ACTIVITY 1: CIRCLE PAINTING!
Marina Barrage is a visually rich site with a splendid views of the city skyline, the waterfront, the Singapore Flyer and the Barrage. Rachel Jordan, the artist, is visually inspired by the architectural environment and the occurrence of circular forms within it – the elliptical grassy walkway that takes the visitor to the roof, the Singapore Flyer in the distance, the dam waterwheels and the pools created by the water fountains. Hence, the concept for the artwork to use curved lines and make bold painting of circles. The circle painting that the children will be doing also embraces the nature and properties of water, and in particular the ripples created by a drop into water. Water is also used to activate the colours in the work.
The children and families will be exploring these themes of circular forms by being invited to draw circles of various sizes with watercolour pencils. They will activate the colour of each circle they draw using water on their finger. Families are welcome to create circles of different sizes, colours and intensity and therefore express their individuality through the different personal artistic choices they make yet ultimately they will be creating a large piece of work communally.
Rachel’s work as an artist involves significant exploration into cellular forms and uses either circles or squares in loose repetitive arrangements. Her inspiration comes from many different sources, from traditional decorative tiling eg. Roman mosaics, to the work of several famous 20th century abstract artists such as Kandinsky, to textiles as well as the patterns found in Nature. She is a fan of creating artwork spontaneously and intuitively to create pieces that are expressive and have a visually mesmerizing effect. Like a musical composition, she is interested in the final work having a rhythmic quality, as well as liveliness, energy and harmony. The works are essentially interactions between form and colour and despite being composed of simple forms, the repetition of these produces a much more complex network of relationships. A circle could be seen as one individual, a collection of circles could be seen as a community.
About Rachel Jordan
A British national, a citizen of the world and currently resident in Singapore, Rachel Jordan has been a practising visual art for over 10 years and specialises in painting and drawing. She is a frequent exhibitor with the Stuckist group, a group of artists that promote painting in opposition to conceptual art. Her main body of work consists of abstract paintings and drawings in acrylic, watercolour and charcoal using repeated patterns based on circles and squares. She has exhibited at various galleries in London and elsewhere in the UK . She has also shared her knowledge, skills and enthusiasm for art with children and adults by leading many different art sessions in galleries, libraries, schools, churches and parks. Previously Rachel has run two Big Draw art sessions in the UK and now is delighted to be involved in its first appearance in Asia.
Since arriving in Singapore she has also conducted a series of art workshops for inmates at Selarang Drug Rehabilitation Centre for the Yellow Ribbon Project. Her motto is ‘Belief in Art and Faith in People’ because she believes that an encounter with art, either through looking or creating, can enrich everyone’s life and because she has faith that every human being has creative potential.
Having originally gained a degree in modern languages (University of Sheffield) before turning to her true vocation, she studied Fine Art, Drawing and Painting at the City Literary Institute, London.
