Model Making Workshop Facilitator

In response to lockdown and rapidly changing times, Leeds Playhouse created a creative engagement project called "Reasons to be Hopeful" - an intergenerational project that connected 100 people with 10 artists for 10 weeks inbetween February and May 2021 collectively creating a multi-media tapestry on display at the Playhouse during Summer 2021. As one of the artists, I facilitated model making workshops where each participant made a model of their house showing their reasons of hope in each room. The themes of the rooms were: comfort food (Image 4), socially distanced (Image 3), appreciation of essential workers (Image 6), rest & relaxation (Image 9 & 10), the future (Image 7 & 8) and nature (Image 5). The model below is the one I created in order to demonstrate simple model making techniques to participants.

1:25 Scale Model of a House

This was the first time I used white foamboard and made a model to an exact scale. I first took measurements of the House (Image 1), scaled it down and then drew the blueprint (Image 2). Image 3 and 4 are the first and second floor of the house, respectively.

A Tree in the Night

This model was created using a coffee pod box. The hills were created first out of paper-mache and painted with acrylics, as seen in Image 1. I then made the tree using a sponge scourer for the foliage and cardboard for the tree trunk & branches (Image 2). The river is made out of a few layers of PVA Glue and Cling Film. Image 4 shows the final model with paper stars and a boat.

A Field of Daffodils

This was another model created in a coffee pod box, with the field made out of paper-mache. To create the daffodils, I used colourful straws for the stems and middle of the flowers (Image 1). Colourful tissue paper was used to create the petals.

Various Other Crafts

In between making models, I have created various other art projects over the past few years.

Image 1: Clay flower print with water colours. / Image 2: Acrylic on Canvas with a Gloss finish. / Image 3: Water colour painting inspired by DC Comic Book characters. / Image 4: Glass Painting with PVA & Acrylic based on Disney's Beauty & the Beast. / Image 5: Metal bracelet made from Paperclips. / Image 6: Paper-Mache Wolverine Claw using an old Marvel Comic. / Image 7: 3D Image of a Comic book using Plastic. / Image 8: Trinket tray made from Plastic, various craft objects and Paper-Mache.
© 2019 Warda Shah Abbasi. All rights reserved.