textiles issue - The National Society for Education in Art and Design

Hands-on in the classroomVisitwww.gamthi.comHands-on in the classroomIndianinspirationNaomi Renouf, textile artist and art anddesign coordinator at St Lawrence PrimarySchool in Jersey, shows how Indiantextiles can inspire textile and mixedmediaart projects for Key Stage 2.India is a topic studied annually in Year 5 atSt Lawrence School and art always has ahigh profile. This has led to a variety ofrelated art projects, most of which involvetextiles in some way, being developedover a number of years.Background: Gujarati patchworkwall-hangingsGujarati wall-hangings are colourful andhighly decorative. They are made ofsections of clothing that has been worn forspecial events such as weddings, religiousceremonies and festivals. These may befamily heirlooms, passed down fromgeneration to generation until they areeventually replaced by newer garments.Sections of these garment are then‘recycled’ to make patches in beautiful wallhangings. These wall hangings can beused in school as a stimulus for children toproduce their own interesting texturedwork using a variety of media.Mixed-media texturedpicturesLearning objectives• to consider pattern, colour andcomposition in decorative Indian textiles• to create pattern and texture using avariety of mediaPreparationShow the children a suitable hanging. Theseare widely available in markets and shops inthe UK and on the internet. Look carefully atthe construction and the layout, and at thepatterns made by the embroidery, beads,sequins and mirrors. The children can drawsome of these patterns in their sketchbooksin preparation for working on their finishedpieces.Painting the paperGive the children pre-cut paper and askthem to divide it up in a similar way to thewall hanging, using a pencil. Once theyhave done this they can paint each areawith acrylic paint. Let them choose andmix their colours, and encourage variety –they don’t need to be the same as thehanging. Once the paper is completelycovered, leave it to dry.Decorating the surfacePattern and texture can be created in anumber of ways, but it is a good idea tooutline the painted patches of colour first.This can be done with 3D paint or paintmixed with PVA glue in a plastic bottlewith a nozzle (it gives a thicker line than 3Dpaint but is much cheaper). It can also bedone with string or similar thread, or evenwith a line of glue with coloured sandsprinkled on it. Patterns can then be builtup within the coloured areas in the sameway. Pipe cleaners can be twisted intosuitable shapes and stuck on (don’t usethe brightly coloured chenille ones as theyare very difficult to stick on). They can bepainted with metallic paint afterwards.Beads, sequins, buttons, pieces of lace,textiles and threads can all be used tobuild up the surface and create somethingrichly patterned and interesting.Resourcescartridge paper (calico could also beused), acrylic paint, PVA glue, 3D fabricpaint, string, sand, textiles, pipe-cleaners,metallic paints, plastic applicator bottles,e.g. washed out hair-dye bottles (forthicker lines), beads, buttons, sequinsand other suitable bits and piecesBead and sequin workFor this next activity, you can use a Gujaratihanging, embroidered sari fabric or otherexamples of Indian textiles. Other shapescould be used, but the motif that we nowcall paisley is particularly suitable. Thisshape was originally a representation ofthe teardropped-shaped leaf of the Chenartree and was found on Kashmiri shawls.Learning objectives• to look at pattern and shape• to stitch objects on to a surface• to look at typical patterning in Indiantextiles• to create an individual interpretation ofpart of a patternWhat to doShow the children examples of Indiantextiles with suitable patterns andbeadwork. Get each child to draw a simpleoutline shape on their piece of fabric. Alength of thick decorative thread can thenbe couched in place on top of this outlineshape by stitching over the top of thethread at intervals along its length. Beadsand sequins can then be arranged andstitched around it. To keep sequins inplace, stitch up through the fabric andsequin, then stitch though a small beadand back though the sequin and fabric.If you don’t want to sew, you can do thesame activity using 3D fabric paints. Whilethe paint is still wet, you can place beadsand sequins in the paint and they willremain in place when it dries, or they canbe attached afterwards using PVA glue.ResourcesSmall pieces of coloured cotton, thread,needles, needle-threaders, beads,sequins, thick decorative threadsBlock-printed fabricsThe art of making Indian block-print textileshas survived from ancient times to thepresent. The three main tools used in thisprocess are the wooden blocks, the fabricand the dye. It takes carvers days to createan intricate design in a block of teak for useas a printing block, but blocks are availableto buy and are great for using in school. Ifyou want to create your own, lino-cutting isa good alternative.Some good examples of Indianblock-printed fabric can be seen atwww.gamthi.com.START THE MAGAZINE FOR PRIMARY AND PRE-SCHOOL TEACHERS OF ART, CRAFT AND DESIGNSTART THE MAGAZINE FOR PRIMARY AND PRE-SCHOOL TEACHERS OF ART, CRAFT AND DESIGN