Art Project course gallery No. 18

Art Project: Nursery Rhymes

This week’s brief centred on nursery rhymes and how artists have provided illustrations from these children’s poems, or been inspired by the characters, scenarios and events in them to create new works.

In 1989, contemporary British artist Paula Rego published a now-seminal portfolio of 25 etchings featuring a host of characters from nursery rhymes in a series of work that captures the sense of fantasy, peril, mystery and mishaps found in the stories and which, according to publisher Thames and Hudson “ the innocence of this art is darkened by the underlying themes of power, domination and rebellion, sexuality and gender, that run through (Rego’s) work.”

Artists could create a piece inspired by a line or two from a nursery rhyme and create a work inspired by those words show a specific character or scene unfolding. They could explore the underlying themes (both light and dark) in the rhyme and consider how colour and tone can also add meaning, adding a sense of joy or sadness, excitement or fear into the piece.  Artists could also consider how to incorporate text into the piece – the size and position of the text and how it relates to / interacts with the pictorial elements in the work.

Here’s a selection of artwork and prepatory studies made by some of the Art Project course artists taking part in the project.

Look out for another gallery of work coming soon…

Sylvie Fenton – HAIKUS 072020 (detail)
Eight artist-written haikus presented in a handmade book. Mixed media including acrylic, chinese ink, felt tip on parchment paper presented in a customised found box.

Lorna Howell – Very Insey-Winsey Spider (A Story of Determination)
Four-part lino cut and watercolour

Lorna Howell – Very Insey-Winsey Spider (A Story of Determination) (detail)
Lino cut and watercolour

Lorna Howell – Very Insey-Winsey Spider (A Story of Determination) (detail)
Lino cut and watercolour

Lorna Howell – 3 Craws Sat Upon a Wa’ (Scottish Rhyme) (detail)
Watercolour, wax resist and ink

Lorna Howell – 3 Craws Sat Upon a Wa’ (Scottish Rhyme) (detail)
Watercolour, wax resist and ink

Maurice – The Downfall of Humpty. 1. The Process (“The artistic process is more important than the product.” – Ray Johnson, pop artist) Digital collage

Maurice – The Downfall of Humpty II (All the King’s Men…) Photograph (digital print and egg)

Maurice – Old Mother Hubbard… Digital collage with acrylic

Maurice – The Wheels on the Bus Go Around and Around Digital sketch and charcoal

Jane Goddard -Over the Hills and Far Away Acrylic and ink on paper

Paula – I’m A Little Teapot (The 1970s Tea Party) Gouache on paper

Dieter – Tom Thumb Approaching the Castle Lino print on Japanese paper

Chris – Jack And Jill… Pastel on paper

Chris – Mary Mary, Quite Contrary, How Does Your Garden Grow? With Man-eating Plants! Pastel and pencil

Lynn Laws – Five Little Ducks Went Swimming One Day Pastel on paper

Lynn Laws – Rain, Rain, Go Away Acrylic on paper

Lynn Laws – Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary Graphite on paper

JC – Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary Ink and watercolour on paper

JC – Little Ms Muffet Sat Beneath Louise Bourgeois’ Spider Ink on paper

JC – Little Miss Muffet (Lady Hale, President of Supreme Court) Ink and watercolour on paper

JC – A Frog ( Duke of Anjou) He Would A-Wooing Go Ink and watercolour on paper

Vanda – Study for Twinkle, Twinkle Little Planet Acrylic, collage and pastel on paper