Keep Calm and Paint the Queen

This week I had the pleasure of spending a day at Vange Primary School in Basildon to work with a group of 18 talented pupils from year 1 to year 6. Our mission was to complete a large canvas portrait of the Queen Elizabeth II using acrylic paint, felt material, tissue paper and anything else that came to mind.

Using ideas from my previous jubilee blogs - the ideology behind the piece was for the children to incorporate the style of four different artists to build up a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II:

Van Gogh, Mondrian, Lichtenstein and Klimt

The children explored brush strokes, layering paint, mark making, use of colour, collage and how to interpret other artists work.

In previous workshops I have had to tackle how to keep a small group of children engaged at one time whilst working on the same piece of artwork. To produce a piece of work that the children can be proud of it is often better to work with a small group at one time. For this project I decided to use two canvases that would provide the opportunity for the painting to be split with two groups working on one piece at a time.

Outline drawing of the Queen ready for painting

The first group of children start to put a Mondrian twist on the lower half of the portrait,
painting bold blocks of primary colours

The next artist's style we add to the portrait is the pop art styling of Roy  Lichtenstein
using dots, strips and bold flat colour

 

The children decide to paint the Queens jewel in the royal red, white and blue

We could not decide what to do with the frame for the picture and was unsure of what colours to use. One of the children said it was so hot that they would like some ice-cream, in fact Neapolitan ice-cream. With that the children decided to create a Neapolitan ice-cream themed frame to the piece using cut up squares of tissue paper

Half way through the painting

Van Goghs' swirls and impressionist brush strokes were chosen to portray the Queens hair

And last but by no means least the metallic glittering patterns and jewel like artwork of Klimt was used to create a sparkling crown fit for our Jubilee Queen. For additional sparkle glitter was added

Whilst waiting for the paint to dry the children made jubilee rosette out of felt material.
These were glued using pva glue around the frame

The finished product, a portrait of the Queen referencing 4 different artists with very different styles. 

Corgi's and Crowns

Today is the final blog in my five day bonanza of Jubilee art and crafts ideas for Primary Education.

In today's blog we look at one of the Queens favourites, a beautiful Corgi decoration.

Key Skills: Colour, form and Shape

Materials: Felt material, ribbon, PVA glue, thread, sewing needle, stuffing and glitter glue

Vocab: Pattern, cut, sew, layer, language relating to sewing such as thread, stitch, blanket stitch, cast off

Learning Objectives :

To make a small felt decoration that represents the Jubilee celebrations

To develop sewing and embroidery skills

To understand the importance of design work

To explore the use of felt material to make objects

To develop cutting skills

Process:

Stage 1: Take some time to draw your design out on a piece of paper. Think about what decoration you would like. You will need to  make a template to draw around on your felt paper. You can use a stencil or free hand for this – or alternatively research an image you would like to use from the Internet. Print this off to the size required. Cut out the shape and trace around the edge of the cut out on the felt.

Stage 2: Collect the fabric you require. As you do not need a lot of fabric for this activity, this is a great way of using up scraps of material.

Stage 3: For my Corgi I have cut out two brown felt dog shapes. Using the image I found on line.

Stage 4: Using a contrasting coloured felt, I cut out patches for the face and the chest part of the corgi.

Step 5: using a slip stitch, stitch the contrasting panels in positions on one of the pre-cut piece of brown felt. I have used the slip stitch to add a fur texture to the piece.

Step 6: Using black thread stitch on the facial details. For smaller children you could use small buttons or sequins and glue these on for the facial features.

Step 7: Using a blanket stitch the two pre-cut corgis shapes together. Leave a small gap to allow you to stuff the decoration to add form.

Step 8: Sew up the opening, I have added a piece of string on the top of the corgi’s head to allow my decoration to be hung up.

Step 9: Embellish your decoration. I have added a crown, bow and necklace to my corgi to make him fit for the finest Jubilee party.

An alternative design, on this piece I have made a small teacup in the centre with a teabag hanging from the cup with the quote “Keep calm and Carry on”.

