Craftyness

A much better and unexpectedly enjoyable day. Sun between the showers and I had forgotten that the day was to be given over to a stained glass making workshop! Two artist, Gana, a stained glassist (!) and Marie, a metalworker and sculptor, worked with the children all day. The theme was Celts meet spring!! First we made spirals and butterflies out of copper and aluminum wire; then we made designs on thin sheets of copper and aluminum, jazzying things up with other patterns pinned into the design. These designs were then put into envelopes and saved for later. Then we got to the glass! We were allowed to do three 'sketches' with different colours and patterns, and then when we were happy arranged our glass fragments onto a square, incorporating if wished our metal shapes. They then go off to the kiln. The children were totally absorbed and some wonderfully creative things were made, and I got to play too! Even better, they're coming back for one day for the next four weeks. Very nice women, and brilliant with the children, completely uncondescending.

The blip is one of Marie's early works. She now tends to make enormous sculptures - huge metal objects mimicking stones from stone circles, all beautifully decorated which are then left on a mountainside to blend and weather. Her website is in progress and can be seen here.The school is very lucky, and quite unusual, in having a principal who considers creativity to be as important as anything else.

Black Swan. Hmmm. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it! A very odd blend of fantasy and realism, amazingly acted though by Natalie Portman whose dancing is pretty astonishing.