Art pupils in Moray have had their minds opened to sculpture techniques as part of a national project taking celebrated works into the classroom.
Artist Mary Bourne, who is a member of the Royal Society of Sculptors and lives near Dufftown, brought three of her creations from her private collection to Elgin High School to demonstrate how they were made.
Students from S3 were introduced to a carved and polished slate stone entitled Home, which was made to reflect the peaks of Ben Rinnes and the sensation of stroking a cat.
Other work included Shield, sculpted to resemble an African defensive barrier while also mimicking the landscape and emotions of the Culloden battlefield, and Turning the Corner, a pink marble tower that demonstrates how different angles can be exploited.
Children were invited to get hands-on and touch the art while also investigating the diamond-encrusted tools required to polish the stone.
The visit to Elgin High School was part of Art UK’s Masterpieces in Schools programme – designed to give pupils opportunities that may have been lost due to budget constraints while also learning from professional artists.
Mrs Bourne explained the workshop aimed to recreate the process she goes through creating her sculptures, but on a smaller scale.
She said: “I was able to show the pupils sculptures I had made inspired by landscapes in their own area and informed by local as well as international history.
“They worked really well on their ink drawings and clay reliefs – quiet as mice, which always a good sign.
“And for me it was so rewarding to see them taking on my advice by learning in action.”
Other work done during the workshop included recreating landscapes from photographs using ink and creating clay sculptures designed to create the perception of distance.
Jackie Stewart, principal teacher of art at Elgin High School, said: “Art UK have provided us with such a fantastic opportunity for our students to engage with a practicing artist with such talent.
“We were also delighted as to see and interact with real artwork too is a really important for our students who live so far from art galleries.
“They were really inspired by Mary Bourne and the opportunity to create artwork with her help.”
The Masterpieces in Schools project aims to visit 125 classrooms across the UK by the end of May.
