Progress

I have been teaching the Beckman project (The strange figures of Beckman) and its going well. The class have now completed drawn/ painted pastiches from selected figures from Beckman's paintings; A single figure each with background. The new task this week (week 5) is to start making much larger paintings using the photos we took in the first week. The first week was when I had them in groups of four dressing each other up using coloured sugar paper etc as characters. So they had hats, helmets and wimples, jester's pointed shoes, light sabres and gold "bling" chains!

I first did a version of this project on my PGCE school placement (March 1988!) with a group one year younger (year 8). Back then I didn't make any reference to Beckman or allegory as I have on this project. We didn't do any copying from another artist and each pupil made the painting of a group of figures. I have just looked up my notes on the project. I looked at Matisse's paintings as a reference and I suppose the bright colours of his interiors and figure work was an excellent example.

We didn't have digital cameras then and a different pupil dressed up in the costumes each week. By week 5 they had fallen apart.