Oakwood Primary School
What's happening at Oakwood
Sculture Project
Sculptor in residence at Oakwood Primary School
Since June 2013 the wood sculptor Natasha Houseago has been a resident artist at Oakwood Primary School.
She runs workshops with the children once a week, teaching them to work with wood and create a collection of seating that will remain in the school and be used by the children. The seating is carved from parts of the willow tree that were damaged in a storm last year.
During her time with us she will also be creating a large figurative sculpture that will be sited at the front of the school.
“I am really enjoying my sculpture residency at Oakwood Primary School. Working in a raised area with the fallen willow under the willow tree has helped create a special and unique atmosphere in which to work. The pupils seem to have really enjoyed carving out the seats and bugs and I’ve been amazed by their improvement in skills each session. Carving is a slow and hard work and I feel it’s been great for them to slowly see the carvings evolve week by week! Equally I am loving working on the large figurative carving, which is directly inspired by working in the school environment with all the noise, energy and input of the children.”
Natasha uses green, mostly local wood to create beautiful pieces of large sculpture. Using hand axes, chisels and an 18 volt chainsaw, Natasha creates wonderful, tactile creations which give new life to a piece of wood which may be 100 or 200 years old.
“Although I have worked in other materials I am always drawn back to wood believing it to be such a magical, potent, living material. All my wood has fallen naturally, and I love that sense of giving it another life. Each piece has its own history and as I strip-off the bark there is a sense of releasing its spirit.
I begin my project by doing many loose working drawings: I then transfer these in chalk onto my solid block of work, where I begin the very physical process of carving, hacking, slashing as I go to battle with my materials! I 'block out' initially with bow saw or chain saw and then define the form using chisel and mallet, finally finishing with rasps and scrapers.”
