Wire Sculpture Workshops

A Contradiction

2009-10-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

I spent last weekend at Stockport Story Museum working with some of the audience development team and some local young people to create an installation. The installation is to be part of the the Urban Revolution: We Are Here exhibition that opens on the 10th November. The exhibition has been created and curated by the young people who volunteer at the museum.

The installation has been designed to show the young peoples' reactions to headlines in the media; the headlines are the sort that label all young people as bad and highlight the negative. The sculpture is designed to concentrate on the positive and as it happens the majority.

The first day was spent experimenting with different types of sculpture, we started with wire:

Then moved on to wood:

And finally clay:

The idea was to choose what materials everyone would like to use the following day for their sculptures. We also chose to use tree cross sections and branches to represent the new knowledge gained by the people who have visited the exhibition.
This is the final installation:

And some close ups of the individual sculptures that were made:

I really enjoyed my time at the Museum, it's a great place to visit and everyone was welcoming. I'm really pleased with the sculptures and the installation and can't wait to see it in the exhibition.

Moorside High School

2009-07-17T05:50:00.000-07:00

I went in to Moorside High School this week to help some year 8 pupils make sculptures for the Science garden at the school.

We started the morning off with some stick men to get used to the new materials and find different ways of working with the wire...

We then moved on to some sculptures for the garden, the pupils were given a few hints about how to start with these flowers but the rest they made up themselves and they came up with some really great ideas...

Then in the afternoon we moved on to bugs, some of the bugs were based on pictures that had been brought in and others were completely made up...

These sculptures are going to look great decorating the walls of the garden, they can be secured into the ground or attached to a trellis. They could also be painted with spray paints to add a bit of colour, but I quite like them as they are.

Saturday Creative Club IV

2009-06-29T05:10:00.000-07:00

This week was my last Creative Club with Borderland Voices. I'm really sad to leave the group but am really happy with all the things that they have learnt. Julie was here to help today and all the girls had some useful hints to help her with her wire sculpture. This is what she came up with...

We decided to make different things this week so we had some wonderful different designs. Ashleigh had finished off her horse at home and brought him/her in for us to see...

She also put some paper onto her Dragonfly's wings which looks great!

Then she made this lizzard...(again thanks to Paul for providing us with the background)

And then this for Tip our little visitor...

Holly made this brilliant elephant...

and quickly put together this bird for her Mum...

Aber spent a lot of time on this rabbit and I think it was really worth the effort...

And quickly made this tiny frog before having to go...

I made a little Tip sculpture too. I really enjoyed my workshops with Borderland Voices, thank you for having me!

St Ethelwold's Primary School

2009-06-29T04:51:00.000-07:00

My last workshop for Oriel Wrecsam was with St Ethelwold's Primary School. I had already been there last week to do some animation workshops...

Again we started with the pipe cleaners...

and quickly moved on to the trickier garden wire...

And finally we made some beautiful butterflies!

The butterflies were decorated with pipe cleaners and all looked great!

Brynteg Primary School II

2009-06-29T04:44:00.001-07:00

My second day at Brynteg was with Mrs Pugh's class. We started with the pipe cleaner men...

Then practiced with the garden wire...

Then attempted to make some Japanese rice bowls. Inspired by a subject the class were already working with...

Mrs Pugh said that the class might work on the bowls again, perhaps decorating them with papier mache so that they can paint them.

Brynteg Primary School I

2009-06-23T09:06:00.001-07:00

This Monday I went to visit Mrs Wells' class at Brynteg Primary School. Throughout the day I taught the class some wire sculpture and this is what they created.

The first task was to make some stick men out of pipe cleaners...

We then moved on to using more sophisticated techniques with the garden wire...

And finally we put ourselves to the test to create some Giraffes...

I had a really great day with the class and it was wonderful to see them picking up the wire sculpture skills so quickly. Thank you for having me!

Saturday Creative Club III

2009-06-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

This weekend we put our skills to the test to make some four legged animals.

We started with a demonstration of a Giraffe, Holly and Aber came up with some great ones...

Ashleigh of course chose to do something a little different a created this cute little cat...

Then we had a bit of a play which resulted in this pair of glasses...

and this little puppy, inspired by our visitor Tip(?) who might be joining us again next week...

Ashleigh started a horse but has taken him home to finish, so we'll see what he looks like next week.

Saturday Creative Club II

2009-06-15T04:23:00.000-07:00

This week we attempted some tricky larger scale bugs, we had some Butterflies...

and a Dragon Fly...

With Sheena just making one up...

I think they all look great especially with the Moon Scape background, thanks Paul. With the spare couple of minutes we had left we made some tiny spiders...

and a mosquito too!

Saturday Creative Club I

2009-06-06T05:18:00.000-07:00

This morning we started the next series of Wire Sculpture Workshops at Borderland Voices in Leek. Once again we started with stick men to get to grips with the wire. We then moved on to some cute little bugs.

We decorated our stick men a bugs by giving them beads for eyes.

Sheena managed to finish her parachuting man, and he is now hanging proudly in the Borderland Voices window!

Wire Sculpture with John and Alec

2009-05-28T08:52:00.000-07:00

One of my last days at The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery was spent delivering a wire sculpture workshop to two of my colleagues.

