A blog about making and doing with reference to the outside world. Activities in this blog are suitable for all ages and abilities, using recycled and natural materials readily available in most homes and gardens.
Use recycled blankets, jumpers and found materials to learn a variety of simple stitching and weaving techniques. Items made can be for individuals or group collaboration.
Indoor and outdoor workshops can be commissioned to suit the needs and interests of your community. Topics and materials are selected in collaboration with host communities.
I work as a textile and environmental artist in a wide variety of settings and communities. My work is made in conversation with people and places, for installations and exhibition as well as running workshops to suit the places and people involved.
I use found or adapted materials for works that are placed in the landscape, in galleries or in public venues.
I live in the fens of East Anglia in the UK, where willow is easily available for making baskets and sculpture. The landscape, light and dry weather encourage me to spend time outside as much as possible.
The season up to Christmas has been a bit confusing. We usually make plans to see family and friends months ahead, food, presents, journeys and gatherings have all been disrupted this year.
I had the opportunity of working with Nene Valley Primary School in Peterborough before the end of term. Staff were keen to learn and end the term with a positive project, we made lots of willow stars. It was so good to work face to face and the whole school were really enthusiastic, hoping to do more in 2021!
Every child in the school had a go and in total at least 320 were made!
This time of year an important part of the preparation for workshops and future making is harvesting willow, it is always good to see the health of the trees, how they have grown aver the year and make plans for new planting where there is space.
I am also usually busy with workshops and meeting lots of new students but this year of course is different. It’s good that a few places and organisations have decided to host workshops and I am really pleased to teach at Hills Road Sixth Form for adult education, and at Holkham Hall in Norfolk as part of their Christmas celebrations
I love to make to commission, it is always as a result of meeting people and learning about their homes or work places. Sculptures and baskets become part of other peoples lives and their story for many years to come. I am currently working on several that will be given as gifts by the purchasers, among them a bee for a beekeeper.
I am hosting Riverside Arts in Littleport. Sadly we cannot open our studio doors to the public this year so Cambridge Open Studios is taking place in windows. It is good to be working with friends and colleagues in a safe space, with beautiful work on display. Go here for more information about Riverside Arts and for #OpenWindows2020.
Thank you for joining in. If you have ideas that you would like to try let me know and they could be included.
For most of workshop activities you are likely to need some tools and materials. Collect them together and put them in a box or drawer will mean you know where they are each time. A box for indoor making and one for outdoors might be a good idea too if you have space.
This week spring has really warmed up, there are so many flowers in bloom and because there is less traffic I can smell many more than usual. Or maybe I am just spending more time outside noticing.
The colours of flowers get brighter and more intense and the insects are much more active as the temperature rises.
After the rain has stopped and when you have made some flowers, it’s a good time to sit and watch the insects and see which flowers they choose to visit.
What colour is favourite?
What shape is most visited?
Indoor Activity Making flowers from plastic bottles.
You will need
Recycled bottles, any size. They can be clear, white or colourful.
Bottle lids
Short canes, approximately 50 cm
Fine wire, recycled wire is often available from discarded electronic goods.
Sharpie pens
Scissors
A metal skewer or bradawl
A thick mat or piece of wood to protect your table top
Use the flowers as labels, to show where you have planted some seeds. Make a bunch of them in the winter, place them somewhere the sun can shine through, see what happens when the shadows fall on a wall or piece of card.
Outdoor activity Collect 3 different flowers from your garden, verge, field or a hedgerow if you are allowed. Could be a daisy, dandelion and clover.
You will need
A pair of scissors
Tweezers
A magnifying glass
Pencil crayons
Glue or tape
Take the flowers apart very carefully with scissors and tweezers.
Use the drawing below to help you label the parts.
You could draw the parts or stick them to a piece of paper with glue or tape. You may need to take them inside to do delicate work.
One of the best places to source willow in the Fens is Holt Island, St Ives. Very close by is The Norris Museum where I will be teaching how to make plant supports for gardens in the area. This workshop is for both beginners and those who have made with willow previously.
There are a few places still available for the last workshop of the season on April 6th at WWT Welney. I hope students will be ambitious, making sculptures and items for the garden. Look out for next seasons dates very soon!
Sunday 16th September I will be taking part in Holt Island Heritage weekend, St Ives, Cambridgeshire. Hoping for good weather and lots of meetings with basketmakers and answering questions from potential basketmakers and maybe do some basketmaking. There will be workshop booking forms and items for sale.
Come and learn how to make random weave baskets as a spring container. They can be tricky to make, but are great containers in a variety of sizes. Good for collecting fruit or holding balls of wool, or maybe even Easter Eggs. In fact they can hold almost anything you can think of!
Commissioned workshops are designed in consultation with individuals, groups and communities. Jane has experience teaching groups with a wide range of ages and abilities, including family workshops, youth work as well as curriculum based training courses. Jane also works with other artists and practitioners including environmentalists, local historians, performers and storytellers. See examples of workshops and projects
Gift tokens are available for special events, please contact me for details
Book group workshops or one to one sessions on dates and venues of your choice, please go here for more information. I have experience of leading workshops in a variety of settings both in UK and abroad with people of all ages and abilities.
For information about exhibitions and project work see my blog
Book group workshops or one to one sessions on dates and venues of your choice, please go here for more information. I have experience of leading workshops in a variety of settings both in UK and abroad with people of all ages and abilities.
Booking requirement for all workshops is by full payment at least 7 days in advance of the workshop date.
Make cheques payable to: Jane Frost
Send payment to:
Jane Frost,
32 Woodfen Road,
Littleport,
Cambridgeshire.
CB6 1JP
Working with OuseLife artists and teachers from local schools, children made sculptures and installations for Ely Cathedral Science Festival 2017. The workshops I worked on were Recycling and Colour theory, using bicycle wheels with bottle tops to raise awareness of the amount of plastic in the environment.
Spirals and wheels of colour hung between 6 and 10 metres from the clerestory of Ely Cathedral and provided a fabulous opportunity to reflect the colours in the cathedral’s stained glass. Both will exist for centuries, glass will return to sand but plastic will never become part of a healthy eco-system, we need to be so careful of the materials we choose to make with.
At the Beginners workshop everyone learns a few basic techniques, then make items of their choice. Participants are always ambitious, and always take home items they are happy to display either indoors or outside.
Inside-Out, a large scale collaborative project with Arts and Minds and families at Anglesey Abbey which resulted in a sculpture trail in the extensive gardens and work being placed at all levels, including in the Mill Lode and high up in trees
Planning the sculpture trail
Fantastic FlowersBugsHolly CrocodileGiant Egg cupButterflies in the tree topsgiant spiders web
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