The result of hardwork!

So my project at Madeley High School came to an end last week. It feels strange that I won't be going back there once a week, as I have done for the last 3 months. The project accumalated in the children making and installing their own artwork, it was a hectic but successful day. Below are images of their work in situ

The whole class contributed to this flower pot, places in the reception area

This one was partly inspired by the wool installation the children did with me, but here they took it a step further. It had a real sense of dynamism, and the group were very committed; putting the work out in horrible weather!

This group put their 'Mario' inspired installation in the library. They placed boxes around the library that released balloons with viewer interaction; ingenious!

This group were inspired to create this musical creation! It was placed on the hall stage and looked fantastic!

This group were also inspired by music, to create these 'music trees' from an interesting array of materials, they were placed in discrete places around the school, so students sort of stumbled across them

A look into the surreal!

I stumbled across the work of rose skinner the other day, check out her website at www.roseskinner.com.

It just really pops! Her installations seem to exist in a surreal, Alice in Wonderland type world. Initially they may seem very appealing, with their bright colours and playful elements. However, there is something definitely disturbing about them. It's partly due to the overload of information and the skewed angles. Also as you look closer, there are vacantly staring dolls heads, unattached from their bodys, mutated toys (think Toy Story and the toys at Sid's house!), limp hanging mannequins ......

I would absolutely love to experience one of these pieces in real life!

What I have been doing recently

Here is my latest illustration. 

I feel that Mushnoo will be a regular feature in my work, and for a while now I have been wanting to write/illustrate a children's book featuring him and his friends. The character was first conceived about 2 years ago, so I'm taking my time! I must put the objective in a list, because then I will probably actually do it! I have a thing about lists! Again I'm still experimenting with styles, but must say I'm pretty pleased with this one! I have also created a pattern using Mushnoo and his main friends.

Again I'm really stoked with this especially as it is the first pattern I have created.




I have also been working on my crocheting skills! I'm getting there slowly! My aim is to be able to make an amigurumi creature by the end of the year! A long way to go yet! Still only learnt slip stitch and double crochet.


Oh and here is my first ever origami crane

only 999 more to make to get all my wishes granted!






Finally had another great day at Madeley High school this week getting the children to come up with their own installations. It took a while for them to grasp the idea, but now they're doing brilliantly. I can't wait to see their final pieces! Will post the pics up on here when they are done!

Wooly installation and easter illustration

So I've been pretty busy the last week or so, which is good, but feel like I need a day just to do nothing!

I had a fantastic time at the school I'm doing a creative partnerships project at on Monday. I was introducing the idea of installations to the group, and hopefully over the next few weeks the group will be making their own.
As a spring board for the children I began by wrapping ribbons round the schools outdoor classroom, and got the children to come and react to it. Admittedly it didn't look like much as that point, and as you can imagine I got a lot of funny looks off other pupils while I was doing it! Though that was cool.
Then i gave the children a ball of wool between small groups and asked them to finish my work off.
The result was fantastic, and the children all had a fantastic time. I got some pretty awesome photos of it too, below are just a couple.

Also just thought I'd share with you a little illustration I created for easter. Slowly feel like I'm getting to the point I want to be at with my imagery, still not quite there yet.

New Installation 'An Art Graduate'

Recently I have been putting more of a focus on my more illustrational and I suppose in a way more straight forward work. This is partly because I do really enjoy this side of my work, and I have had great fun improving my skills on Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. However, it is also because illustrational work is easier to do than my installation work, as I easily have all the tools to hand to create it, whereas for an installation I need the space to show it.

My 'other' side is still working away, coming up with new ideas, but I often don't have the means to see them come to fruition. So I introduce to you some photos of a piece I did called 'An Art Graduate'.

This piece was borne out of my frustration at the job situation for university graduates (including me). Each boat is made from a store receipt from the shop I work in part time, to fund my artwork, and pay the bills! The act of making the receipts into boats is a reflection of the monotonous, repetitive nature of the work. Also boats are a metaphor for the journey after graduating, which can be a difficult and long one.


I felt the snow created a beautiful, but bleak backdrop for the boats. I took photos of the piece over several days to document the pieces own journey.


Below is a sample of the photos I took:

After more snow

And after the thaw

Boat mush!

Really cool installation!

Keep coming across really inspiring stuff on the internet recently.
Read about an amazing installation that was created for a fashion show. A vacant factory was transformed by using magazines, that otherwise would have been thrown out. The designers of the space used the fairly simple modes of construction to create pieces that when completed look very complex and impressive.

A low wall was constructed in a space, by using rolled up magazines, to define one of the areas.

And the method of folding often used by children to create 'Fortune Tellers' was employed as a building block for a magnificent curtain on the runway, that the models walked through. These blocks were layered and stitched together, and as a whole unit they have a huge visual impact

The same folding technique was also used to make the lampshades

More info on this project can be found at http://growingupcreative.typepad.com/tali_buchler/read-art-installation.html

This project was created from a designer angle, but as an artist who has created installations using card and paper in the past, I find this really inspiring. I especially love that the materials used were recycled. In this day and age it is important for all of us to be aware of the materials we use and throw away, and I think it is great that something so beautiful was created our of essentially rubbish! It's making me re-think the paper I put aside for recycling. Now I'm wanting to keep every single bit of junk mail just in case it comes in handy! Though I think my husband might have something to say about that!