Tues 23rd - (Field Trip)

 Today was the big day on which the success of the curriculum project was resting and of course the wettest day for 6 weeks, typical. I had guessed rain could be quite likely so all the students were well prepared, with raincoats and umbrellas, but the weather still had a detrimental effect on my grand plans of sketching outside. Despite this and the initial apprehensions of the girls, we managed to take a lot of photographs and collect various interesting samples of flowers, leaves, bark and lichen amongst other things.

 The day started well, i had organised the bus for 10 am so the students could attend thier first two classes which happened to be maths and Irish so that kept the teachers happy. All but one of the students were present, so we headed for the bus on time. My mum came with me as the second adult, so i didnt have to leave the school short of a member of staff. I thought she would be also quite useful because she is enthusiastic and artistically trained and keen to go. The journey to Lismore took approx forty mins as we took the shorter route throught the very picturesque Knockmealdown mountains. I also distributed some reading for the students during the journey that included intersting facts and information about Lismore Heratige including the catherdal and church as well as the Castle. I thought if the weather turned very bad we could re locate to the Cathedral and Heritage Centre as they both have architectual features with historical significance including impressive stained glass windows.

When we arrived we were given a discounted entry, which was a good start and then preceded to the gallery space. Here our guide Catherine discussed who they might apply the tour of the exhibition Leaving Cert questions that could come up that focus on a visit to a gallery or museum and exhibition curating. The students then had a look around the exhibiton of Local Transition year work, based on minimilism and she elaborated and answered any questions. We also discussed various features that you might find in an exhibition space such as natural and artificial lighting, power points and space that are all intended to show the work to its best.

Although the exhibition wasnt by any prolific artist, i think the students actually really enjoyed looking at the work and it also gave them a bench mark of the quality they could and should be able to create, especially as the brief was similar except these students had more time and were working individually. I stilll think that the fact that students of a similar age had made the exhibition more relevent to them.

Next we took some time to have lunch and take a look at past exhibition catalouges and books of the past artists that had exhibited there that were provided. These included well regarded artists like Henry Long.

This then left use with a couple of hours to wonder around the gardens between the down pours. Initially i had let students wander around in small sub groups around the top garden, but i found this unproductive with students trickling back in for shelter. When we re grouped we went down to the bottom garden together which gave me the opportunity to point out things they might otherwise have missed and demonstrate how closely they should look at things. For many of them this seemed to be a strange consept as they are more used to just scanning and picking up on the obvious. I also found that enthusiasm seems to be contageous, aand by the time we were ready to leave the students were showing each other things they had noticed and discussing plants, flowers and sculptures as they explored. They also started collecting samples of flora and bark ect to bring back with them.

Here are some photographs i took as we havent had a chance to re group as a class yet.

Architectual Features

Alge and tree sillouette

Seating and Windows

Permanent Sculptures

Flowers, plants and bark

Fri 12th- I was supposed to start the curriculum project with the fifth years today, but as the trip is not for another ten days, they completed the project they have been working on with a participating artist instead. This is the project they had been working on for quite some time, with the artist Des Dillon. I enjoyed this, as during the previous blocks I had had quite involvement in the project. I took time at the end of the class to give them an over view of the curriculum project and trip to Lismore by outlining the basics i.e. that we would be going on a trip to Lismore Castle where we would be gathering various forms of information, or data to bring back to the classroom with us. This information, be it in the form of photographs, rubbings, sketches, flora samples or catalouges and leaflets, would then be gathered together, with a vew to coming up with a group project, creating a work/works of art/sculpture, inspired by some aspect of thier trip to the castle and gardens.  

I also discovered that unfortunatly four of the students would not be able to come on the trip as they would be away on work experience, which is unfortunate, but it is agreed that other students would gather information for them. They were also quite willing to do a little more indepth research on Lismore Heritage town and the castle and more importantly the artists that have perminant sculptures in Lismore gardens. A better in depth look at these artists and thier other works could also be very inspiring such as the work of Anthony Gormley and his Angel of the North.

 Mon 15th- The class were just finishing off with Des Dillon again today, but i handed out permission slips, to be signed by thier parents and returned and for the E15.00 pp that would cover the bus and entry to the castle and gardens.

5TH YR ART FIELD TRIP TO LISMORE CASTLE, GARDENS AND GALLERY- 23/3/2010

Dear Parent/Guardian


There will be an Art field-trip to Lismore Castle for Fifth year students on Tuesday the 23rd of March 2010.


It is important that all students come as it will be followed up by a four week art project based on student’s sketches and photographs taken on the day.


The overall cost of the trip is €15; this will cover both the bus and entry to the castle.


The students will also be given a short educational tour and talk on a current exhibition in the castle gallery which will cover areas of the Art History and Appreciation in the Leaving Cert Curriculum, so should be very informative.