Let's see how well they did.

Alec came up with a much deliberated over swimmer...

And John delivered this impressive guitarist, guitar and Fender Junior Tweed (correct me if I'm wrong) amp ensemble!
Many references were made to Keith Richards, especially following the discovery of the guitarist's lack of balance.

Together they make the front half of a rock band, with audience and diving lead singer!

And I made this punt/gondola with woman and brolly-that I have since changed to be the correct way around.

Creative Club at Borderland Voices IV

2009-05-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

This week was the last Monday night session at Borderland Voices. Everybody demonstrated how much they have learned with these amazing sculptures.

Rob made a lizard...

and a bug for him to eat...

although it looks to me more like the bug would eat the lizard!

George started with a dinosaur, or was it a stick man? No it was a Gorilla!And then he made this rather brilliant dragon!
And Cameron made this snake as well as providing us with all these wonderful backgrounds.

Stuart was with us again and he made yet another spider!

Then followed a few collaborative projects including this George and the Dragon scene by Katie, Stuart and Cameron.
And Rob and Katie were put to the test to create some portraits in response to Stuart's self portrait.Then finally we did a bit of experimental photography, moving the sculptures around and came up with 'Talking Heads'

Thank you to everyone for taking part!

Creative Club at Borderland Voices III

2009-05-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

The third week of wire sculpture workshops and everyone seems to be getting on really well. Stuart Porter was helping out this week so we tested his sculpting talents too.

Some more spiders were made this week. This was Amy's

and this was Stuart's (not bad for a first attempt).

He also made this 'very exciting' washing machine

There were more interesting creatures.

Cameron made his into key rings which is a great idea.

Then finally we had a portrait

and a great recreation of Isaac Newton's moment of genius.

During the workshops we have also been experimenting with beads and pipe cleaners for decoration and detail.

Creative Club at Borderland Voices II

2009-05-17T02:52:00.001-07:00

Word has spread and we had double the attendants for the second session. This week we finished off the spiders...

... and elaborated a bit more on the stick men.

We really like how the sculptures create shadows on the white back ground.

Creative Club at Borderland Voices

2009-05-04T13:21:00.000-07:00

I've just started a series of after school workshops at Borderland Voices in Leek. The first session was on a bank holiday so we were a bit low on attendants but the two lads who came made some really great first wire sculptures.

We started by making stick men then we gave them accessories, they included a skier...

...and a baby in a bed.

We also started some spiders but they are a work in progress so I'll put up some pictures when they are finished.

Give me your Hand

2009-04-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

As part of the Beyond Brick Program in Lozells and East Handsworth I have been commissioned along with artist Anna Francis to deliver the Give me Your Hand project. Please see www.beyondbricks.blogspot.com. As part of the project we delivered a wire sculpture wall hanging workshop to a group of Year 5 pupils at Heathfield Primary School.

During the 2.5 hour workshop we demonstrated simple wire sculpture techniques starting with drawing and stick men. We then moved on to creating our own section of a wall hanging and eventually put all the pieces together and this is what we ended up with.

Blythe Bridge Last Day

2009-02-11T12:53:00.001-08:00

The last session of the Wire Sculpture Workshops at Blythe Bridge Library went really well. On the first session I showed the group a bike made from wire, which they all said they thought they wouldn't be able to make. But after learning a few simple techniques over the past few weeks including these stick men and bugs:

they all made really great bikes. Here are a few of them:

Blythe Bridge Library

2009-02-07T14:55:00.000-08:00

In January and February 2009 I worked with a group of young people at Blythe Bridge library. Teaching them drawing and sculpting techniques. We started with stick men and worked into 3D spiders, bugs and other creatures.

Penycae Youth Club

2009-02-07T14:46:00.000-08:00

In November 2008 and January 2009 I worked with Penycae Youth Club, Wrexham. Teaching wire sculpure techniques. We created lots of exciting sculptures from simple stick men sculptures to complex canoes and bugs.

Big Draw-Leek Library

2009-02-07T14:42:00.000-08:00

Also in October 2008 I worked with young people at Leek Library to create sculptures that represented the Nicholson Building, the library building in Leek.

Borderland Voices-Land of the Churnet

2009-02-07T14:35:00.000-08:00

In October 2008 I worked with Borderland Voices, arts and mental health group in Leek, to create sculptures that represented the theme Land of the Churnet. The sculptures were inspired by the River Churnet.

Meir Community Group-Christmas Card

2009-02-07T14:31:00.000-08:00

I worked with Meir Community Group in November 2007 to create a large scale wire sculpture that could be used as a Christmas decoration, but also be photographed to make a christmas card.

Contact

2009-02-07T14:30:00.001-08:00

katie.shipley@btinternet.com

www.katieshipley.com

What Happens in a Wire Sculpture Workshop?

2009-02-07T14:20:00.000-08:00

I am a contemporary artist and I use wire sculpture as part of my practice. The Wire Workshops involve exploring an object through drawing, learning wire sculpture techniques and finally creating a wire sculpture to take home. The workshops can cover either drop in sessions i.e. at fairs, markets or festivals, or lesson/group sessions between ½ day and 2 days. This blog is to record the sculptures made during the workshops that I deliver.