For Spring 2, Year 5 completed a Textiles and Collage unit for art. To begin with, we learnt about our key artist (Lesley Richmond), who was a contemporary artist, taking her inspiration from the natural world. We used this to help create our own collage, based on the natural world. 

Be creative.

Be proficient.

Be reflective. 

To begin with, we went out to look at the bark of different trees and focused on the different lines that were created. From this, we then drew the lines and then made small collages focusing on the shapes we could see. 

Once we had understood how the lines of the bark created different shapes, we then moved onto creating a 3D piece. For this, children had to think about the shapes and also the texture of the bark. To replicate this, we used some cardboard and then added fabric using PVA glue. Once this was added, children had to scrunch and manipulate the fabric to create the ripple effects of the bark. 

The next step was to add water colours to paint on the surface. Children thought about the shading of the bark, where it was bright and dark, then used this to help with their colours to create more of an abstract piece. 

After this stage, children reflected on their work - thinking about what they like and what they would change next time. 

Using their reflection, children then created a new piece for their final project. They then needed to think about how to add other types of materials onto their fabric to represent the natural object of the tree. Children used a combination of skills from cutting and sticking to sewing on handmade beads. 

We look forward to using these new skills in our future art projects.