Collected Reflections by Ellen Jewell.: Community Projects and Workshops.

January 2019 - Leonardo Da Vinci Week at Churchend Academy School.

Churchend School have been celebrating the life of Leonardo da Vinci who died 500 years ago this year. The students have been learning all about different aspects of da Vinci's work throughout the week and I was lucky to help explore his artworks with the children.

At the beginning of the week I worked with Years 4, 5 and 6 teaching them how to create portraits using the rules of facial proportion. Once all the features were in the correct place the children took turns in observing each other and creating accurate portraits of each other.

I was also asked to create with the children a modern take on Leonardo da Vinci's 'The Last Supper' to be painted on the wall in the childrens' dining hall. We decided that important people from history should be featured in the mural. I am proud to say that all the children in the school painted the mural from Nursery to Year 6. The students really enjoyed finding out who all the people were and why they were so important. The whole week was a fantastic experience and so many of Leonardo da Vinci's projects really came alive. Below are some photos showing the many stages of our mural.

l-r Muhammad Ali, Florence Nightingale, Gandhi, Anne Frank, Isaac Newton, Malala.

l-r Leonardo da Vinci, Boudica, Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, William Shakespeare, Queen Victoria.

July 2018 - Present Art jam Under 5's Art Club.

September 2018 - The Big Sleep Out. Launchpad Reading.

A communal project for the participants of the Big Sleep Out to leave positive messages for the people vulnerable to homelessness that Launchpad support.

July 2018 - Salvation Army Workshop.

A community project to create a mock up of a memorial for residents who had lost their lives to addiction and a chance for members to discuss how addiction had touched them.

September 2017 - Present, Private Tutoring.

September 2017 - Present, Art Tutor for Seasons Art Class Camberley.

August 2016 - Dec 2017, Art Tutor at Artspiration School of Drawing and Painting. www.artspiration.co.uk

Teaching children and young adults with a range of abilities Art, Craft and Design skills combined with Art History in fun weekly activities.

January 2013 - Present, Art Tutor for Launchpad, Reading's Homelessness Prevention Charity.

A suitcase made for The Yellow Suitcase Project October 2013.
The Yellow Suitcase Project supports people with mental health issues.

The Launchpad Mural gets repainted every year by new Launchpad Artists.

Boots made as part of our Found Objects project.

Garments created in our Recycled Fashion project.

Ceramic Tiger head exhibited at Reading Arts Week 2015.

September 2016 - Parkside Pre-School Mural.

I am very proud to have to been asked to paint a mural for Parkside Pre-School. I love these large outside community projects, this one was particularly special as the children sang Nursery Rhymes to me as they watched me paint! I was commissioned to paint Nursery Rhymes in the main outside playing area, paint splashes around the children's outside easels, and to paint basic shapes and numbers from 1 to 20 in an outside Maths area.

I would like to thank Parkside Pre-School for their wonderful hospitality and this fabulous opportunity!