Back on the job

I’ve been quiet for the past few days because I’ve been completing an assignment for a Diploma in Botanical Painting that I am taking by distance learning with the Society of Botanical Artists. Now that my painting is finished, I my mind has turned to preparing for the Scarecrow Workshop that I’m running up at All Saints’ Church on the afternoon of Saturday 18^th May.

I’m planning to show a variety of scarecrow armatures from a very simple cross shape to the soft-bodied version I make from foam pipe insulation. I’ll be offering a simplified version of this armature at the workshop.

Scarecrow heads can be made from a variety of materials including:

·      Hessian or burlap sack

·      Cotton or calico bag, or an old cotton pillowcase

·      Football

·      Plant pot or plastic tub

·      Styrofoam or Oasis sphere

·      Pumpkin (in season)

Scarecrow faces can be:

·      Painted onto the head

·      Buttons sewn on

·      Mask

·      Felt offcuts, glued or sewn on

Hair can be made from:

·      Wool or similar yarn

·      Raffia

·      Straw/hay

·      Doll hair

The hair can either be sewn onto the head bag or glued/sewn onto the scarecrow’s hat.

The scarecrow’s body parts can be stuffed with:

·      Newspaper, enclosed in plastic bags to waterproof

·      Straw/hay (traditional, but prickly and messy)

·      Fibre fill (expensive, best for mini scarecrows)

·      Shredded old cloths and other textiles

             Legs can even be made by stuffing an old pair of tights.

Hands can be made from:

·      Old gloves or mittens, stuffed with paper or fabric

·      Straw /hay poking out at the cuffs of his/her jumper or shirt

·      Unusual cooking utensils or gardening tools, like an old fork and trowel

·      Raffia

Feet can be made from:

·      Old shoes, boots or wellingtons. Wellingtons filled with sand or cement make a heavy, solid base for a freestanding ‘crow’

·      Straw/ hay

·      Old socks, the brighter and gaudier the better!

·      Raffia

Given all of these possibilities, it is not hard to make a unique scarecrow that reflects one’s personal tastes: and that is before the ‘crow’ is ‘dressed’ in a costume.

Not ‘Made in MK’!

A couple of weeks ago I submitted a proposal to ‘Made in MK’ for a small grant to work with teachers from our five participating schools - Loughton First School, Loughton School, Holmwood School, Christ the Sower Ecumenical School and The Grove Independent School – to run some art and storytelling workshops based on a ‘scarecrow’ theme. Sadly, I heard today that the project had not been shortlisted.

The objective would have been to provide a stimulus to scarecrow building, by demonstrating a range of solutions and sharing a cache of recycled and hand made materials suitable for the schools to use to construct their scarecrows.

The reasoning was that talking about how to build a scarecrow would have enhanced the children’s construction skills, while describing the materials used to represent a scarecrow’s character would have widened their vocabulary. The overarching ‘nurturing’ theme would have allowed us to explore important environmental issues, such as the use of scarce resources, farming and gardening, climate change and nature conservation.

It's a shame that we will not be able to build on the exciting project work that the schools are already making in Loughton, MK. Sorry, everyone!

Loughton’s Scarecrow Fitness Trail

I have devised a circular route around the village that takes in all the scarecrows. It will sometimes be necessary to take a few short detours down a cul-de-sac, and then to retrace one’s steps for a few yards/metres, in order to visit those scarecrows that are not directly passed by on the trail, but for the most part this is not too much of a bore. The trail passes through attractive areas of Loughton, and there are two pubs with gardens at the half way point, for those who feel like a break.

I walked the trail, including all the detours, this morning. It took me an hour and a half to complete, walking at a slow but steady pace. The trail is 7.8 km long, which is getting on for 5 miles. Walking it burns nearly 550 calories. Hence the suggestion that this is a fitness trail, not that scarecrows need to get fit! Trail visitors will need to add at least an hour, possibly an hour and a half, to the basic 1.5 hours of walking, in order to admire all the scarecrows.

A brief résumé of the ‘bare bones’ of the circular trail (that is, minus the dead-end detours) is set out below.

