Classes
Workshops are tailored to suit you and your group, from children to adults, adults with learning disabilities to gifted children.
Teaching Practice - Supporting Evidence
Teaching comes in various guises; the dictionary definition of teaching includes ‘cause to learn by example or experience’. The following is a breakdown of projects that I believe have had a major educational influence on their audiences and participants.
I was invited to be a visiting lecturer at Chelsea College of Art and Design, London 2004. Following the completion of my MA (distinction) in Design for the Environment-Public Art.
Very Able and Gifted students project in West Sussex. West Sussex County Council and West Dean College invited me and another artist to be a tutor on a programme designed to develop the very gifted Art students at AS level. I concentrated on the 3D elements, working in relief, 3 dimensions onto a form and a completely independent sculpture. The course culminated in an exhibition of their work.
Other teaching at West Dean includes being a tutor of sculptural mosaic for adults, for weekend and weeklong courses. In 2003 I was invited with 2 other tutors to create a surrealist chair in the Dali style with Rolf Harris for his series ‘Rolf on Art’. This involved creating a piece of furniture and my element, was a 3D cushion. I had to demonstrate on camera the process and show Rolf how to prepare and lay the tesserae.
Public Art projects now have a major role in educating members of the community from different ethnic & social backgrounds. Community involvement has to be rigorous and thorough, most projects have a steering group consisting of architects, urban planners councillors etc. who expect your research and collaboration to be exhaustive. My public art projects include Signature, Seed Pod, Building Blocks, and Marking Time. See supporting evidence attached.
Collaborative practice by artists working together is another method used commercially. I teamed up with fellow student Malisa Sledmere at Chelsea for our final project; a water based temporary installation onto the River Lavant, at Winterbourne near Chichester. Collaboration enables an artist to tackle greater issues, both in size and complexity. It involved partnerships with outside bodies, such as the Environment Agency, schools and colleges, creating events where the participants could learn about water issues in their locale through art.
Studio work, based in my own professional studio has covered working on mixed media for primary aged children, spanning a course that covers different techniques and materials not usually available to pupils in fulltime education. Studio sessions for adults wishing to have a base with some professional expertise to assist with their projects.
Running workshops and acting as a tutor for various art centres including, Chelsea College of Art & Design, West Dean College, Brockenhurst College, Forest Arts Centre.
I acted as exhibitions officer for the British Association for Modern Mosaic for 3 years, curating exhibitions at Exeter & New Milton.
My initial training in display and design led to 15 years working in the Visual Merchandising industry, culminating as a consultant for large multiples and chain stores, developing training and visual merchandising packages. I also led projects for store developments and new store openings for the Debenhams group, Windsmoor, Jaeger and the John Lewis Partnership.
