Banner Making at Rockcliffe

Screen Printed Designs

My major project of last week was being at Rockcliffe C of E Primary School doing two days of banner making with the students. Last year I worked with the school as part of my job at Heathlands and it was such a nice place to work that I asked if they wanted a freelance artist to work with them. Luckily for me they said yes and said they wanted to do a banner for the Olympics. So, I put my thinking cap on and came up with a design. I'm currently somewhat regretting this design as it involves making 5 3D rings which are proving rather more problematic than I anticipated. However, the bit where I was in school working with the students was great fun.

Collagraph Patch

I worked with each different class group and taught each group a different printing technique. Each class group had chosen a colour and continent relating to the Olympic rings and looked at the Olympic values as a starting point for their designs. I got each group to print on their chosen colour fabric in the same colour (e.g. green on green) to keep the finished rings looking professional but I did use puff binder so that the designs would stand out and make the banner more tactile. Each child had a patch of fabric which they printed on and I'm currently sewing them all together to make the rings.I think the children really enjoyed the process and have come up with some great results. There are several things I would change were I to do this project again but that's all part of the experience!

Block Printed Patches

The staff were all really supportive, even though I turned their class rooms into mess pits and I hope to work with the school again. I'm looking forward to running an after school session for parents and members of the community to make the patches for the final ring next week.

Lino Printed Patch

(Almost) finished ring. This is going to be big

Lino Prints stitched together

Cyclist

Strip of patches hanging over my door