A Special Visit from Textile Artist, Lucinda Button
This week our artist friend, Lucinda, joined us for a very creative workshop – inspired by our upcoming art exhibition at WRAP Space - Tide and Place!
The session began with a group discussion. We sat and looked at images of the ocean and shared our own experiences of the sea and trips to the beach. The children talked about what they could see and how it made them feel. Words like happy, excited, calm and even fizzy came up, opening up a really amazing conversation about emotions and how we experience them.
Lucinda then introduced the idea that we can “draw” our feelings. Together, we explored how different types of lines can represent different emotions — wiggly lines for excitement or nerves, smooth lines for calm and bouncy lines for happiness. The children carefully translated what they could see and feel into marks on the page. It was wonderful to observe how naturally they began to interpret the movement of the sea - waves, ripples and “sparkly bits” - into their own amazing creative expressions!
We then prepared trays of paint – using a blob of colour and rollers the spread it out (which were big hit!). In the centre of the table was a collection of unusual and intriguing tools - including sticks, toothbrushes and natural objects Lucinda had collected – some from the beach. The children independently chose their tools and began to experiment, creating squiggles, circles, lines and even little faces in the paint!
Once their designs were ready, Lucinda showed us how to carefully place a piece of fabric on top of the marks in the paint. The children approached this part with real focus and care — gently smoothing the fabric with their hands - taking their time to make sure all the fabric was pressed down. We explored the idea of contrast, choosing light fabrics for darker paints and darker fabrics for lighter paints.
Then came the big reveal! We slowly peeled back the fabric to reveal the print underneath! There was a real sense of excitement and pride as each unique piece was uncovered. The children learned that this process is called mono printing.
Lucinda has taken the children’s individual prints away to combine them into one collaborative artwork. We’re are all very excited that the next times we see our artwork it will be displayed in a real life art exhibition!
The children (and their families) are invited to a special private view, where they’ll be able to see their work displayed alongside other local artists. It’s a very special opportunity for the children to feel proud of their creations and to see themselves as part of a wider creative community.
We’ll also be continuing to explore the materials and ideas Lucinda has left with us over the coming weeks, giving all the children the chance to revisit the process, build on their skills and deepen their artistic expressions!
