Workshops Available
If you do not see what you are looking for, please ask.
I can tailor a workshop to your specific needs.
For Cross-curricular links, please click:
History Literacy Religious Studies Pause Days CPD Teacher Training
Artists, Movements and Themes
I cover a wide range artistic movements ranging from Pre-Renaissance religious art of the 13th and 14th century to contemporary artists working today.
A few examples:
Impressionism
Surprised!
Henri Rousseau
Everybody loves Impressionism! We look at the works of Monet, Manet, Degas and Renoir (amongst others) and consider how exciting and revolutionary it was. What was happening in the world that meant art changed so radically? We look at the ways they created a sense of being there and captured the changes in society. Practical Activity: The children try a number of these styles then create their own landscapes using a style that they enjoy, inspired by their learning.
Storytelling in Art
Focusing on the ever-popular tiger painting, “Surprised!” (and comparing it to a few others!), we learn how to look at an artwork. We interactively explore this stormy jungle scene using role-play and create possible stories behind it. We then think from an art history point of view: What’s the unusual story behind its creation? Why did Rousseau’s have such a distinctive style? What methods did he use? Why is it an unlikely success? Practical Activity: The children play with tonal colour-mixing to create many shades of green. Then they sketch a number of different plants, looking at the varying and contrasting shapes. Finally, using his ''collage' style of painting, the children put these together to create their own jungle picture.
Light and Colour, Emotions and Effects
How have artists shown stories in their art? Paintings have told stories for longer than books or film. We look at a range of paintings from early religious altarpieces and classical mythology through to the modern depictions of everyday life.
Through detective exploration, role play and investigation, we unpick the tales hidden within the paintings.
Practical Activities: The children create a tableau which is photographed. They use these images to draw over and create their own narrative piece that they can make up their own story for.
How does the artist’s use of colour change the way the viewer is affected by the work? We compare different paintings and consider what makes them so powerful and how the artists has purposefully created that. We ask why so few paintings include the colour black? And look in depth at Seurat’s Bathers at Asniere, Monet’s Waterlilies series and the colour evolutions of Picasso and Van Gogh. Practical Activity: This is a very interactive workshop we study the colour wheel and look at complimentary and harmonious colour groupings. The children create a still life / self portrait using a limited range of colours. Finally, we reflect on their choices and what effect that creates. using filters?
Self Portraits
Explore the portraits of great artists in this interactive workshop. Using a range of artists from Tudor times through to the contemporary art of Michael Craig-Martin, students will learn how to 'read' a portrait by looking at renowned portraits by famous artist. They will look at what they include and how they are painted to tell us more about the sitter.
Practical Activity: They will then use this knowledge and inspiration to create their own work reflecting their own personalities and identity.
This will be tailored to the age of the children.
Styles and Techniques
We look at varying styles such as the ‘Old and Gold’ paintings of the Renaissance, cubism and pointillism – and much more. How were they made and why? What effect did the artist want to create? Practical Activity: The children try each of these styles then create their own pieces using a style that they enjoy.
Engaging and Inspiring with Art
History Links
Art captures a moment and reflects society at that time. It's an inspiring way for children to explore a different time period.
Stone Age
Cave Art
We look at the cave paintings in France and Spain and across the world and discuss the symbolism behind the pictures, how were the same images found around the world? How were they created?
Practical Activity: We create natural pigments and create our own collaborative art work as a class or individually.
Greeks and Romans
Myths and Mythology
How can you read a painting?
Looking at Botticelli’s Venus and Mars and Luca Giordano’s Perseus turning Phineus and his Followers to Stone. How do the artists depict these using symbols and themes?
This workshop is more suited to Key Stage 2.
Practical Activity: Through drama, we role play the gods, goddesses, heroes and villains of these classical stories. The children create their own scene and tableau which is photographed and then can be used to create their own mythological scene.
Mythological Creatures
Fearsome and foul, intriguing and inventive!
We look at the many creatures and characters in a range of mythological paintings.
This workshop is suited to Key Stage 1 and 2.
Practical Activity: Through a range of tasks the children consider the characters of different creatures then create their own composite creature. They can be terrifying or heroic and helpful – or maybe a combination of each?!
Tudors
Tudor Portraits
Looking at the portraits of the Tudor era we consider what can we tell about the sitters. How have they been shown? What clues are there in the paintings about the people, who they were and how they wanted to be seen. The children investigate the portraits by Hans Holbein, including his portrait of Henry VIII, Christina of Denmark and the ever intriguing Ambassadors.
