Darrell Wakelam

"In 2026, please try to share the work of real, living artists . . . the dead ones really don't need the publicity like we do." 😆👍 www.darrellwakelm.com #edusky #UKEd #artists #art #artist #sculpture #artistinresidence #artteacher #artteachers #creatives #inspire

I spent last night adding these tiny little railings to my window. 😮 www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky #artwork #3Dart #modelmaking

Here's part two of 'Paper Plate Skulls' . . . I've added this to the website now (website below) Simply click on the 'news' link on the homepage and you'll find the full making video plus extra photos and tips. 😁👍 💀💀💀💀 Original Design ©️ www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky #halloween #halloween26

Here's a new Halloween project for you . . . Paper Plate Skulls . . . one plate, four skulls! I'll put this up on my website in the next couple of days with some clearer photos of the process. 😁💀💀💀 ➡️ www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky #sculpture #halloween #Halloweencraft #Halloweenidea #skull #skulls

Another busy 2 days, another whole school project. The kids from Reception to Yr 6 at Thornford Primary in Dorset have worked together to create this beautiful display piece based on their school badge ('thorn' 'ford') I decided to try this in the style of a Chinese painting. www.darrellwakelam.com

I've been back over to Othery Primary today, this time to work with the KS1 kids. We've decorated this huge mask for the Bridgwater Carnival. We were supplied with the pre-formed base, but as the theme is 'energy' we created this 'sun'. It's big, that's two school tables underneath. #edusky #UKEd

I've been up to Othery Primary School today, where the Year 3/4 class have been making their own Halloween masks. Every single one of these began as a single paper plate. 😮 Amazing what you can do with a bit of imagination isn't it. www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky #UKEd #artistinresidence #mask

Thanks Amazon for today's delivery. After a very busy week, this was just what I needed. 😴😴😴 www.darrellwakelam.com

I've been up to a favourite haunt of mine today, Preston Primary School in Yeovil. The Year 1 kids had invited some of their parents in to join them in some making, and we made these little 'British Mammals' How good are these! 😆 Year one! 😮 www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky #UKEd

I had a great time today with a little group of 'art experts' at Carbeile Junior School in Cornwall. About 16 kids from Year 3 - 6 worked as a team to create this beautiful Cheetah sculpture! (It's pretty big too, that's three school tables underneath) 😮 www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky #UKEd

I've managed to squeeze in a 'zoom session' today up to Stafford Grammar School, where the Year 10 artists are about to take on some 3D anatomical work. I don't just work with Primary kids, in fact I spent the first 5 years of my career working solely with Secondary. 😮 www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky

Sometimes, art is just a matter of pushing stuff around until you're happy with it. 😁 Adding some flowers to my cardboard window. 👍 www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky #UKEd #sculpture #cardboardart #creativity #making #processart #artwork #junksculpture #3Dart #inspiration

I've had a great week up at Monkspath Juniors working with the Yr 3 and 4 kids to create these 3D portraits. The school had chosen Shakespeare, Malala Yousafzai, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and the 'NASA' scientists (Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Christine Darden) 😁 #edusky #UKEd

Today, I took a trip to the beautiful Stogursey Primary School to help the KS1 kids to build a giant Ichthyosaur for the forthcoming parade. There are now pieces of Dinosaur strewn across the KS1 classroom. Imagine the excitement and times it by ten. www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky #UKEd #artworkshop

Well I've had a lovely morning catching up with some old friends. 😮 Those who know me well will understand just how exciting this was! Thanks to The Arc in Winchester for sharing with us the artwork of legendary film-maker & animator Ray Harryhausen. #RayHarryhausen #Animation #Jasonandtheargonauts

Well, it’s been a busy few days up at Bridge Learning Campus in Bristol. The kids from Year 4/5/6 have created three large 3D posters promoting teamwork and cooperation. 🙂👍 www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky #UKEd

Hotel living this week has its benefits. 🙂 At home I always find ‘other things to do’ but this week I’ve made time for some sketching based on my holiday photos. www.darrellwakelam.com

So, today was the first face-to-face project of my 36th academic year of art workshops 😁 I've been helping the KS2 kids at North Cadbury Primary to create this piece inspired by their 'Evacuees' project. www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky #UKEd #sculpture #artworkshop #artistinresidence

Naples 2026. For me, if you want to understand the soul of a place, you can do little wrong in immersing yourself in its artwork. "Addio Napoli, hai conservato un pezzetto del mio cuore."

