Following a virtual meeting with textile artist Josie Russell, Rydal Penrhos Year 5 pupil Rose recounts a fascinating afternoon for Mrs Chamberlain’s class.
Art is a vital component of a Rydal Penrhos education. Complementing the pen-and-paper (or, more recently, iPad-and-stylus) learning that takes place in the classroom, Art provides an important platform for pupils to develop their creativity and imagination.
From the youngest year groups in the Prep, pupils are exposed to a wide variety of artists and styles from across the world, providing them with a rich and diverse cultural education. On Tuesday 9 May 2023, Year 5 pupils had the chance to meet Josie Russell, one of the artists whose work they have recently studied.
This was an exciting opportunity for all involved and adds to the growing number of guest speaker visits that pupils at Rydal Penrhos pupils have enjoyed over this second half of the academic year.
We are delighted that Year 5 pupil Rose has kindly taken the time to write the following account of Josie’s virtual visit:
“In school today, the 9th of May, we went on a ‘Teams’ meeting with Josie Russell, the famous local textile artist. We had previously looked at Josie’s work and have used it as inspiration for some of our own Artwork.
“During our meeting we asked Josie lots of questions and we found out lots of information about her work, likes and interests.
“Josie said that she started doing Art when she was four years old and that she had always loved making things. When she was younger her favourite artist was Gustav Klimt. She loved the colours that he used.
“We found out that Josie loves animals and has six cats and two horses. Her favourite piece of art that she has made is of her horse, Rosie. She said that her favourite animal is a cat.
“Her favourite colour is purple and she loves using it with green on her pictures of mountains.
“She explained how she selects her materials, the sizes of pieces and then sews them by machine with a zig-zagged stitch. She said that her pieces can take a few hours or sometimes days to complete!
“We really enjoyed talking to Josie and are extremely grateful for her time. We hope that she enjoyed talking to us too!”
An excellent write-up of a fascinating afternoon. Thank you to both Rose and Josie!
