Adopt an Artist: Running with Scissors

Adopt an Artist: Running with Scissors
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Adopt an Artist
Adopt an Artist was a pilot partnership project involving art
students from Edinburgh College of Art and teaching students
from Moray House School of Education. The students were
asked to devise activities for young learners in schools inspired
by works from the National Galleries of Scotland’s collections.
The use of artists and artworks in the classroom encourages
unique approaches to learning and a visual understanding of
concepts. It places creativity at the heart of subjects whereby
the normal rules are broken and the learner’s imagination is
allowed to ‘run away with scissors!’
The project aimed to demonstrate how art can be used
successfully and imaginatively across the curriculum, to have
an impact on the future of education and embed the role of art
and artists in the classroom.
The Task
Participating Schools:
Beeslack Community High
George Heriot’s
Leith Academy
North Berwick High
The Royal High
Queensferry Community High
The Moray House teaching students were asked to ‘Adopt an
Artist’ (an art student from Edinburgh College of Art) and plan
together to address the needs of the young learners in the
classroom, enabling creative learning. This involved creating
a set of activities, inspired by art works from the National
Gallery of Scotland, to teach the subjects Mathematics, English
Language and Art & Design.
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Rowena Ashrad, The Dean of Moray House, School of Education, requests that if you do
nothing more than skim this book, please read these words from Callum Arthur, one of the
PGDE student teachers of Maths:
“I’m a student maths teacher and art is sort of the furthest thing on my mind really when it
comes to day-to-day teaching and day-to-day life. Art doesn’t really factor in. And so when
this opportunity came up I was thinking, “Wow, this is a really wonderful opportunity to try
something different, to really push myself in terms of my teaching practice and in terms of
my own mathematical skills. How can I apply this and create something that people will want
to look at?” I was working at North Berwick High School with a third year class. It was a great
opportunity to play to the strengths of the learners in front of me. Many weren’t very good
at mathematics... but so many of them were fantastic at getting involved in practical projects
and being creative and really working hands on to build something. So to be able to deliver
the mathematics in that way brought out a whole new side to the learners that I was working
with and enabled them to show me that actually they’ve got so many skills, so many talents,
so many things to offer me that I wasn’t seeing by delivering mathematics in a traditional way.
In moving forward from this project as a maths teacher, I’ve seen that I need to try different
things. I need to take risks, I need to run with scissors and be creative and imaginative in the
way that we deliver mathematics, English and art because kids can do amazing things if we
give them that opportunity.”
The Adoptive Process Began
Students met each other at Edinburgh College of Art, where
Moray House teaching students delivered presentations in
their subject areas (Mathematics, English and Art) and ECA
Art students introduced their work in the form of Pecha Kucha
presentations. Afterwards the students got into groups.
Mary Hartley
Katy Thomson
Nikolaos Karavellas*
Morgan Orr*
Olivia Turner*
Frankie Burr
Ashley Bradley
Amy Brown
Anna Gleizer
Anna Marks
Anya Gleizer
Sophie Warden
Daryl McKee
Carol Duff
Francesca Hawker
Hazel Powell
Claire Fruish
Lucas Galley-Greenwood
Callum Arthur
Hannah Jayne Deans
Robyn Paul
Karen Spence
Alice Chandler
Ned Armstrong
Ed Compson
Our Adopted Families
Michelle O‘Donoghue
Helen Leigh
Florin Macanu*
Caroline Smith
* Not Pictured
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The National Galleries of Scotland
Jo Mawdsley introduced the students to the Education Department at the
National Galleries of Scotland, outlining the different types of learning that
takes place there. Students then began to discuss together in their groups,
identifying the art works they wanted to work with from the collection.
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A Valuable Lesson
Student teachers planned and delivered lessons in
their own subject areas, which offered the art students
the opportunity to experience a teaching and learning
environment across the curriculum. Teaching through
art, the student teachers of Maths demonstrated the
unpredictability of form and shape; student teachers
of English encouraged creative writing inspired by
painting; and student teachers of Art showed the joy of
making in a group.
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The Project in Practice
The following pages detail the artist students, student teachers and schools involved in the project; the subject
areas they were working in; the artworks they chose to work with from the National Galleries of Scotland;
documentation of the creative diaries they made along the way; and the final display boards they created for
the exhibition at the National Galleries of Scotland to present the process to the public.
p.12 Beeslack Community High School
p.22 North Berwick High School
p.16 George Heriot’s School
p.28 The Royal High School
p.20 Leith Academy
p.32 Queensferry Community High School
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Beeslack Community High School
Moray House Student: Caroline Smith
We worked with an S1 class
ECA Students: Ned Armstrong & Ed Compson
at Beeslack Community High
Supervising Teacher: Jacqueline Teasdale
over 4 consecutive lessons
Subject: Art and Design
to develop visual responses
Year Group: S1
to the painting Poets’ Pub by
NGS Artwork: Poets’ Pub by Alexander Moffat
Alexander Moffat.