On my way home today I went to the San Giorgio Maggiore church to see this. In 2022, while doing restoration work, a secret hidden painting was found behind an existing work. Aniello Falcone’s ‘St. George & the Dragon’ had been hidden for hundreds of years. 😮

So, today I went in search of Caravaggio! ‘The seven works of mercy’ is in-situ, in the Pio Monte della Misericordia. You can also go up a level, to view it from above. ‘The flagellation of Christ’ is in the Capodimonte Museum, and it is breathtaking. 😮 Beautifully displayed.

One of my favourite unexpected things from this trip so far has been this. In the Ancient Egyptian collection in the basement of the Museo Archeologico in Naples there’s a mummified crocodile! 😮 Incredible. It’s thousands of years old and its teeth look better than mine. 😆

One of my favourite photos from here in Naples today. Just a regular little building tucked away in a courtyard. I imagine an elderly vampire seeing out their days here. 🙂

“Ciao miei bellissimi amici!” For once I’m not working, I’m shirking . . . in Naples! 😮😎 I’ve just broken the world record for how many photos you can take in one museum. 😅 #edusky

Corrugated Card Seahorse. Sometimes, it’s simply a texture that inspires me. This seahorse looks realistic, but that’s you responding to the texture, so much so that no colour is required. 🙂 Info and images for this project are on the ‘news’ link at www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky #sculpture #art

I've spent a couple of hours a day for the last week editing photos, filing stuff and deleting what I don't need. I can now lay my hands on anything, at a moments notice. 😆 Ask me for a photo of artwork on any given theme you choose, and I'll prove it. 😮 www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky #UKEd

I'm bowled over by the response to my last few messages on here, wow. So, 'hello' if you've only just found me. Sadly, I'm not usually that interesting or exciting, and so normal service will resume shortly, but thanks anyway. x 😆 www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky #UKEd #art #sculpture #blueskyart

I loved how so many posts about Dolly Parton were about the good, kind things she’d done. So, I’ve grabbed a stack of kids’ books I bought for projects and I’m gonna drop them at my local Primary School. It’s not much, but it's something. 🙂 Sharing if anyone wants to do the same. 👍 #edusky #UKEd

So, when we were all trapped at home back in 2020 I started doing some online workshops, all over the world. 😮 I've now done over 100, with all ages and abilities. If you're interested, reply here or drop me a message. 👍 www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky #UKEd #art #artworkshop #artprocess

Art doesn't require expensive materials and equipment . . . the most important tool you have is your imagination. 🙂 www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky #UKEd #art #sculpture #recycled

There's no AI trickery here . . . just a split-pin figure, a paper plate, and my hands. www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky #UKEd #sculpture #animation #ancientgreek

I've spent my life looking for patterns that are hidden in everyday things. Some seem obvious when you see them. 🙂 www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky #UKEd #sculpture #EasterIsland #Moai #Artwork

During Covid, I wrote a reply to someone online with the phrase "even when we can't get there, our ideas still can". The line stayed with me, it's even in the foreword of my book 'Art Shaped'. Ideas can travel much further than you ever will. 🙂 www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky #UKEd #sculpture

So, my final Summer workshop at Lyme Regis Museum was a busy one. Once again, we've had over 100 families join in and make themselves some fossil inspired artwork to take home. Here are just a few of their wax-resist ammonites. Look at the detail in some of these. 😮 www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky

During Covid, I wrote a reply to someone online with the phrase "even when we can't get there, our ideas still can". The line stayed with me, it's even in the foreword of my book 'Art Shaped'. Ideas can travel much further than you ever will. 🙂 www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky #UKEd #sculpture

I'm back at the Lyme Regis Museum on Thursday the 20th for my 4th and final art workshop of the Summer holidays 'The Ammonite Graveyard' 😮 If you are around come and join in with some wax-resist painting. Workshops are free with entry ticket. 🙂 www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky #UKEd #artworkshop