·      From the Church, go down Church Lane to the Bradwell Road;

·      Turn left, along the Bradwell Road to the Woodyard, then cross the road and turn right, down the Public Footpath;

·      Take a right turn just before the footbridge over the brook, and follow the footpath into Loughton Valley Park;

·      Turn right at the bridleway into Lucy Lane and walk along it to the T-junction with Linceslade Grove;

·      Turn Right up Linceslade Grove and then turn left down the Bradwell Road;

·      At the corner just before the Bradwell Road passes under the Portway/A5 Flyover, turn right up the Public Footpath to Bignell Croft;

·      At the top of Bignell Croft, turn left, along Linceslade Grove and follow the road round and down to Redland Drive;

·      Turn right into Redland Drive and continue along Redland Drive to the corner at Foxley Place;

·      Carry on past Foxley Place up the continuation of Redland Drive to the T-junction with Ashpole Furlong;

·      Cross Ashpole Furlong, continuing via the crescent and along the Public Footpath to the London Road;

·      Turn right, down the London Road to The Talbot at the Bradwell Road;

·      Turn right, along the Bradwell Road to Paynes Drive;

·      Turn left down Paynes Drive to Loughton First School;

·      Go round the school’s parking loop and head back up to Linceslade Grove to the front of Loughton Sports and Social Club;

·      Take the Public Footpath to the rear of the Sports and Social Club, turning right onto Loughton Sports Ground and walk along the back of Cavendish Court to the Meadway;

·      Go down the Meadway to the Bradwell Road;

·      Turn left, along the Bradwell Road as far as Leys Road;

·      Turn right, down Leys Road and then left up School Lane, heading back up to the Church.

We have several scarecrows that are being built by people who do not live in Loughton, and who therefore need to find a ‘home’ for their scarecrow. If anyone living on any of these roads would like to ‘host’ a ‘homeless’ scarecrow, please email me at j.hanson@ucl.ac.uk or give me a ring on 01908 696072.

We Love MK Gallery!

I’m pleased and proud to announce that our Panel of Judges will be augmented by Emma Fry, Head of Learning, and Victoria Mayes, Informal Learning Manager, both from KM Gallery. MK Gallery is our brilliant local art gallery which, as well as hosting exhibitions of cutting edge work by contemporary artists, also has a strong and vibrant programme for children and families.

Running right now and well worth a visit is an exhibition by German artist Andrea Büttner (b.1972), who works in a diverse range of media including reverse glass painting, sculpture, woodcuts, screen-printing, video and performance.

During May, the Project Space at the Gallery is host to a (mainly online) project called ‘The Story of Mum’, which shares words, photos, film and audio from mums, nans and great-grandmothers worldwide, building an ever-growing portrait of motherhood. The exhibition is accompanied by a programme of special events and creative sessions designed with ‘mums’ in mind. Mums are invited to drop in, create and upload their contributions straight into the exhibition.

The Project Space is open to the public every Saturday between 12 noon and 3pm, and on Saturday afternoon of 11^th May there is a special ‘Family Make Date Event’ led by the ‘Story of Mum’s’ artists Pippa and Penny Best.  Families are invited to drop in to take part in a variety of creative activities and share a celebratory day with all the family.  Why not visit the project’s website at: http://www.mkgallery.org/events/2013_05_11/family_make_date_event/ to view a detailed programme of this event?

Finally, Half Term Workshops are planned with ‘Festive Road’, a local community performance group, on Friday 31 May from 10am-12noon and 2-4pm. This is a Free Drop-in session for 7+ year olds and their families at which artists Manuela Benini and Jessica Rost invite their guests to explore the art of performance. There will be with warm up games, performance exercises, comic techniques and experimentation with props and materials.

MK Gallery is located in the city centre at the junction of Midsummer Boulevard and Marlborough Gate, right  beside Milton Keynes Theatre on Margaret Powell Square. Its opening hours are from Tuesday – Friday, between 12 noon - 8pm, or on a Saturday from 11am - 8pm and on a Sunday from 11am - 5pm. The Gallery is closed Mondays, including Bank Holidays.

Designing the Trail

A large map of loughton has appeared on my living room wall, and I’m busy marking it up with the addresses of all our competitors. The 'bones' of a trail are gradually emerging from the chaos, and the trail is already beginning to shape up quite nicely.

Most of the scarecrows are concentrated along the main routes through the village, and it may be possible to join sections of the trail together by passing through some attractive open spaces that have other features, like playgrounds that will appeal to young children, or sections of the linear park.

One of the reasons why my call for entries has closed so far in advance of the event, is because over a dozen scarecrows will need either to find a host garden, or to be found space up at All Saints’ Church. I’ll be writing to those competitors living in the outlying parts of the village over the next week or so, to discuss the best location for their scarecrows, in order to ensure that each scarecrow will be seen by as many visitors as possible. I’ll also be asking houses along the trail route that have large and visible front gardens but no entry of their own, if they would be willing to ‘host’ a scarecrow.