The students began discussing the painting
before selecting a section to recreate. They were
encouraged to respond to colour and shape, whilst
learning about scale and proportion. The class then
worked in small groups, using their imagination
to respond to pieces by the poets in the painting.
Although challenging, they all produced unique
illustrations inspired by the poems.
The class responded well to the visiting artists and
appeared to benefit from the learning experience.
This process was positive for all involved and will
certainly encourage similar projects in the future.
- Caroline Smith, Ned Armstrong & Ed Compson
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Beeslack Community High School
Moray House Student: Karen Spence
Whilst looking at poetry within the English
ECA Students: Robyn Paul & Alice Chandler
curriculum, we focused on haikus, short three lined
Supervising Teacher: Jacqueline Teasdale
poems, often derived from nature. To introduce
Subject: English
the project, we showed a work by the Boyle Family
Year Group: S2
named Tidal Series that embraces place, site and
NGS Artwork: Tidal Series by The Boyle Family
nature. The artists wrote their own haikus from this
artwork to help the students visualize how their
poems may become artwork also.
From this inspiration, the students wrote their own
haikus, with nature as the focal point, similarly to
that of the Boyle Family. Using origami, line drawing
and some other forms of construction (sometimes
involving elements from nature itself!) we brought
the poems to life. Paper birds, butterflies, drawings
of the weather and plants now decorate the English
corridors of Beeslack High, each decorated with the
student’s own haiku poetry.
- Karen Spence, Robyn Paul & Alice Chandler
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George Heriot’s School
Moray House Student: Amy Brown
We began with a question: How can we meaningfully
ECA Student: Anna Gleizer
incorporate art into Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet?
Supervising Teacher: Monique Massie
Subject: English
Year Group: S2
NGS Artwork: The Kiss by Auguste Rodin and
Francesca da Rimini by William Dyce
We came together in George Heriot’s school from
different backgrounds: Anna Marks and Anya Gleizer
were artists from Edinburgh College of Art, Amy
Brown – a student teacher and Monique Massie – the
class teacher. We were faced with the challenge of
bringing Romeo and Juliet, a 16th century tragedy,
into the modern age ensuring that the students were
aware of the contemporary relevance of the play.
Using art to build a hands-on metaphor enabled
the children to understand that a shadow or a
silhouette, obscures details but presents instead an
iconic outline – the image of a pair of star-crossed
lovers: Romeo and Juliet. The children’s art, created
collaboratively through shadow, light, and silhouette
demonstrates this concept.
- Amy Brown & Anna Gleizer
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George Heriot’s School
Moray House Student: Sophie Warden
Taking inspiration from David Mach’s choice of
ECA Student: Daryl McKee
materials (matchsticks), we created tonal drawings of
Supervising Teacher: Carole McGirr
African animals made up solely of circles. We used
Subject: Art & Design
smaller circles for darker areas and larger circles for
Year Group: S1
lighter areas of tone.
NGS Artwork: Matchead by David Mach
We then explored texture, setting up different
stations using different materials including raffia
plaiting, paper beading, mixed media surfaces and
paper sculpture.
We drew our milk bottles from observation as the
base of our masks. Then we designed our masks by
applying the different techniques we had learnt to
our drawing.
We collaged over our milk bottles with tissue paper
and used paper pulp to add structure. We then
decorated our masks using the objects we had
created during the technique workshops.
- Sophie Warden & Daryl McKee
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Leith Academy
Moray House Student: Michelle O‘Donoghue
It was a cold spring Tuesday morning when our
ECA Students: Helen Leigh & Florin Mocanu
journey at Leith Academy began. Maths and Art were
Supervising Teacher: William Mackay
soon to be acquainted. The students were ready and
Subject: Mathematics
waiting for their class to begin, sitting curiously in
Year Group: S1
their seats thinking; how are we ever going to have
NGS Artwork: Edinburgh (from Sailsbury Crags) by
an art lesson in maths?
William Crozier
As the crayons & jigsaw pieces were handed out
some cheered and some groaned. There was an
element of mystery throughout the project, ‘is it an
Elephant?’ One student asked as ideas rumoured
around the classroom as to what it would be.
Panic and excitement set in on the last day to
complete the jigsaw and unveil the masterpiece!
