28/05/2009 by James.

I worked with The Salisbury Festival at Salisbury Museum yesterday, running a drop-in event for local children and their families. We were making fish out of willow, recycled fabric and other junk materials, built onto canes so that they can be displayed on the Museum’s front lawn as one big shoal.

I’ve also included a photo here of a nest that was built in our garden by a pair of robins this year, which unfortunately they weren’t able to rear any young from.

Every time I see a nest up close I am amazed by the complexity and beauty of it, and after keeping our distance as the birds flitted to and fro with different bits and pieces earlier in the year, its great to have a chance to see what they have created, now that they have moved on.

This one has been woven to fit the rectangular nest box and has layers of pet hair, moss, grass and found bits and pieces from yellow cotton strands to a soft old silica gel packet… a fusion of collected pieces, man-made and ‘natural.

Posted in Museums & Galleries, projects | Print | No Comments »

28/05/2009 by James.

A few photos sharing the beautiful spring colours and the structure of the plants at this Hampshire garden…

Posted in me & my work | Print | No Comments »

20/05/2009 by James.

I worked with groups of children and teachers at a Cricklade junior School for a couple of days this week. The children decided through their school council that they’d like to make a newt and a dragonfly as part of their ‘Our World’ themed arts week.

We used willow as a sustainable resource often found growing itself alongside wetland areas, and a range of recycled materials to create sculptures to perch on the fence surrounding the pond area in the school grounds.

Posted in projects | Print | No Comments »

20/05/2009 by James.

Forestry and Graffitti marks on trees in Savernake Forest, taken on my phone.

Posted in me & my work | Print | No Comments »

14/05/2009 by James.

I worked at a Trowbridge Primary School today, in their ’secret garden’ with groups of yr 4 to 6 children. The children used willow and recycled materials to construct a shelter sculpture, aiming to encourage group-work and introduce them to ways of working with new materials and tools.

These kind of constructions can provide the children with a space thats theirs, for role play, or a quiet corner to sit and chat… it ties in well with my own individual work where I seek to provide places or opportunities for contemplation, bringing together ‘natural’ and recycled materials to create a unified form or image.

Posted in projects | Print | No Comments »

12/05/2009 by James.

I have started to explore new ways of fusing my wearable work and the stitched/collaged paper and textile pieces that I have been making recently.

As I’ve been asked to make work for Mencap’s Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) exhibition and charity auction, I am thinking about creating a wearable piece that uses elements inspired by devotional art, together with photography and applied found objects to celebrate the lives of people I’ve known that have died.

As the work develops (The exhibition will be at the Proud Gallery in Camden in the Autumn) I’ll add some images here, but in the meantime, here’s some smaller textile pieces that I’m working on…

Posted in events, me & my work | Print | 2 Comments »

11/05/2009 by James.

I’ve just got back from a week in Cornwall, exploring the rocky north coast, the banks and walls, the beaches and twisted oak woodlands. Now that I have just about finished trawling through my emails, here’s some of the little nuggets that I have brought back to keep me inspired…

Posted in me & my work | Print | No Comments »

11/05/2009 by James.

A brief mention of a conference set up in partnership with 5×5x5=creativity. Follow the link at the bottom for more info.

Creativity and Culture The future of learning

Including Presentations by:

For more information download an application pack:

http://www.theatreroyal.org.uk/education/education-conferences

Posted in events, 5x5x5=creativity | Print | No Comments »