Take a Closer Look: Bringing the outside in with Portobello Primary School

Working collaboratively with schools was one of the main focuses of the Emerald Explorers programme, with six schools across the borough being involved for 18 months. During that time they've worked intensively with an artist, explored local green spaces and celebrated their own creativity.  

In the first year of the project, Portobello Primary had recently planted a tiny forest within the school grounds, with each child in the school involved in planting these young saplings. This idea, that these trees would mature years and years after the children had left, provided a great starting point for artist Paul Merrick and teacher Harriet Lowes. Paul was interested in mother trees and how the children might be able to create their own using a variety of different techniques. In the second phase of the project, the focus was hedgerows, again looking closely at these often unnoticed but vital part of our natural environment. For Paul the overall aim for the whole project was for the children to be curious about the natural world and to use that curiosity to inspire their work. His sessions encourage experimentation, using unfamiliar materials and most importantly, getting it wrong: 

"With regards to approaching these projects, it's important to create a relaxed space for the children to create and take risks. If I see something in a child's drawing or painting that I love, then I will share it with the class. I've noticed that usually this has been created by a child who does not usually get acknowledged for something creative, but I have seen something and that then encourages others to experiment and take risks. I stress the importance of experimenting, embracing mistakes and not fearing failure. To be an artist you need to fail. If you make a mistake, carry on." 

As their teacher, Harriet could see that this approach really ignited the pupils' creativity in ways she'd not seen before. 

"The children loved being outside in their own school grounds and using what they know and see on a daily basis to create their pieces of art. They enjoyed the different techniques that Paul showed them that encouraged them to move away from the traditional concept of using a pencil to sketch. They loved being able to experiment and the reassurance that there was no right or wrong in their creations, everything they did was art. 

Some of the children do not enjoy art in school as they are all creating the same thing in a particular type of way. This project allowed the children to experiment with their art and although they had some parameters, they were given creative freedom. Most of the children in the class said they really enjoy art now and Wednesday with Paul was their favourite day of the week!" 

Harriet also noticed how Paul would talk about the pupils' work, that he didn't talk about it in binary terms of good or bad: 

"I always say that there is no such thing as good drawing or bad drawing....it's all just drawing. The challenge for teachers is identifying qualities in the children's work. They need to change their opinion of what a drawing can be and do not see it as black and white - good and bad. A drawing can be playful, funny, have different tempo, be angry. These are qualities that need to be praised." 

This approach has influenced both Harriet and the children: 

"I've noticed since Paul's projects have finished, we have looked at a range of pieces of art relating to our topics and the responses we get from the children are much more open minded rather than just I' like it' or 'I don't'. I have also taken a different approach in complimenting the children's work and offering a lot more praise, that's it's more than right or wrong, it's the children's interpretation that's important." 

Harriet has also adopted some of the techniques into her own teaching practice: 

"I really loved taking children outside to draw. In particular using one colour to draw something then changing colour and drawing another over the top. I also enjoyed drawing while not looking at the page. There are things I can adapt for my own art lessons and other curriculum subjects." 

And what from the young artists themselves? What did they enjoy most?  

"The ink painting because they were all unique. You feel nervous but also good because you're trying something new."

"Going outside, seeing things first hand that you wouldn't usually see because you walk straight past." 

"I loved taking my pen for a walk." 

Paul has kindly shared one of the techniques he's used at Portobello for you to try in your own classrooms:  

Draw what you see 

You'll need: paper and pencils 

Pick something to draw, could be your own hand, a tree, a still life object.  

Essentially this activity involves not looking at your page whilst you draw. 

Co-ordinating your hand and your eyes to work together. Many children and adults spend too much time when doing observational drawing, looking at their page and not the thing they are drawing. Trying to make their drawing look 'right'.

This exercise sees the group exploring the world in front of them and drawing what they see NOT what they know. People forget to 'exercise' their eyes and use them to see the world around them....be it a tree or a still life object.

The activity is a challenge to everyone who attempts it....as everyone want to see if their drawing is 'in the right place'.