Everything was coloured and soon the whole class
gathered to discover what their team work had led to
produce.
- Michelle O‘Donoghue,
Helen Leigh &
Florin Macanu
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North Berwick High School
Moray House Student: Hannah Jayne Deans
Students at North Berwick have been investigating
ECA Students: Hazel Powell & Francesca Hawker
the varied and exciting ways that artists have
Supervising Teacher: Sheila Calder
responded to their environment. We have been
Subject: Art and Design
involved in lots of critical discussions and activities
Year Group: S1
exploring both the traditional methods of making
NGS Artwork: The Spider by Alexander Calder
artwork as well as other more unconventional
methods, and these have been challenging our
pre-conceptions of what constitutes “art”.
Students have concluded their journey by making
artworks out of wire, inspired by the wire sculptural
work of Alexander Calder and a trip to the beach.
They have been developing their sculptural skills to
make some fantastic sculptural fish; these have also
been enriched with texture and details using close
observations of fish and small objects collected at
the beach.
- Hannah Jayne Deans, Hazel Powell &
Francesca Hawker
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North Berwick High School
Moray House Student: Claire Fruish
“Who is this man?” Miss Fruish asked our class, S2
ECA Student: Lucas Galley-Greenwood
pupils at North Berwick High School.
Supervising Teacher: Mr Fell
Subject: English
Year Group: S2
NGS Artwork: Colonel Alastair Ranaldson Macdonell of
Glengarry by Sir Henry Raeburn
Normally we have English lessons run by Mr Fell,
but we had a nice surprise when Miss Fruish and Mr
Galley-Greenwood said we would create artwork for
the National Art Gallery.
We were shown a portrait but not told who the
man was. Some thought he was advertising IrnBru, whereas others said he was telling civilians to
join the army. From our ideas, we created collage
propaganda posters.
In the end it was revealed the painting was Henry
Raeburn’s ‘Colonel Alastair Ranaldson Macdonell
of Glengarry’. The project made us understand
propaganda and its uses around the world.
- Hannah Dalrymple & Amy Dempster, S2
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North Berwick High School
Moray House Student: Callum Arthur
The first challenge was to find an artwork that would
ECA Student: Carol Duff
provide a stimulating and exciting starting point for a
Supervising Teacher: Amer Habib
series of lessons through which pattern and 3-D nets
Subject: Mathematics
were to be studied.
Year Group: S3
NGS Artwork: 1.7.68 by John Hoyland
The painting by John Hoyland is deceptively simple:
regular shapes and restricted colours, so the second
challenge arose from the use of those forms and
colour in an investigation into different permutations
of pattern. Additionally the students were asked to
consider the function of scale.
The final challenge presented itself when the students
were asked to create a 3-D structure using a design
from their investigations.
The resulting sculptural pieces show that an artwork
can successfully engage in mathematical knowledge,
understanding and problem solving.
- Callum Arthur & Carol Duff
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The Royal High School
Moray House Students: Katy Thomson
Our project began by introducing the students to The
ECA Student: Olivia Turner & Mary Hartley
Wave by Gustav Courbet. We chose to contrast his
Supervising Teacher: Lois Combe & Julie Howie
approach with the work of Richard Long and Michael
Subject: Art and Design
Craig-Martin and discussed the different ways in which
Year Group: S2
artists respond to the theme of nature. Over the weeks
NGS Artwork: The Wave by Gustav Courbet
we have been on a journey to explore a variety of
techniques responding to the natural environment.
The students have made natural pigments, gathered
research from the environment around the school,
experimented with mixed media techniques, made
weavings and described textures using mono printed
marks. The students concertina books document this
journey.
At times the project has proved challenging as a result
of my inexperience as a student teacher but brought
bountiful rewards by exposing the students to another
perspective, one that broadens the student’s ideas
of art beyond their experience of the subject in the
classroom and introduces them to the perspectives of
artists in the wider world.
- Katy Thomson, Olivia Turner & Mary Hartley
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The Royal High School
Moray House Student: Morgan Orr
Our class had recently studied The Merchant of
ECA Student: Nikolaos Karavellas
Venice by William Shakespeare. A trip to the National
Supervising Teacher: Helen McHarrie
Gallery of Scotland was organised so pupils could
Subject: English
visualise the setting of Venice from the paintings.
Year Group: S2
NGS Artwork: A View of Venice by Bernardo Bellotto
In class pupils worked in three groups to produce a
leaflet of information about our trip; a graphic novel
based on Shakespeare’s play and a cover for the
class’ collection of creative writing pieces.
Each task required pupils to tell a story using images,
while exploring a range of writing styles. Pupils
worked enthusiastically throughout the project and
learned a range of valuable skills.