Differentiation:

Key Stage 1: You can use a hand held hole punch such as http://www.fiskarscraft.co.uk/Products/Craft/Punches/Eyelet-Setter/Eyelet-Setter-Pack to make holes in the felt to make it easier to sew for younger pupils. Alternatively younger children can use PVA glue to stick their rosette together. You could also make the rosette in the same manner using tissue paper of funky foam. Why not experiment with a few materials?

Key Stage 2: Think about what your decoration is going to be used for? Will it hang on a bag, a mobile phone, a magnet, be made into a keyring or simply a decoration to hang up in the house.

That's the last entry for now for my Jubilee arts and crafts. Don't forget I would be delighted to see pictures of any work you have created for a special Jubilee art Blog in June. Send your images to lisamart@hotmail.co.uk

Felt Jubilee Rosettes

Day four of my Jubilee art special bring you -Felt Jubilee Rosette

Key Skills: Colour, form and Shape

Materials: Felt material, ribbon, PVA glue, thread, sewing needle and glitter glue

Vocab: Rosette, cut, sew, layer, language relating to sewing such as thread, stitch, blanket stitch, cast off

  

Learning Objectives :

To make a rosette that represents the Jubilee celebrations

To develop sewing and embroidery skills

To understand the importance of design work

To explore the use of felt material to make objects

To develop cutting skills

Process:

Step 1: Take some time to draw your design out on a piece of paper. Think about what is going to be your central image for your rosette, what colours you want around your rosette and what ribbon you would like hanging from the rosette.

Stage 2: Collect the fabric you require. As you do not need a lot of fabric for this activity, this is a great way of using up scraps of material.

Step 3: I have chosen to create a traditional red, white and blue rosette. Cut out three layers, make sure you check with your design to clarify which colour you need the biggest circle to be cut from and which colour will be in the centre of your rosette.

 

Step 4: Cut out any embellishments that you are going to sew onto the centre of the rosette. You could also attach a button, a badge or use sequins to create your centre piece. I have decided to cut the number `60` out of yellow felt material.

Step 5: Now that you completed your preparation work you are ready to start to sew the piece together. For the rosette you work in the reverse order and start with the centre piece. Sew the yellow numbers to the red centre piece using a running stitch.

 

Step 6: Sew around the red section to the white section using a blanket or running stitch.

Step 7: Before you sewn the white section to the blue section secure the ribbon with a couple of stitches to the back of the white section. The ribbon for this rosette was purchased from the Fabric Warehouse.

 

Step 8: Sew the white section to the blue section using a blanket or running stitch.

Step 9: Use a running or blanket stitch around the outside of the blue section to keep a uniform look to the rosette. For a final touch I have added glitter glue around the 60 on the rosette.

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An alternative design, on this piece I have made a small teacup in the centre with a teabag hanging from the cup with the quote “Keep calm and Carry on”.

Differentiation:

Key Stage 1: You can use a hand held hole punch such as http://www.fiskarscraft.co.uk/Products/Craft/Punches/Eyelet-Setter/Eyelet-Setter-Pack to make holes in the felt to make it easier to sew for younger pupils. Alternatively younger children can use PVA glue to stick their rosette together. You could also make the rosette in the same manner using tissue paper of funky foam. Why not experiment with a few materials?

Key Stage 2: Instead of cutting images out for the centre of the rosette, think about images and words that can be embroidered. You can add beads and sequins to create a dynamic and decorative centre of your rosette.

