As part of an ongoing 3 year project between Ysgol Pennal and Coetir Anian, pupils from the school recently enjoyed a 4 day creative project working with Coetir Anian and local artist Elin Vaughan Crowley. The first day was spent on Coetir Anian’s site near Glaspwll, Machynlleth. There, pupils took part in a variety of nature connection activities to help them collect inspiration, as well as natural materials, for the three day art workshop in school.

Back in school, after discussion between the pupils and Elin, it was decided to create four individual murals of our native trees. The pupils wanted the murals to be bright, colourful and graffiti style. The trees chosen to star on the murals were oak, holly, rowan and hazel.

As well as painting the murals, the pupils made monoprints from the sketches they had made on the site visit, learnt about and painted birds that are associated with oak woodland, made paintbrushes out of natural materials and learnt about and created their own, personal tree rings.

Clarissa Richards, Education Specialist for Coetir Anian, said, “The pupils showed so much enthusiasm for nature and being outdoors when playing on our site and it was great to see this then channelled into their art. Elin’s sensitivity towards the pupils and her wonderful creative skills and knowledge ensured that all the pupils created art about nature of which they could be proud.”
This project has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.