We’ve had a fantastic summer of creativity at ArtisOn, with two brilliant workshops giving our younger makers the chance to get stuck in, try something new and, most importantly, have fun making!
Our Automaton Workshop was a complete sell-out, and it was wonderful to see the studio transformed into a hive of inventors, artists and engineers. Using simple mechanical mechanisms, the children designed and built their own moving creations, learning how cams and movement work before letting their imaginations take over.
And what a wonderfully imaginative bunch they were! We had flying dragons, jumping sheep, snapping crocodiles and a frog catching a fly, alongside a rather memorable postman being chased by a rabid dog! Each creation was completely different, with the children using cardboard, air-drying clay, fabric and other materials to bring their characters and scenes to life.
We also welcomed a group of young artists for a day of mono printing, where the emphasis was very much on experimenting and seeing what happened. They explored a whole range of techniques, from painterly marks and stencils to line drawing, creating colourful one-off prints along the way. They also had the chance to use our etching press, (always a favourite), and turned some of their prints into handmade books.
It was brilliant to see just how willing everyone was to experiment, make mistakes, try again and discover what they could create.
