Classes at Trinity

Art Classes continue at Trinity Catholic School, three night as week
Wed & Thurs 6.30- 9pm
Fri 3.30- 6pm
Adults £10 children £3
 These are very small classes tayloured to develop your work what ever stage you're at, in what ever medium is relvant (2&3D).
Students range from people that haven't picked up a pencil or paint brush in 20 years to post graduate level.
I ask for no up front payments  as I realise that its often hard to find the time & space to do creative work on a regular basis,
Materials;Bring what you have, we’ll discuss what you need and where to get them.

I work along side the students the above image I painted this week in acrylic.



If you are interested in attending, or have questions don’t hesitate to email or ring me;
Helena Godwin 01926743358
Helena.godwin@ntlworld.com

Jubilee front garden

Folk art has its routs in the community, art that ordinary people make and tend to use to decorate their home and garden. In the UK we tend to think of Folk art as something from the past. Through this project I want to show that folk art is both modern and vibrant.

In the USA Bottle trees are very popular. Originally the slaves from the Congo placed coloured glass bottles on trees outside their house or hut to attract the evil spirits, they get trapped in the bottle instead of coming into the house (put a little cooking oil round the neck to help them slip in).

Making art and decorating ones home is very much part of what makes us human.
Folk art will always reflect the Community where it is based.
Helena Godwin chose the 60^th Jubilee
The Queen’s reign has been a significant part of all our lives, weather or not you approve of the Royals. In theses days of austerity lets celebrate some thing positive.

The Queen’s Jubilee suggests bling , the objects used have been chosen because the are of little or no monetary value but they sparkle like the crown jewels.
So if you have the time over the jubilee bank holiday weekend, please come along, have a look and meet the artist.

bottle garden gets another letter from the council

I have spent the weekend giving my garden a really good clean and tidy front and back

I received another letter from the council thanking me for removing the jam jars from along the fence and replacing them with CDs. but broken glass in areas of my garden, means I am breach of my tenancy agreement which states:4.3 if the property includes a garden or yard, you must keep it tidy and/or well cultivated.

I have removed all broken glass and taken it to the tip with other rubbish

 the only broken glass I have not removed is an integral part of the above piece of Artwork. in this piece I have used bottles whole and broken used to represent how our society throws away so much that is perfectly good dismissing its remaining use and/or beauty. Totally unable to understand that something broken could have some use. I also think we treat people like this. I will change this piece so that the broken glass is safely contained in the tank.

 does this look  untidy and/or not cultivated.

Childrens workshops

Introducing children to different materials and simple techniques

can really set off their imaginations

Willow and tissue there are so many possibilities

Issue based youth workshops

As a community artist I have worked with all age groups

Art is a very good vehicle when discussing issues with teenagers.

such as personal identity and human rights

My Acrylic Painting

Although I have always enjoyed painting and drawing. I don't find colour easy.I remember one of my first efforts being described as a techno colour yawn.

I taught painting and drawing at Warwickshire college for three years
to do this I had to study colour theory and composition.

My advise to anyone starting out or trying to get back into it

try and relax and enjoy your self

start to play and your skill will develop with practice

Watercolour Seascape: Lesson 1

Washes

1) Lay paper flat in landscape orientation (longer sides top and bottom). Put in horizon line with masking tape. Watch tape doesn’t take the paper up when removing. Place tape a third down from top. Dividing the page into thirds makes a good composition.

 

2) Place a small bit of ultramarine on palette. Use a big soft brush. To make a wash add lots of water so it becomes just coloured water. If you get streaks use a little clean water to blend it.

3) Wet top third (background) with clean water, work from tape up using large clean soft brush.

Paint ultramarine wash over wet area, work from tape up. Brush strokes in one direction across the page. Don’t worry if colour is faint, you can always give it another coat. Move paper to roll paint around.

 

4) Peel off tape and turn paper 90 degrees and repeat steps 2 and 3. Don’t worry if the 2nd wash overlaps. Use cerulean wash to lower two thirds and violet around the horizon line (violet will give the picture depth) Leave to dry.

5) Turn picture upside down so the bottom is at the top, paint thin burnt umber wash down towards horizon and leave some areas not covered. Repeat 5) using thicker paint darkest round the edges covering most of the lower third, the foreground. 

6) Select a smaller flat brush, turn picture the right way up.Use burnt umber wash to put in distant bay near or along the horizon line and add texture to the foreground. Over lay washes to get darker areas. Lines going across the page will help the landscape sructure.  Make use of the flat of the brush when painting lines.

7) Use sap green to add grass to foreground and background. Use Vermillion over the green to give darker areas. Use opposite colours overlaid to tone down colours.

8) Add lemon yellow flowers in foreground and try putting in detail in other colours. Reds and yellows in foreground, blue and purple in background, blue and green in the middle. Try making different types of mark with a piece of credit card, sponge tissue etc.

9) white clouds and the wave crests can either be put in in white after( you may need acrylic titanian white) or use masking fluid at stage 1)

My Bottle garden contiues to grow

areas of bottles and pots helps keep down the bind weed 

gives the garden colour light and texture,

also some interesting patterns and shapes

 I gave the local kids chalk in exchange for CDs if my project is to survive I need them on my side

and make this piece truly community based

bottle front garden, the story so far; using my resourses in a different way

After several trips to collect bottles, I realised I had to do something with them

About this time it occurred to me I was ignoring a major resource;

my font garden.
 I rather euphemistically called it my wild life area. I live on a main road running south out of Leamington Spa. It is a natural gathering place with a large pavement all round and can be viewed well from the road.

 when I moved in a 4 years ago groups of teenagers use to hang around cause trouble and a lot of litter. I have gradually discouraged this.

bottle front garden, the story so far; finding a time machine

 I found a old bottle dump, when grieving my father who died june 2011. I walked over a patch of industrial wastegroud that I had been looking over (during my tea breaks), whilst lecturing at Warwickshire college. I had a reocuring dream I am blissfully happy finding buried houses containing bottles

hiden away I discoved I found bottles everywhere, I was in heaven.
It was like a time machine instantly transported to my childhood in worcester.
At the time it took me away from the ever present grief for a few hours very healing and relaxing.

I have visited this site every month or so ever since removing hundreds of bottles.

my jam jars break health & safety

2 ladies from the council came round today to ask me why, I have bottles in my garden 

they took photos and said my jam jars break health & safety regulations.

I have removed them and I will replace with CDs. I like how exterior forces such as the neighbourhood, the weather and the council help shape my installation

 I explained that 1)bottle trees are very popular folk art in the USA.
2) I'm an artist expressing myself in my own garden for the Jubilee.
3).my work has been stolen from my back garden, my workshop blows down regularly and I have no funding so, I have used the only resource I have.
4) my garden looks a lot better than it has ever done, better than most of the neighbours,
5) there was a lot more vandalism and antisocial behaviour happening on the corner next to my house when I first moved in 4 years ago. I feel I have had an influence in the area

If they say I can't have a bottle garden I will have to protest.

Bottles in the rain

This week I have been give some beautiful blue bottles

  (ta Trish)

I've been trying out patterns and design for my jubilee display

Dark blue glass contained in a broken fish tank.. I like the combination of colours &; shapes, both man made and natural.

dome at end of garden is looking curious, I've been trying out threading wire through broken bottles with limited success. I will cover it in old Cd's. Anyone got any let me know Ta