Scrap 'Starry Night'

Come along and see our scrap interpretation of Vincent Van Gogh  ‘Starry Night’  as the giant group artwork is unveiled in the Ideas Gallery at Play Resource!

We held a free family drop-in art workshop called ‘Scrap Challenge – Create a Masterpiece’ for Belfast Culture Night.

See what happened when we offered a pile of scrap materials to children, and the young at heart!  Thanks to everyone who dropped by on Belfast Culture Night to help re-create Van Gogh’s famous masterpiece ‘Starry Night’ on a giant scale.  Each child or adult created their own unique tile using scrap to be slotted into the big picture.

Take a look at the result! Hope you agree – it is an exciting scrap collage now exhibiting at Play Resource offering ideas & inspiration. You can check out progress on the night on Facebook. Thanks to all who joined in!

Scrap Zoo Display

Quit monkeying around and swing by the new display created in the Ideas Gallery! Take a free trip to the Play Resource Zoo, come and see all our 3D and 2D animal friends created from scrap materials by the Shop Team.

Meet Gerald the Giraffe and Ronaldo the Rhino now they have arrived in their new home twitpic.com.  Both  created using scrap materials and mod-roc. As Charlotte says “Mod-Roc – I love it! It’s such fun, easy-peasy, and so versatile to work with especially using scrap materials – I created Kevin the Crocodile for ‘Our Trip to the Zoo’ display.  Mod-roc available from the shop in small pack – 3 rolls only £3.50 or for Big Projects, Big Value £8.75 Giant Roll.

Or interested in Belfast Zoo coming to you? Then contact Belfast Zoo Education team on education@belfastzoo.co.uk.

Community Arts & Crafts Course Exhibition

Take inspiration from the latest display of artwork in the Ideas Gallery at Play Resource.  The BMC Community Arts & Crafts Training Course presents a summer exhibition of students work.  See the culmination of their coursework in an exciting and diverse exhibition including self portraits, 3D sculptures – even chandeliers from found objects, and exploring fabric painting as a medium.  Take inspiration from their work and to find out more about forthcoming Community Arts & Crafts Training Courses contact bridget@playresource.org.

Safari Sculptures Scrap

On your next visit to Play Resource take a look up… at the new exhibition of Safari Style Sculptures created by artist Jim Russell.  See the possibilities of willow and tissue to create all manner of 3D animals and lanterns shapes!

Jim tells us a bit more about his creations and the creative process behind them, “All the work on display comes from a very productive period when I took time to ‘slow down’ and look at the small things found in hedgerows and rockpools that I came across while out walking. ”

“All the materials used, apart from cling film, came from Play Resource: willow, tissue paper, masking tape and PVA glue.  These terrifically versatile and simple elements helped me work quickly and directly, almost like 3D drawing.  The sculptures were intended to be used as lanterns making use of the beautiful translucent quality of the tissue and cling film. Light, shape and colour all interplay together using these materials, I found it just terrific!”

We hope you enjoy the results!  Should you be interested in talking to Jim about his work, or wish to commission a lantern design contact Jim Russell 07521 306 372, or speak to a member of Play Resource staff to learn more about the materials used.

Bright New Beginnings Display

Be inspired this spring for your own art projects by the Bright New Beginnings display in the Ideas Gallery at Play Resource, or by other people’s art projects.  See more of the exciting and vibrant Creative Paths Arts Projects that happened with member groups in a variety of youth, education, early years, play and community settings last year.  Be inspired to embark on the Creative Paths Programme with your group… it is a journey of discovery between everyone involved!  Or browse over 200 other Ideas & Inspiration for your group at the online Quick Ideas & Craft Sheets Library.

To keep skills up to date and allow staff to familiarise themselves with our products and scrap, we arrange 3 training days a year in arts and crafts.  The theme is decided amongst the team, with the view to creating a new Ideas Gallery display at the end of it.

This time we wanted to create an informative display that would allow a lot of room for creativity. After much discussion the team settled on ‘Ancient Civilizations’.  Each staff member picked an area of personal interest to them and then did some internet research looking for inspiration and historical background.  Some staff members picked a civilization due to family roots; others merely out of personal interest or fond childhood memories.

The finished result is a vibrant creative use of scrap & shop materials that has a ‘school’-type exhibition feel which we felt suited the overall theme very well.  Travel through the diverse collection of ancient world cultures and collection of scrap tribal masks in the Ideas Gallery and collect your own inspiration!

Going Slow Exhibition, By Jim Russell

Going Slow is a photography exhibition by artist Jim Russell exploring the beauty and diversity of the natural world around us – if only we took the time to slow down and see it!  This series of photographs are the direct result of a year when Jim allowed himself the time to slow down and see the small things to be found in hedgerows, canal banks or waste ground around his hometown of Newry.  The exhibition certainly encourages everyone to do the same and explore the mini jungles on our own doorsteps and surely provides a wealth of inspiration for other arts projects!

Jim Russell is a regular contributor to Creative Paths projects and a highly experienced community artist with a collaborative approach who enjoys incorporating modeling, digital photography, music and story telling to his work.  Prints from the exhibition are available for only £20.  To find out more contact Jim on 028 3026 5990 or 07521 306 372.

They looked at the history of mosaics and modern day applications.  The finished pieces are a creative take on traditional mosaics that incorporate everyday and found objects to create beautiful and fun 3D effects.

In Katie’s world anything can be transformed into Art: hundreds of everyday objects find a new lease of life.  Take a closer look at the dragon and you will see it is made up of thousands of discarded children’s toys!

The modern flotsam and jetsam of society is salvaged and reinvented by Katie.  The Dragon, originally commissioned by the Island Arts Centre for their Children’s Arts Festival, grew and grew with the contribution of several other artists who volunteered their time including Ben Allen, Frank Quinn, Bobbi Rai Purdy and Susan Scott. Along with Katie several of them are regular contributing artists to the Creative Paths Arts Programme.

For more information about Katie’s work as a community artist and artworks for sale visit www.katieblue.com.