Tuesday, 19 May 2009

Boys and the bible

David Hockney has had a thing or two to say about boys and art in response to one of those daft Ofsted reports that makes you wonder if they could inspect their way out of a cupboard. The report includes a vibrant piece of 'computer art' pictured here.

He says "I was appalled when I read that school inspectors say boys are turned off art when it's too heavily focused on drawing and painting," he said. "It's a bit like saying schools shouldn't be bothering with grammar." Well, we all know they'd never stop teaching grammar, would they?

What about the bible? Are boys turned of by that? Lasty night I was at a session with the Boy's Brigade company section at Brackenhall URC exploring more of the remembered bible. Some great insights into Jesus passion as we remembered around the Easter story. Washing feet was 'just wierd' but betrayal was more recognisable, as was fear and wanting to avoid pain. The streets of Huddsersfield may not be the same as the streets of Jerusalem two thousand years ago, but in the small upper room where we met there was plenty of honest remembering.

Monday, 18 May 2009

Wacky in Wythenshawe


Playing with the Bible for the weekend at St Mark's Wythenshawe was a most creative time. Here are some pariticipants with their bible scrapbooking of the Easter story, from Palms to Pentecost.
You can find the instructions for bible scrapbooking on the Vision4life website. Why not have a go yourselves!

Friday, 8 May 2009

Work in progress

I've had a busy few weeks remembering the bible here and there. As a result of being away I've not been blogging but I do have other work in progress to share, so here's a bit of it.


Inspired by remembering the bible on Holy Island, this is a batik, a technique that uses hot wax to mark out designs on fabric (in this case an old cotton sheet from Oxfam that cost £1.99) in order to allow the artist to build up layers of pattern and colour. I'm about half way through it now. Watch this space...