Practical Activity: The children discuss how they would like to be portrayed if they were to have a Tudor style portrait painted. What would they want to include as clues about their personality? What would they wear? How would they stand? In groups, the children find or make props and create composition for how they would like their portrait to be. Then, in pairs, they then take photos of each other. These can be used to create drawings from.
Victorians
A time of change
This workshop shows how art captured the exciting changes in society and technology. Looking specifically at the works of JMW Turner and the Impressionists, especially Claude Monet.
This can be specifically focused upon railways and the changes that they brought.
Practical Activity: Based upon “Rain, Steam and Speed – The Great Western Railway” the children investigate perspective and capturing light to create a moody, dynamic painting full of energy.
The Arts and Crafts movement
What was the Arts and Crafts movement? What was the philosophy behind it? Why did it happen during the Victorian era? Looking at the works of William Morris and Mary Watts, we see how it is still used today in design. How was it made?
Practical Activity: Inspired by the work of Mary Watts, we design and create three dimensional tiles using Modroc.
These can be painted at a later date as they will not dry in time.
Art capturing a moment of life
Literacy Links
Art links so beautifully with Literacy, whether it's as a starting point for descriptive settings or creating characters and poetry or learning about myths and legends. I think I've started a literacy lesson with a painting more than anything else as a way to help inspire children.
Settings
We explore landscapes, seascapes and a variety of settings. Storms and sunsets, balmy summers days and wintery stomps through the snow. Using their imaginations the children experience a full sensory approach to the paintings. How do the different settings affect the types of stories that might be set there?
Practical Activity: In groups, the children create a soundscape for their favourite paintings. They also collaboratively develop their descriptive response to the painting and form a poem or piece of writing which they perform to the rest of the class.
Characters
If portraits could talk, what would they say to each other? Using the Portraits Workshop as a starting point, we explore them from the point of view of what their personalities might have been like. Would the children like to meet them? What do they think they would talk about?
Practical Activities: The children role play and hot seat being each of the characters from the painting. What happens when two of the sitters meet? A fun, interactive workshop which leads to descriptive writing about their characters using vocabulary and speech punctuation at a year group appropriate level.
Myths, Legends and Narrative
Paintings have told stories for longer than books or film. We look at classic legends such as St George and the Dragon or the tales of Perseus and Ulysses. Through detective exploration, role play and investigation, we unpick the tales hidden within the paintings.
Practical Activities: The children create a tableau which is photographed. They use these images to draw over and create their own narrative artwork. These can be a wonderful inspiration for their own writing.
Feel confident, feel inspired
Religious Studies & Pause Day Links
For centuries art was based around religion. Almost all events in the bible and the Christian calendar are shown in paintings, I can create a workshop based around the events of Christmas or Easter, Pentecost, Mary, the life of Jesus. Please just ask!
We discuss where 'normal' everyday people would see art and how they would use it to learn from in church. We can talk about the messages behind the works and how it has developed alongside the church, from the public simply being a viewer to becoming included and a part of it. But mostly we'll be looking at the storytelling elements of paintings - everything from the 1200s through to contemporary art.
Pause Day
Advent, Christmas, Easter and many others
Tailored to your school's requirements, I can offer Pause Day workshops based on a range of subjects. Previous workshops have included storytelling and symbolism in paintings showing the Christmas Story, Pentecost, Easter.
Using masterpieces of the past we discuss how artists have shown bible stories and have portrayed a message. I link them into a contemporary setting so children see the relevance within their own lives.
Practical Workshop: Depending upon the topic, we create multimedia pieces inspired by the painting we've seen and discussions we've had.
These workshops can be increased to two or three classes to create a whole day activity.
Engaging and Inspiring with Art
CPD Training
I know that many teachers are intimidated by art and don't enjoy teaching it. I am a former art coordinator of a primary school, I've provided CPD training at the National Gallery for their Take One Picture program and have also helped many ITE teachers how to talk about pictures and use them across their teaching as a stimulus in many subjects. I can help you and your school!
I can offer simple, practical ways to use art and talk about it, even when you don't know that much about it yourself.
I can make suggestions about artists to look at for different topics and also how to step away from the standard 'dead, white, European males' and look at more diverse artists that may represent your classes better.
I provide either a half or full day workshop, or a 2 hour afterschool training session.
Please contact me to find out more and to enquire about prices.