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Class Level and Curriculum
Links
Junior Certificate Art, Craft and Design
An Eye on Boglands Art
Field Studies
The wild landscape, rugged beauty and colouration
of our bogs have been, and continue to be a source of inspiration
to poets, writers, sculptors, artists, photographers and film
makers. By examining paintings by artists such as James Humbert
Craig and Paul Henry you can share in their impression of this
landscape. In modern Irish painting the bog is painted for itself
Artists such as George Campbell, Patrick Collins, Colin Middleton,
Pauline Bewick and T.P. Flanagan, cleverly explore the colours
and changing moods of the bogs in their paintings. Free-form
sculptures inspired by the mysterious, entangled shapes of bog
wood inspire the work of sculptors such as Michael Casey, Ronnie
Graham, Marian O'Donnell and Peter Sweetman.
Each project should begin with at least one visit to a bog, pencils and sketchbooks in hand; perhaps a magnifying glass (or hand lens). During the visit to the bog students should make drawings or sketches of objects found on the bog or of flora and fauna. Pencil drawings and colour studies should be undertaken. Found objects should be kept to use as a basis for further work, still life drawings and a as a reminder.
Project Suggestions using
Found Objects Collected on the Bog
Any found objects can be enlarged through the use of an overhead
projector or a photocopier and the patterns seen in these drawn.
Patterns emerging from these drawings can be used as a basis
for the following projects.
1. Embroidery Panels
Use a photocopier to enlarge a bog plant. Trace the image onto
tracing paper. Shade the reverse side of the tracing with a pencil.
Lay the tracing onto the material to be embroidered and redraw
the picture. A pencil image of the pattern should transfer onto
the material which can then be embroidered. The colours of the
embroidery threads used might be inspired from natural bogland
colours. Complete this project by mounting the embroidery panel
for display.
2. Fashion and Clothing
Design
Natural patterns recorded in drawings and/or paintings of the
bog's wildlife and landscape can be used as designs for tee shirts
or any piece of clothing. These can be produced by direct painting,
block printing, batik or tie-dyeing. The print or dye colours
selected for use should be inspired from natural bogland colours.
3. Pottery/Ceramics
One could use clay to make small models of bog flora and fauna
such as: the Kestrel, the Hooded Crow, Bog Asphodel, Bog Cotton,
Cross-leaved Heath, Bog Bean, Ling Heather, Purple Moor Grass,
Cranberry, Round-leaved Sundew, Sphagnum or Bog Moss, Bog Rosemary,
Damselfly and so on; done from sketches, paintings and specimens
taken during an excursion to the bog. Pressed bog plants could
be used by the students as a backdrop for this project. Glaze
colours should be inspired from natural bogland colours.
4. Drawing and Painting
A variety of works can be undertaken. One might make an impression
drawing of a bog landscape from the memory of a visit, from books,
from the inspiration of a line of Seamus Heaney's poetry or actually
during your visit to a bog. Different media could be explored
in portraying a bog. Found objects could be selected for still
life art. Posters could be designed with a peatland conservation
message, (with or without a slogan).