Students must bring a packed lunch and snacks to keep them going for the day.


The trip will take place during school hours, leaving at 10.06 am and returning in time for the buses at 3.30pm all going to plan.


Students should bring or borrow a camera if at all possible( preferably digital) a sketch book, notepad and various art materials they might need for sketching i.e. conte or compressed charcoal, oil/chalk pastels, ink , pens……….


Rain gear an umbrella and appropriate footwear are essential as they will be spending a lot of time in the garden and grounds outside, so they must be warm enough and prepared for the weather.


This should be a very enjoyable trip especially if we get a bit of sun!!


Please ensure you have your money paid in advance of the trip returned to me along with your permission slip (very important).


Normal School rules apply throughout this trip, manners, co-operation and respect for all is essential.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PERMISSION SLIP FOR TRIP TO LISMORE CASTLE 23/3/2010 (please return this section)


NAME OF STUDENT____________________________________


I GIVE PERMISSION FOR MY DAUGHTER TO ATTEND AND FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THIS TRIP


SIGNED_____________________________________________


PARENT/GUARDIAN CONTACT NUMBER____________________________________


€15 PAID YES


NO

 Fri 19th- I had the 5th years for their double today. As we are not going on the field trip till the following Tuesday I had to think what would be the most beneficial way to spend the time on the run up to the field trip. I decided to bring in some sketchbooks and projects that I had done, and that might apply in some way to what they will be doing. It also gave me an opportunity to demonstrate and show different materials and techniques that are possible and available to them for this project. I brought in much of the work i had done during my portfolio year, this i felt would be beneficial as i had samples of graphic, batik, sculptural, multi-media, and various print tecniques. I also had all the prelim sketchbooks so they could see how i developed my ideas and experimented with materials before completing the final work. This i am hoping will demonstrate how i hope they will progress in their own project.  Along with this I also had set up small organic still lives on each table for them to sketch using various media. The reasoning for this was to get them back into the practise of sketching, capturing important elements such as texture, form and scale effectively. This initially, they didnt appreciate and found 'hard' and 'boring', but with a little persistance and when i explained that they were effectively practicing sketching tecniques that they will need for the field trip they started to see more point to it. I asked them to do various timed sketches, from between 5 and 30 mins, trying to capture the form, texture, shape and colour using various materials. Really it was an excersise to try and get thier eye back into observational drawing, somthing they tell me, they have done very little of. Although there is quite a variety of ability or perhaps interest, thier were some really nice results.

   

 Mon 22nd- Today i just have a single with them so it is a good opportunity to just do a little more back ground reearch with on Lismore with the students. Ideally i would have liked to have gone into the computer room but it is booked up so we have to make do with my lap top, and the classroom computer. I split the girls into pairs and they took turns looking up the lismore castle arts website. The rest of the class looked at various books i provided like the work of Andy Goldsworthy and various books on textiles. We also discussed ligistics of the trip further, and the majority of the students handed back permission slips and money for the trip. 

Michael Craig Martin-Lizanne, Andy and Kate

Michael Craig-Martin

born 1941


Article provided by Grove Art Online www.groveart.com


Irish sculptor and painter, active in England. He moved to the USA with his family in 1945 and studied painting at Yale University, CT (1961–3; 1964–6).


In 1966 Craig-Martin moved to England to teach, and he eventually taught from 1973 at Goldsmiths College in London, where he remained a powerful influence on students through the 1980s and 1990s. His early work made deliberate reference to the American artists he most admired, such as Donald Judd, Jasper Johns and Robert Morris. Although he was particularly affected by Minimalism and used ordinary household materials in his sculptures, he played against the logic of his sources; in Four Identical Boxes with Lids Reversed (painted blockboard, 1969; London, Tate), for example, he created a curious progression by slicing into four identical boxes at different angles and then exchanging their halves.


Craig-Martin continued working in various forms, always maintaining an elegant restraint and conceptual clarity. During the 1990s the focus of his work shifted decisively to painting, with the same range of boldly outlined motifs and luridly vivid colour schemes in unexpected (and at times apparently arbitrary) combinations applied both to works on canvas, such as Knowing (1996; London, Tate) and to increasingly complex installations of wall paintings. For his one-man exhibition at the Kunstverein Hannover in 1998, Craig-Martin transformed the galleries into a series of environments of luscious colour, onto which he painted his characteristic motifs of tables, chairs and stepladders and also hung paintings, reliefs and wall-mounted sculptures.

Mainie Jellett- Cornelia, Catherine and Ann

Gregory Crewdson- Caroline, Olatz and Bernadette

Cecily Brown - Orla, Michael and Edel

Victor Vasarely - Debby, Henry and Sinead