We were blessed with perfect blue skies and mild weather for the first full day children’s art course at Kinkell Studios. It all went well, the whole day spent in the studio and down at the beach by the Rock & Spindle, where lunch was enjoyed on the rocks. Children engaged in various drawing activities, drawing from observation and trying out different materials, before considering their very own flying machine or bird-like creature with aerodynamic forms in mind. They had to consider their drawings in terms of three dimensions and how they might practically create the joins in the body structure. The 3D workshop began after lunch. The thicker wire was more difficult to mould into shape but provided the back-bone / main frame of the structure, then thinner wires and bendy wooden cane was used for the ribs or body. In order to secure each piece, children handled the masking tape and/or glue gun well, trying out their manual dexterity when shaping the wire and the wood in more detail. Some of them went onto use tissue and glue solution to create a membrane or surface for their structures, it was soggy and fiddly to apply but dried tight and semi-translucent. Transparent fishing string was used to suspend the structures if desired. A couple of the girls came up with a great idea on the beach that involved them using shells of different colours, sea weed and twigs to create a crab back in the studio once they’d finished their construction piece. Overall, a great day enjoyed by all, including me.
