John Beattie: Drawing, Performance and Photography

In John Beattie’s stop motion animation workshops he inventively introduced the students to new methods of drawing through the use of mark-making, photography, and performance. The aim was to enhance the student(s) knowledge and appreciation of drawing and to encourage a playful and inventive approach.

Vanessa Donoso Lopez: Cutting as Drawing

Vanessa Donoso Lopez’s workshop introduced children to the unusual technique of cutting as a form of drawing. Colour was also incorporated into the cut-outs in a manner that resembled a scientific experiment.

Gabhann Dunne: The Art of Looking

Gabhann Dunne’s workshops focused on line and the art of looking. Punctuated throughout with classical and contemporary art references, he guided the children through a series of drawing exercises exploring their powers of observation and the connection between the brain and hand.

Vera Klute: Observation and Imagination

In her workshops Vera Klute worked with the children to create surreal compositions. In the first workshop they combined two objects drawn from observation into one fantastical and surreal hybrid object. In the second they constructed imaginary internal bodies through a combination of drawing from observation and imagination.

Janes Fogarty: Breaking drawing down into component parts

Within Jane Fogarty’s workshops the children explored the component parts of a drawing. Namely, drawing support; composition; line; action/mark-making and time.

Stephen Brandes: Drawing as Communication

Stephen Brandes’ workshop introduced children to storytelling and communicating ideas through drawing. The workshop differentiated between drawing as observational reproduction and drawing as non-verbal communication. It included the transformation of verbal language and concepts into purely pictorial idioms.

The Thinking Hand,
Whitecross National School, Julianstown, County Meath,
April – May 2014

This Mobile Art School* programme of ten workshops with artists Vanessa Donoso Lopez, Vera Klute, Stephen Brandes, Gabhann Dunne, Jane Fogarty and John Beattie worked with 5th class children and focused on the medium of drawing. In the choice of artists it was the simultaneous aim to not only reveal the practices of some of Ireland’s most exciting visual artists in relation to drawing, but also to take into consideration the multiple functions of drawing and the ways it can be utilised in the creation of an artwork. Through this programme the children explored techniques and concepts such as Stop Motion Animation, ‘cutting’ as drawing, drawing as visual communication, the art of looking closely, drawing from imagination and drawing from observation.

.....

Student feedback:

‘I use more detail. I enjoy it more. I think of art as more than just a subject. I wouldn’t just stick to drawing. I’ve been making short films, also painting, using ink, loads of new ideas!

‘My favourite part was when we drew on bananas by picking them with a needle and they went brown. I enjoyed Stephen’s workshop when we made up a story out of our head using drawing.’

‘Stop Motion with John! Amazing. Fantastic. We used chalk to draw pictures and sort of make short films. Thinking outside the box!’

‘Now I do more detail than I used to. I go so far in’

‘I loved the workshops because it was different to the way we normally do art in class. I liked the small groups and the way the artists encouraged us’

‘I learned that even if I can’t draw many things to use your imagination and to use different surfaces and mark-making tools’

.....

* Mobile Art School (2011-2014) was an artists-schools initiative whose workshop and artist-residency programmes sought to simultaneously devise a path between contemporary artists and the educational system, and to support creative modes of learning. Mobile Art School was co-directed and curated with Jennie Guy.