Don't forget to email your pictures if you want them featured on my blog lisamart@hotmail.co.uk

Arty Queen Portrait

Day Three of the Jubilee art brings you a fun activity where children have the opportunity to research and learn about four different artists -Arty Queen Portrait

Key Skills: Shape,colour, form, research

Materials:Picture of the Queen, Images of Vincent Van Gogh, Roy Lichtenstein, PierMondrian and Gustav Klimt’s work, pencil, rubber, cartridge paper, medium towork in such as pencils, crayon or paint

Vocab : Boldcolour, texture, use of line, pattern, Great Masters, brush stroke

 

LearningObjectives :

To use an internet search engine to resource images

To learn about the work of the artists - VincentVan Gogh, Roy Lichtenstein, Pier Mondrian and Gustav Klimt

To apply knowledge of the artists work listed aboveto individual work

To develop drawing and painting skills

To complete a portrait of the Queen in the style offour different artists

Process:

Step 1: Research your artists. For my portrait I have decided to lookat the bold blocks of colour by Pier Mondrian, the dots and dashes of RoyLichtenstein, the wavy, subtle brush strokes of Vincent Van Gogh and thestunning pattern work in Gustav Klimt’s work.

Klimt's amazing pattern work

The pop art styling of Roy Lichtenstein

The bold colours of Mondrian

The amazing brushwork of Van Gogh

Step2: Once you have decided on your artists, you need to draw an outline of theQueens head. You could also try this technique with other London iconic imagessuch as the Beefeaters, ravens, lions etc.

Step 3: You need to decide which artists style youwant to apply to which part of the portrait. Once you have done this you areready to start.

Step 4: I have chosen to work in pastels and pencilfor my portrait but you can work in any medium for this project and on anysurface. You could use paint on a canvas, paint on wood or even create thepiece using felt material – you are only limited by your imagination and thematerials you have available.

Step5: I chose to start with Mondrian at the bottom of the portrait, colouring insections of bold colour using oil pastels.

  

Step 6: For the face of the Queen I decide to usethe dot work on Lichtenstein. I coloured in the bold sections with pastels andthe dots with pencil.

Step7: For the Queens hair I use oil pastels and pencils creating the wavy subtlelines that Vincent Van Gogh uses in his artwork. I have used three differentcolours to help create texture within the hair.

  

Step8: Finally, for the crown I decided to use the stunning glittering pattern workof Klimt. I looked carefully at the pattern work he used in his art work andreplicated shapes and patterns across the crown in pencil.

 

Step9: For a final touch I cut the excess from around the portrait and mounted theimage onto black card.

  

Differentiation:

Key Stage 1: For Key stage 1 pupils four artistsmay be a bit overwhelming. It might be more productive to limit this to one-twoartists

.

Key Stage 2: Key stage 2 pupils could select twoartists that they have researched for a couple of sections of the portrait. Forthe remaining two sections the children can come up with their own styles andpatterns. Once again think about what other images this can be applied to aswell as the Queens portrait.

Don't for get to send me your pictures and I will put the best ones on a blog lisamart@hotmatil.co.uk

Giant Tissue Paper Stamp

Day two of the Jubilee Art Lesson plans bring you -Giant Tissue Paper Stamp

Key Skills: Shape, form and Texture

Materials: Picture of the Queen, pencil, rubber, PVA glue, cartridge paper, tissue paper

Vocab : Scrunch, texture, assemblage, collage, found materials

Learning Objectives :

To use an internet search engine to resource images

To create a textured portrait of the Queen using tissue paper (or other materials)

To learn about the relationship between lines, edges and spaces

To establish techniques of applying collage materials

To develop fine motor skills

Process

Step 1: Research on the internet to find a profile picture of the Queen. Ask children to draw a line drawing of the Queen onto a piece of A4 paper. For Key Stage 1 pupils you can find a template on the following website : http://www.ichild.co.uk/activities/view/1847/The-Queen-Collage

Step 2: Cut your chosen coloured tissue paper up into small squares

 

Step 3: Apply glue to one area of the portrait. If you place too much glue on the piece can become messy. It is much easier to work from one area at a time.

Step 4: Scrunch up the tissue paper into small balls and push firmly into the glue. Try not to leave any gaps.

Step 5: Continue with this technique until the section is completely full.

Step 6: Continue to work section to section changing the colours when necessary.

Step 7: Try to add areas of detail, such as the eye and eye brow. This can be done by scrunching up black tissue paper into very small pieces.

