Pheonix Theatre official launch of banners

Gosh, the sun came out, we were all blinded! One of the local school, Bordon Juniors,  who had been involved in the workshops for the banner designs came to The Phoenix Theatre today to see the official unveiling. They also combined their visit with a rehearsal for 'Alice in Wonderland'. Hence costumes and not a radical school uniform. Lynne Dick, Director of Making Space and Rob Allerston, Director of Theatre were there too.  Drawings and papercuts of the children's drawings were on display alongside work in progress which illustrated the creative process involved in the project.

Banners for the The Phoenix Theatre and Arts Centre, finally being printed......it will be lovely to see them in situ and for all those involved to come and admire their artwork, especially the primary school children.

The banner designs have finally been despatched to The Phoenix and hopefully a decision will be made in the next few days which ones will be printed. I've done a mock up of my favourites, just have to wait and see now. 

I've spent the last two days in the studio ,working at translating all the drawings I've edited into papercuts.  There's an infra-red heater above my table which is the main source of heat but tends to fry my brain after a while, so I hope that the decisions I've made are ok! There's been some suprising results and with some beautiful shapes which I am going to spend the rest of the week arranging into  final designs.

cutting table with drawings

a crowd......

children's banner designs 

part of a new design

coloured paper ready on the shelf 

I spent today arranging, drawing, and re-arranging.  Basically 'manual photoshop'.  I tried to save time, or so i thought, scanning in some of the drawings in order to create my designs using CAD but have reverted back to doing it all by eye, by hand.  I really do try to embrace technology and I can see all its merits, but it just leaves me cold.  I much prefer to spend the time drawing, cutting and playing around with real life surfaces and seeing the colours first hand. Call me old fashioned but i get a much better result each time.  The finished pieces will of course be translated into digital format, but the most important part will take place in my studio, on a real table using paper, scissors and quite a bit of blu tac. Radio 4, buckets of tea and dark chocolate digestives help a lot too.

So,  I've started on the designs for the Pheonix Theatre.  There is so much work to choose from, too much and I am finding it really hard trying to narrow it down to only 4 designs.  I've spent the day sorting through all the drawings and collages that have been produced over the five full-day sessions and am amazed at the diversity and skill that all the children have shown. I've published just a small selection of work produced by some 7 and 8 year olds.  The drawings  involved sketching their friends who were dressed in costumes  and posing for only 2 minutes.  Very challenging for more accomplished artists, never mind a SEVEN year old using charcoal for the first time!! 

fireman hat

happy in a jesters' costume!

surprised in a jesters' costume!

 bit awkward in a rabbit costume!

unhappy in a rabbit costume!

Yesterday's workshop at The Forest Hill Centre in Bordon, was well attended and those that came ended up staying for the duration, that's 3 hours!! I've included some pictures of one family who worked as a team for all this time with minimum input from me.    The three children aged, 9, 8 and 4 got 'in the zone' and produced banner designs based on their reasons for moving out of London to Bordon.  Each strand represented either family, the countryside, or the coast etc.  The youngest took inspiration from her mum and produced her own version before they all made the collaborative end piece out of cut and collaged paper.

a really lovely papercut based on this 8 year old's experiences of performing at a play at the Phoenix Theatre last year.

Sarah, a very diligent and talented student from South Downs College came to help for the day.

The Bordon Banner Project has started. 

Two days at the Phoenix Theatre so far and it's all going very well.

One Bordon Junior decided to draw his friend who was sitting opposite him, looking quite cool in the circumstances, wearing a jesters outfit.  I am never ceased to be amazed by the qualities to be found in some children's drawings. This boy was only 8 years old using charcoal for the first time. I think it's a masterpiece.

I took them into the main theatre yesterday to draw, I'd forgotton the pencils and while I was gone they all decided to hide behind the chairs and jump out at me! 

32 children all concentrating, all day, not a one complaint. What a result!

I am really excited to start a new project tomorrow at Bordon, a town near Farnham, in Hampshire.  I've been selected by 'Making Space' to create designs for 'The Phoenix Art Centre and Theatre'.  The Theatre, which is housed in a  former Edwardian school, is undergoing a 'facelift' under the new vision of its director, Rob Allerston.  The new designs we create over the next few weeks will be used to define its' relaunch.  Things will be kicking off early in the morning when 30 junior school children arrive, who'll be invited to explore the theatre and props and 'report back' with drawings and documentation.  I am hoping they'll all be very inspired and use their findings to create wonderful papercut art in the afternoon.

it's all ready and waiting to happen (and very tidy........)