Taster Session at Stepping Stones

We attended a regular art club at Stepping stones on 14^th July to run a taster session.

We prepared for the session at short notice, but managed to get together everything we needed to have a creative and fun couple of hours.

The atmosphere during the afternoon was fantastic. We gave people the space to choose how to work, just making a few suggestions and providing materials. A big part of our role was to model different ways of working. Emma had covered two tables in large sheets of paper and Lucy, Emma and myself made drawings on these, with A, R and K joining in. Sharon made some lively experimental drawings using chalks and paintbrushes fixed to lengths of willow.

BW talked about making work in response to energies, and translates feelings into abstract work. I suggested she work with her sense of smell and gave her a range of scented plants and herbs to work with. She made some interesting drawings from these.

I set up the mono-printing equipment and started using this very simple process to make images. The process is gratifying and gives quick results. I worked with some flower images that Emma had brought in, tracing the images over the inked plate and then peeling back to reveal the print. A came and joined in, really enjoying the process. He was very focused and made lots of prints. I think there is lots of scope for him to develop this work and to try other methods of print (perhaps screen?)

Listening will be an important part of these sessions. Listening to ideas, to what people want to do and to the things people need to say.