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Painting with Earth / kescows an bys (the earth talks)
The Workshops are designed to allow the participants an opportunity to explore and experiment with natural and locally found earth pigments, giving an experience which may bring insights into the origins of pigments and paint making as well as a deeper relationship with our environment. A simple form of the workshop has been used with younger school and special needs groups but is equally valuable to artists of all ages, offering the possibility of field trips to discover your own local colours and spending time making your own paints and pastels or to fit in with curriculum requirements.
A BUNDLE OF STICKS
In 2012 he completed an MA (Art & Environment) at University College Falmouth, receiving the Sandra Blow Award for Outstanding Achievement. Peter’s final MA project examined our relationship to natural resources – in particular sticks and wood – and the way art practice may be utilised to enable and transform our understanding and behaviour towards such. A full account of this work – A BUNDLE OF STICKS a reflective process towards cultural ecologic empowerment – may be downloaded here…
As my environmental art practice has evolved so the range of activities within my workshops has broadened to become more focused on elements of tactile, performative and group involvement. Exercises include observational drawing techniques as well as group painting, dance, murals, working with locally sourced materials and collaborative workshops with environmentalists and cross disciplinary themes.
A Model for Cross-Disciplinary Environmental Education Projects
The initial idea for the workshop was to draw parallels between ‘scientific’ and ‘artistic’ means of observing the environment, a source of inspiration for both disciplines. The idea was then explored as a residency for Appledore Arts Festival 2010, in collaboration with dance artist Katy Lee and ecology educator Dr Mark Ward of the Field Studies Council.
Arts weeks and Events
Peter has helped develop a number of environmentally focused arts events including Soil Culture with CCANW, the value of trees with North Devon Biosphere Reserve, Beaford Arts and Falmouth University, and Arts weeks and projects for schools and youth groups.
In 2015 Peter was invited to develop and lead environmental art activities for Newport Community School in Barnstaple, North Devon. The activities offered opportunities for staff and pupils to explore and celebrate our relationships with Nature, in particular soil and local earth pigments. The school has 500 pupils between 3 and 12 years old. A range of activities, including mud painting, making soil balls, bundles of sticks and leaf sorting, were presented to the teaching staff and then left for them to interpret. The communal artworks created were included in an exhibition for children and parents at the end of the week and a 6x1m earth pigment painting made by the whole school was left as legacy of the week’s hard work.
Workshops are charged at £250/day (minimum duration half day) + materials and expenses.
For further information or to discuss designing a workshop please contact me.