There is plenty of room to display ‘homeless’ scarecrows in the churchyard that surrounds All Saints’, and in our graveyard across the road from the church. However, the scarecrows in these locations will only be viewable when the church itself is open; that is, between 10.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m. on Saturday 29^th June and Saturday 6^th July, and from 11.00 a.m. to 5.00 on Sunday 30^th June. 

I am not proposing to leave any scarecrows out in the church grounds unattended, in case they are damaged. I’m planning to put them all out on display each morning before the trail opens at 10.00 a.m. Outside these hours, I will store the scarecrows inside the church.

Makers who are able to look after their scarecrows in their own gardens have been asked put their exhibits out on display during daylight hours for the whole of the week in which the trail will be open. So far, my scarecrows have not been vandalised, and I’m hoping that by having them on private property, this will not happen.

One benefit of displaying as many scarecrows as possible in competitors’ own garden will be that local residents will be able to follow parts of the trail during the week, perhaps strolling around the village on warm, sunny summer evenings. Makers will be able to chat with visitors walking by on the trail, and lap up admiring comments and praise. Sounds idyllic!

By spreading the trail over two consecutive Saturdays as well as the week between, I’m hoping that the notoriously tricky English weather will be kind to us for at least some of the time. Here’s the timetable for what I have planned so far.

Noon on Friday 28^th June – all scarecrows to be on display for judging. This will take place during the afternoon.

Evening of Friday 28^th June – Winners announced and rosettes awarded to prizewinners.

10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. on Saturday 29^th June – All Saints’ Church open. Churchyard and graveyard scarecrows on display. Trail Guides and Raffle Tickets on sale in the Church. Plant Swap Stall, Crafts Stall and Preloved Book Stall open in the Church.

2.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. on Saturday 29^th June - Refreshments and Cakes also on sale in the Church Room.

11.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. on Sunday 30^th June – All Saints’ Church open to visitors after Morning Worship. Churchyard and graveyard scarecrows on display. Trail Guides and Raffle Tickets on sale in the Church. Plant Swap Stall, Crafts Stall and Preloved Book Stall open in the Church.

2.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. on Sunday 30^th June - Refreshments and Cakes also on sale in the Church Room.

Daylight hours from Monday 1^st July to Friday 5^th July. Scarecrows in private gardens and at local schools and business premises will be out on display. However, All Saints Church will not be open during the week.

10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. on Saturday 6^th July – All Saints’ Church open. Churchyard and graveyard scarecrows on display. Trail Guides and Raffle Tickets on sale in the Church. Plant Swap Stall, Crafts Stall and Preloved Book Stall open in the Church.

2.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. on Saturday 6^th July - Refreshments and Cakes also on sale in the Church Room.

7.00 p.m. – 10.00 p.m. on Saturday 6^th July. ‘Bring and Share’ Scarecrows’ Supper at All Saints Church. The evening’s entertainment after supper will comprise:

•           an ‘All Saints’ Variety Performance’;
•           the winner of the ‘Visitor’s Choice Scarecrow Competition’ will be announced;
•           The Grand Raffle prizewinners will be drawn;
•           there will be a Scarecrow Auction;
•          and, an Auction of Gifts and Promises.

Entry will be by ticket only; £4.00 per adult, £1.00 each for the first two children with additional children admitted free, so that a family of four (or more) can enjoy the evening for £10.00. All proceeds from the Scarecrow’s Supper will go to maintain All Saints’ Church.

Well Done Everyone!

As entries close this evening, we have received 30 entries from individuals, 10 from local businesses and 7 from schools and other children’s organizations. Together, these have already raised £270 for All Saints’ Church. I am expecting one or two more late entries to trickle in over the next day or two, hopefully bringing the total raised to around £300. A big ‘thank you’ to everyone who is enthusiastically joining in the fun.

My next job is to map out the trail itself. In an ideal world, I could use one of those amazing computer programmes that mimic ant behaviour to work out the best delivery route for logistics companies and trans-world airlines, but in the absence of such a high tech solution, I’ll just have to get my boots on and tramp around the village to identify the shortest and the best trail that takes in the addresses of all our competitors.

Deadline Day

Entries close this evening for the Scarecrow Trail. Tomorrow, I’ll be starting work to design the actual trail around Loughton’s village. I’ll be searching for the most economical route that will take in all the entries without retracing one’s footsteps, whilst at the same time not proving too long and taxing to walk around, for families with small children. So if you are undecided about whether or not to have a go, now’s the time to be bold and fill in an Entry Form!