We explored our local hedgerow in Goodleigh and enjoyed spending a day experimenting with different mediums in our sketchbooks. At the end of the project, we created our very own hedgerow!

We began by learning how to draw when faced with dense layers using a really fun technique called network drawing. Only using ink, we found something that caught our eyes and as they moved along, our hand followed. Moving quite quickly allowed us to focus on bigger shapes and gain a sense of layering.

We then learned about colouring mixing and created different colours to match as closely as we could to the foliage we were working from in the classroom.

Following our exploration of colour, we used watered down acrylic paint to blow and move around on to a large piece of paper which would become the base for our mixed-media hedgerow. We had lots of fun doing this, then made view finders and went to our hedge and sketched what we could see, looking at each other’s to try to give it a sense of joining together, again using black ink. We came back inside and transferred these amazing designs on to our acrylic backgrounds using sticks found on the floor and Indian ink.

Then we used oil pastels and vegetable oil to rag over the pastels to create a final layer of colour and stood back to see our beautiful hedge!

We are really proud of our hedgerow and worked together so well to make it. Parents and carers please pop in to have a look at in with your children at the end of a school day as it really does look amazing!