A collection of imagery and sources designed to introduce students to book artist, Julie Chen.

Please note that this page contains links to external websites and has videos from external websites embedded. At the time of creating, AccessArt checked all links to ensure content is appropriate for teachers to access. However external websites and videos are updated and that is beyond our control. 

Please let us know if you find a 404 link, or if you feel content is no longer appropriate. 

We strongly recommend as part of good teaching practice that teachers watch all videos and visit all websites before sharing with a class. On occasion there may be elements of a video you would prefer not to show to your class and it is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure content is appropriate. Many thanks. 

*If you are having issues viewing videos it may be due to your schools firewall or your cookie selection. Please check with your IT department.*

This resource is free to access and is not a part of AccessArt membership.

Julie Chen is an artist specialising in books. Her work doubles up as both a traditional book and also a sculpture. Her books can be found in libraries all over the world. Julie Chen’s “approach to artists’ books combines personal narratives with book forms that present the reader with both intimate reading experience as well as beautiful objects that can be displayed as sculpture.” – National Museum of Women in the Arts

Watch the videos below to see Chen’s books come to life. Explore more of Julie’s work on her website.

Ode To A Grand Staircase By Julie Chen

Questions to Ask Students

What kind of structures and shapes can you see within Julie Chen’s books?

What do you like / dislike about the work?

How does Julie use structures to communicate her narrative?

Do you think this is an effective way to communicate a narrative, why?

If you were building a book about the impact of climate change what kind of structures or shapes might you include?

You May Also Like…

Exploring Paper Egineering

This is featured in the ‘Exploring Paper Engineering’ pathway

using sketchbooks to make visual notes

Find out how pupils can respond to artists work in sketchbooks

Show me what you see

Enable close looking and drawing with this exercise

A collection of imagery and sources which you can use to prompt drawing in schools and community groups. 

Please note that this page contains links to external websites and has videos from external websites embedded. At the time of creating, AccessArt checked all links to ensure content is appropriate for teachers to access. However external websites and videos are updated and that is beyond our control. 

Please let us know if you find a 404 link, or if you feel content is no longer appropriate. 

We strongly recommend as part of good teaching practice that teachers watch all videos and visit all websites before sharing with a class. On occasion there may be elements of a video you would prefer not to show to your class and it is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure content is appropriate. Many thanks. 

Inspirational Stadium Designs

Use the film below to enable students to explore inspirational stadiums around the world. Try to create a sense of momentum – for example you might pause the video 4 times and ask the pupils to make a 1 minute, 2 minute, 3 minute and 4 minute drawing at each pause. 

Encourage close and slow looking by talking as they draw – use your voice to attract their attention to different qualities.

Try the same exercise using different materials, ie handwriting pen, ink and nib, using a ruler to make all the lines etc.

When pupils are more experienced, you can also try getting them to make their drawings as the videos play – making quick gestural sketches.

You May Also Like…

Explore Stadium Design

Explore architecture and stadium design with this pathway

Show me what you see

Enable close looking and drawing with this exercise

using sketchbooks to make visual notes

Find out how pupils can respond to artists work in sketchbooks

A collection of imagery and sources designed to introduce students to event based architecture firm, Populous.

Please note that this page contains links to external websites and has videos from external websites embedded. At the time of creating, AccessArt checked all links to ensure content is appropriate for teachers to access. However external websites and videos are updated and that is beyond our control. 

Please let us know if you find a 404 link, or if you feel content is no longer appropriate. 

We strongly recommend as part of good teaching practice that teachers watch all videos and visit all websites before sharing with a class. On occasion there may be elements of a video you would prefer not to show to your class and it is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure content is appropriate. Many thanks. 

*If you are having issues viewing videos it may be due to your schools firewall or your cookie selection. Please check with your IT department.*

This resource is free to access and is not a part of AccessArt membership.

Populous is a global company which designs stadiums. In their words “working with communities of all sizes and using a range of disciplines, we create experiences that amplify the joy felt in shared human moments.”

Browse the images on their site to get a real sense of what it means to design stadium which bring people together and create an exciting environment for an event. See the Populous site. 

Watch the videos below with the pupils. Find questions to prompt discussion at the end of this resource. 

Questions to Ask Students

What kind of structures and shapes can you see within the stadiums?

How do the stadiums work with or against the landscape around them?

How does ‘community’ factor into their designs?

When designing a stadium what different spaces need to be considered?

If you were going to design a space what kind of events would it hold? Would you make it multifunctional?

You May Also Like…

PATHWAY: HOW CAN I CREATE COMMUNITY THROUGH STADIUM DESIGN?

Explore architecture and stadium design with this pathway

Show me what you see

Enable close looking and drawing with this exercise

using sketchbooks to make visual notes

Find out how pupils can respond to artists work in sketchbooks

A collection of imagery and sources designed to introduce children to the work of artist Lewis Rossignol.

Please note that this page contains links to external websites and has videos from external websites embedded. At the time of creating, AccessArt checked all links to ensure content is appropriate for teachers to access. However external websites and videos are updated and that is beyond our control. 

Please let us know if you find a 404 link, or if you feel content is no longer appropriate. 

We strongly recommend as part of good teaching practice that teachers watch all videos and visit all websites before sharing with a class. On occasion there may be elements of a video you would prefer not to show to your class and it is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure content is appropriate. Many thanks. 

This resource is free to access and is not a part of AccessArt membership.

Lewis Rossignol is a fine artist who specialises in surrealist and experimental contemporary drawing and painting. 