Step 8: Once you have completed all of the positive space that makes up the queens head, use a pair of decorative scissors to cut around your image. This will create the illusion of the edge of a stamp – don’t forget to add your price!

Differentiation:

Key stage 1: An alternative idea for Keystage 1 pupils could be to use paint. Place a few plates/trays with different colours in them and encourage the children to use their fingers to paint the inside of the printed Queens head. Try to encourage the children to stay within the lines and vary the choice of colour. Or use a projector to enlarge the picture and use bottle tops and plastic lids to fill in the portrait.

Key stage 2: Use a picture of the Queen to draw an outline of the Queens face. Think about what mediums you can use to fill the positive space. You could use sequins, buttons, tissue paper, badges, leaves etc. What other images could you apply this technique to for the Jubilee? Consider making a telephone box, black taxi, Tower of London, Big Ben or even the Olympic rings!

Don't forget to email me your images, lisamart@hotmail.co.uk the best ones, I'll place on my blog.

Jubilee Art - Queens’s face/vase picture

This week I will be blogging a different Jubilee Art Idea each day. I am trailing a new format to differentiate blogs about my work and workshop/educational ideas. I have included a full lesson plan with this blog, allowing teaching staff to print off and make full use of. I would be really interested in any feedback.

Here we go:

Key Skills: Shape, Form and Space

Materials: Picture of the Queen from a profile viewpoint, Pencil, Rubber, Colour pencils or pastels, cartridge paper

Vocab :

Parts of the upper body (shoulders and face), different names of line and shapes, words related to the exercise such as symmetry, upside-down, contour and sequencing language such as first, then, next etc

Learning Objectives :

To use an internet search engine to resource images

To learn how to draw symmetrical objects

To learn about the relationship between lines, edges and spaces

To establish techniques of applying colour

To develop skills of observation

To Increase their self-confidence in drawing

Process:

Step 1 – Find a picture of the Queen in profile, children can do this using the computers by carrying out a search on Google or the main school computer search engine. If you do not have access to a computer you could find a picture from a news paper, magazine or even a stamp.

Step 2 – Save the picture in a file on the computer and print off. If you have found your image from a magazine, newspaper etc, you could photocopy this to a workable size.

Step 3 – Using a pencil, draw a single contour line (outlining) the key facial points of the Queen.

Step 4 – Spend a few minutes observing the contour line of the Queens face you have drawn, look at the gap between the crown/hairline, hairline/eye socket, eye socket/nose etc.

Step 5 – Focusing on the contour line you have already drawn, aim to mirror the image using in a single line opposite your drawn line. Make sure that you are observing what you have drawn on the opposite site as you are drawing.

Step 6 – Using a curved line, draw a single line to join the top of the two side profile lines, repeat this at the bottom of the vase to complete the outline of your Queens head vase.

 

Step 7 – Draw a frame around the vase and add a shelf, table, platform for the vase to minimise the “floating” effect.

 

Step 8 – Shade in the opening of the vase to create the illusion of a 3D vase.

 

Step 9 – Fill in the vase with a Jubilee image, flag design, pattern, poem of the Jubilee or even collage materials – you are only limited by your imagination.

 

Step 10 – Cut around the square and mount on coloured paper to complete your vase/face picture. These have a great impact as part of a wall display.

Differentiation:

Key stage one – prepare a template for the children to draw around. Glue a picture of the Queen in profile onto a piece of good quality card. Allow this to dry and then cut out. Children can use the template to draw around to create one side of the vase. Gifted and talented children can try to mirror the face to create the vase. Alternatively children can be instructed to flip the template over to give the reverse image and draw around this. Children can then colour, write or draw in the vase to create a representation for the Jubilee.

Key Stage two– You could experiment with a young and older picture of the queen in profile. Work as instructed above but have the children draw one side of the vase from a picture of the queen during her coronation year and the other side of the vase from a picture of the Queen in 2012. Try to ensure that the key facial features are in line.

Let me know how you get on, please forward any pictures to lisamart@hotmail.co.uk