next session.

We focused on exploring the patterns, shapes and colours of the exhibits, using mark-making and photography, and handled some of the artefacts to experience their weight and texture.

1. 

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20/11/2008 by James.

A weekend in the mountains for much needed space, quiet and a change of scenery… watching red kites, walking up boggy hillsides and managing to fit in the odd pint of Guinness.

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13/11/2008 by James.

Tired of all who come with words, words but no language
I went to the snow covered island.
The wild does not have words.
The unwritten pages spread themselves out in all directions!
I come across the marks of roe-deer’s hooves in the snow.
Language, but no words.

TOMAS TRANSTROMER

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12/11/2008 by James.

The first session yesterday of a new project I am running with The Salisbury and South Wilts Museum and the Extended Schools Service at two South Wilts Primary Schools.

I’m working with children and their parents on an after school project designed to support the children to explore their own creativity, the museum collections, and their local environment, through art.

The project is aimed at Reception age children, to support them and their parents to build supportive networks and to continue to learn together, as they progress through school.

Yesterday to kick things off we collected our own objects from around the school grounds, before using mark-making, writing, and rubbings to explore them more closely, along with magnifying glasses and paper sized from a few metres to a few centimetres.

I wanted to give the children chance to explore and collect, like the founders of the museum collections, and to try new ways of working with familiar materials.

Over 6 weekly session we’ll be working at school and at The Museum, following the children’s own interests, documenting their learning, and supporting the children to mount their own exhibitions.

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04/11/2008 by James.

I couldn’t resist adding this photo… I think I can sometimes take peacocks for granted when they are wandering about at zoos and gardens begging for a bit of your sandwich, and I know we all often take our native or garden wildlife for granted, but when you stop and look closely at the colours and markings on a peacock, or even a starling, they are just amazing… it helps remind me in my work that ‘Natural’ colours and materials aren’t always muddy brown.

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04/11/2008 by James.

There’s good Zoos and bad Zoos, and when they’re good I think they can play an important role in education and conservation. They also give me a chance to re-inspire myself by making a visit to take photos and draw some of the beautiful animals kept and bred there.

Today I was at The Cotswold Wildlife Park nr. Burford, Oxfordshire, making quick sketches in the cold, getting back into drawing and getting away from the computer.

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02/11/2008 by James.

As usual the forest is looking beautiful, and gives me time and space to walk, dream and play with the falling leaves in the low Autumn sun.

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02/11/2008 by James.

Activities from the rest of my week at Salisbury Museum, using making to bring the exhibits and their history alive, and make them more relevant, for visitors to the museum….

Collecting and documenting natural treasures with clay and plaster to explore shape, pattern and texture, constructing caskets inspired by one holding the bones of Thomas Beckett from recycled card, for the participants’ own treasured possessions, and continuing to add to the evolving sculpture in the grounds of the museum, its structure informed by the nearby cathedral and other local architecture.

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