Instead of taking the five strands upwards, this technique takes them outwards to create a more rounded form.

The GCSE students have been working on more complex shapes and weaves over the last few weeks, they are going to be designing their own sculpture for the school using some of the techniques I have taught them. 

Here’s some of the work they did with a five stranded weave using paper construction straws.

When the trapped leafs are illuminated from behind the leaf shapes are really clear, some pieces that didn’t seem to work well before the final layer of tissue was added was transformed with the addition of a light source.

Week 3. This week we carried on from the Andy Goldsworthy inspired work using natural materials to create pattern, texture and tone to creating work that would be illuminated.

Leafs and flower petals had been pressed in a flower press for a few weeks and the children had to select their materials based on pattern and shape only. The chosen leafs were laid on acid free wet strength tissue paper in their desired pattern, once the pattern was finished the items were trapped by covering with a second piece of tissue coated with PVA glue.

Bruising is another method used by Andy Goldsworthy, using your finger nail to rub sections of the leaf to discolour areas by bruising work well to add another tone of colour to the leaves. Some of the children worked with their nails to create patterns on the leaves.

Some children used lots of textures to create larger scale work.

Another student created miniature art work with tiny sections of the conifer which took a lot of patience 

One student created a series of tiny sections of bark covered with multitudes of the same plant material, they work well individually and as a collection.  

Other art work was created by using the smallest sections of the plant material to create intricate patterns and shapes.