Scraptorzoic Era workshop at Gryphon School, Dorset

Yesterday Fiona and Anthony ran a workshop for the new Year 7 intake at the Gryphon School, Sherborne, Dorset, as part of their summer holiday activities and initiation into secondary school.  ArtsLink funded the Scraptorzoic Era workshop, which entailed creating some scraptoroid creatures and spawn to contribute towards our forthcoming trail at the Magdalen Project, Dorset - the Scraptorzoic Era.  Linked to the jurassic theme and imaginary beasties, the children worked individually or in pairs, creating some inventive pieces using a whole range of recycled materials and techniques.  Some of these will form part of our permanent installation of giant scraptoroid creatures and spawn, which will sit under transparent domes in the gardens of Magdalen's Educational Centre.

We had a good day with them, the children loved the concept and all enjoyed exploring so many possibilities with scrap.  We hope this will lead to further workshops for our project.  Dorset Arts Council have already offered some funding and we hope to raise our target for the project by the end of the year.

Taunton Sustainability Show

We had an enthusiastic response at the Taunton Sustainability Show. Above Paul and Rachel on the stand. The fibre glass front of a Mini is destined to be the head of a family of monsters at the Magdalen Project near the Jurassic coast. A print of this is available from our online shop see right hand box.

Below : a humanoid, Anthony, Paul and Rachel. Photo by courtesy of jtcompletedesign.co.uk There will be tribes of humanoids at Magdalen. A print of this also available from our shop.

Scraptorzoic Era a step closer

Some marvellous news in our efforts to raise funds to install the Scraptorzoic Era at Magdalen a charity run  eco farm and educational centre near the Jurassic Coast. We have been awarded a grant by West Dorset Council. We plan a whole geological era with flora, fauna and humanoid tribes. Magdalen has old machinery lying about which we can convert. This old cement mixer cries out to become a giant insect.

Writhing Dragons found wood

We have been given these interesting bits of wood by a friend. Paul and Anthony collected them in a trailer and they now await transformation. They look like two writhing dragons. We will decide what  to add and subtract to enhance them.

Drain Pipe to be transformed

Before: we like to transform features in the landscape and this is our plan for a water pipe leading to a stream in a wooded ravine. It is particularly gushing after heavy rain. The drawing is by Paul Boswell and the face owes something to Ancient Roman fountains and something to African tribal masks. We are selling prints of this on EBay - see opposite.

After

Sustainability Show

Our next big exhibition will be the Sustainability Show in Taunton on 17th June.  We will have a range of our work on show, together with Scraptor giclee prints for sale - to help raise funds for our Scraptorzoic Era at Magdalen. 
Please do come along and introduce yourselves, it should be a great day.   

Magdalen's 'Spring on the Farm' Open Day

On Sunday 29th April we braved the howling gales and cold rain for a 'Spring on the Farm' Open Day at The Magdalen Project!   Our Scraptors stand in the barn displayed some of our work and samples of pieces which may feature in our planned Scraptorzoic Era - if and when we get funding.  Possibly the coldest Spring day so far - with flooded roads and fallen trees all over Somerset and Dorset - visitor numbers were seriously depleted, but the people who came enjoyed roasting marshmallows on the fire, feeding lambs, seeing the bees, stroking Jenny the cob horse and chatting to us about our future plans.  See images below:

Our stand with Limited Edition Giclee Prints for sale

Detail of Spawn and Scraptorzoic Creature - some of these will be made by young and old in workshops

Mini head - which will form part of a 'Tripod Mini Head' giant sculpture

 

Humanoid

Scraptors with Spawn and Scraptorzoic creatures