“I draw inspiration from all areas of life, including but not limited to, interesting people, architecture, music, and nature. Like many others from my generation (X), I also draw inspiration from pop culture, movies, and television, especially from the 80s and 90s, which should be apparent from my work.” – Lewis Rossignol

Rossignol has Tourette syndrome and finds that his tics disappear as he’s drawing, providing him with short bursts of relief everyday. Find out how sketching helps Rossignol to manoeuvre around Tourette syndrome here.

Explore more of Rossignol’s work on his TikTok, Instagram, and Youtube.

Grocer 14″ X 11″ by Lewis Rossignol

Pirates 14″ X 11″ by Lewis Rossignol

Pizzaria 14″ X 11″ by Lewis Rossignol

@lewisrossignol

♬ Don’t Sweat The Technique – Eric B. & Rakim

@lewisrossignol Replying to @michaels.boy thank you. Probably because I have done some album covers. #artprocess #albumart #tylerthecreator ♬ Rusty Cage – Johnny Cash

Questions to Ask Children

How would you describe the way the artist makes his marks?

Which materials and techniques does the artist use?

What do you like or dislike about the artwork and why?

How might you describe the pace of the artwork?

How does the artwork make you feel?

A collection of imagery and sources which you can use to prompt drawing in schools and community groups. 

Please note that this page contains links to external websites and has videos from external websites embedded. At the time of creating, AccessArt checked all links to ensure content is appropriate for teachers to access. However external websites and videos are updated and that is beyond our control. 

Please let us know if you find a 404 link, or if you feel content is no longer appropriate. 

We strongly recommend as part of good teaching practice that teachers watch all videos and visit all websites before sharing with a class. On occasion there may be elements of a video you would prefer not to show to your class and it is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure content is appropriate. Many thanks. 

Polar Bears

Use the film below to enable children to explore drawing polar bears. Try to create a sense of momentum – for example you might pause the video 4 times and ask the pupils to make a 1 minute, 2 minute, 3 minute and 4 minute drawing at each pause. 

Encourage close and slow looking by talking as they draw – use your voice to attract their attention to features of the polar bears.

Watch the full documentary The Polar Bear Family & Me

public domain animal CC0 photo.

public domain animal CC0 photo.

Free public domain CC0 photo.

Free public domain CC0 photo.

You May Also Like…

Pathway: Using Art To Explore Global Issue

This is featured in the ‘Using Art To Explore Global Issue’ pathway

using sketchbooks to make visual notes

Show me what you see

A collection of sources and imagery to explore the work of Maurice Sendak.

Please note that this page contains links to external websites and has videos from external websites embedded. At the time of creating, AccessArt checked all links to ensure content is appropriate for teachers to access. However external websites and videos are updated and that is beyond our control. 

Please let us know if you find a 404 link, or if you feel content is no longer appropriate. 

We strongly recommend as part of good teaching practice that teachers watch all videos and visit all websites before sharing with a class. On occasion there may be elements of a video you would prefer not to show to your class and it is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure content is appropriate. Many thanks. 

This resource is free to access and is not a part of AccessArt membership.

Maurice Sendak and Where The Wild Things Are

“Maurice Sendak (1928-2012) was born in Brooklyn, New York to Jewish immigrant parents from Poland. A largely self-taught artist, Sendak illustrated over one hundred-fifty books during his sixty-year career.”  – The Maurice Sendak Foundation

As well as being an author and illustrator Sendak began a career as a costume and stage designer later in life.

Watch Sendak’s illustrations come to life in this animation.

Find clear images of the illustrations in this video. Stop the video on some of the illustrations and discuss what the children can see. This might also be a good opportunity to create some visual notes.

Questions to Ask Children

What kind of mark making can you see in Sendak’s drawings?

How do you think he made the marks? Can you make the action in the air? Would it be slow and careful, or quick and sketchy? 

How would you describe the atmosphere in Sendak’s illustrations?

Can you relate to the characters in the book? If so, how?

Can you name some of the different animal that you recognise in Sendak’s Wild Things?

What is your favourite part of the story? Why do you like it?

How does the story make you feel?

Imagine your own Wild Thing…

• What might it look like and why?

• Is it friendly or frightening? Why?

• How might you interact with your Wild Thing?

• Where does it live and how do you find it?

This Talking Points Is Used In…

Pathway: Drawing and Making Inspired by Maurice Sendak

This is featured in the ‘Drawing and Making Inspired by Maurice Sendak’ pathway

using sketchbooks to make visual notes

Show me what you see

What We Like About This Resource….

“Faith’s work creating sculptures using recycled or discarded plastic is really beautiful, and exceeds expectation of what we might consider scrap plastic being able to do. The processes she uses, particularly with the dancing figures, are all easily accessible to a school setting, with tape, card, wire being relatively inexpensive and simple to use. Delivering an Art project using waste plastic has cross curricular links with other subject areas, particularly PSHE and Geography where children may be learning about the environment and how to protect it” – Tobi, AccessArt.

You Might Also Like….

Sea Sculptures from Plastic Bottles

Transformation Project

Visual Arts Planning: Our Natural World

What We Like About This Resource….

“Rachel has contributed some great resources to AccessArt and we really like how this idea captures the concept of ‘returning’ – something that school children will have processed over the past year. We love how this activity encourages hands to feel and move paint about freely – to experience its qualities and tactile nature. You could try this in your setting using different migratory birds such as Ospreys or Swifts as inspiration, with the children looking at images of these birds before trying some observational drawing.” – Rachel, AccessArt.

You May Also Like….

Visual Arts Planning Collections: Birds

Drawing Feathers

Creating Decorative Designs From Birds