- Morgan Orr & Nikolaos Karavellas
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South Queensferry High School
Moray House Student: Ashley Bradley
We looked at circles and their properties within the
ECA Student: Frankie Burr
maths curriculum. There are a vast number of works
Supervising Teacher: Gillian Ness
involving circles in the NGS collection but we were
Subject: Mathematics
drawn to the endless circular shapes in the current
Year Group: S2
ARTIST ROOMS exhibition, A Woman Without Secrets
NGS Artwork: Spirals by Louise Bourgeois
- Louise Bourgeois. We structured a three week plan
around this exhibition, finally choosing Spirals as our
inspiration.
The pupils learnt about circumference, diameter and
radius, made drawing machines (homemade pair of
compasses) and found circles within spirals. Staying
with Bourgeois’ colour pallet of red, black and
blue they made drawings using Biros, string, found
objects and themselves. They calculated the size of
all the circles they found within the spirals then made
them from wire, mapping their position in the final
piece. The circles were then attached to create this
abstract piece.
- Ashley Bradley & Frankie Burr
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Adopt and Artist: Running with Scissors exhibition at the National Galleries of Scotland
Running with Scissors
Exhibition at the National Galleries of Scotland showcasing the Adopt an Artist project, 21 March to 30 May, 2014
The exhibition at the National Galleries is the endpoint of this particularly innovative pilot partnership project
which brought together PGDE Secondary student teachers of Maths, English and Art; artists from ECA and school
teachers in local secondary schools in Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Working in partnership arrangements with their adopted artists, student teachers and school staff used the
extensive and inspiring collection available in the National Galleries to create inspiring and creative teaching
for learners in different subject areas in the secondary school. The project has been about taking risks – running
with scissors in fact – in secondary education to improve engagement and understanding through the medium
of art. Young people have developed their understanding through art by, for instance, making graphic novels in
English; sculptures which look at understanding shape and nets in 3D maths and in art, the young learners were
introduced to practicing artists and were inspired by their work.
Tutors in Moray House have been staggered by the creativity and commitment which student teachers have
demonstrated in their planning and teaching. Student teachers have taught each other and learned from each
other. Learners in schools have had the opportunity to participate in and learn in different ways and with artists
from outside the usual communities of schools.
This project has demonstrated that working in partnership provides the opportunity for the co-production of
knowledge between student teachers, artists and young people. Working through Art and with Artists has been
about satisfying and developing the curious and the creative. As Bergman said, ‘The Arts communicate and speak
to us in ways that teach literacy and enhance our lives. We must continue to find a place for arts programs and
partnerships not only for what it teaches students about art, but for what it teaches us about the world we live in.’
- Lynee Pratt, Head of Programme, PGDE Secondary
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List of artworks
p.12 Poet’s Pub by Alexander Moffatt. Scottish National Portrait Gallery
p.14 Tidal Series by The Boyle Family © Boyle Family. All rights reserved, DACS 2014
p.16 Francesca da Rimini by William Dyce. On long term loan to the Scottish National Gallery
p.18 Matchead by David Mach © DAVID MACH
p.20 Edinburgh (from Salisbury Crags) by William Crozier. Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
p.22 The Spider by Alexander Calder © 2014 Calder Foundation. New York / DACS London
p.24 Colonel Alastair Ranaldson Macdonell of Glengarry by Sir Henry Raeburn. Scottish National Portrait Gallery
p.26 1.7.68 by John Hoyland © Estate of John Hoyland. All rights reserved, DACS 2014
p.28 The Wave by Gustave Courbet. Scottish National Gallery
p.30 View of Venice by Bernardo Bellotto. Scottish National Gallery
p.32 Spirals by Louise Bourgeois. ARTIST ROOMS Tate and National Galleries of Scotland Lent by Artist Rooms Foundation 2013
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The University of Edinburgh Collaborating staff:
Amanda Gizzi, Art & Design Education Moray House School of Education
Susan Mowatt, School of Art, Edinburgh College of Art
Lynne Pratt, English Language Moray House, School of Education
Tom McIntyre, Mathematics Moray House,School of Education
Joanna Mawdsley, Education, National Galleries of Scotland
Jane Coombs, George Heriot’s School
Support: Ciara McDermot, Moray House School of Education
Thanks to schools involved and support from Management teams and in particular department staff.
Photography on covers and on pages 13, 15, 19, 21, 25, 27, 29 (upper 2), 30, 31, 33, 34 & 37: Tom Nolan
Publication Design: Siân Robinson Davies
AAA Logo Design: Andy McGregor
ISBN: 9781904443599
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