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Darrell Wakelam

@darrellwakelam.bsky.social

1.8K followers 870 following 1.2K posts

Freelance artist and provider of 3D ART workshops & training. Author of the best-selling book Art Shaped. Free ART ideas and projects at www.darrellwakelam.com

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Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · Dec 27

In 2025, if you like an artists work online, share it.
I see AI generated art getting thousands of views, while hard-working creatives go unnoticed. Artists don't exist in a vacuum, creative people need the oxygen of support to find their audience. Find what you love, and shout about it. 👍❤️
#edusky

A picture of me (the artist) with a variety of cardboard models that I've shared online, a Chinese dragon, a fish, a dodo, a crown, a warriors helmet and a chimpanzee, all made from simple scrap materials.

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Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 3d

Ah thanks, I'll make a note of this and take a look when I get a moment, thank you 😁

Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 3d

Hello to the new people who've popped up on here over the last few weeks. 🙂👋 . . . I'm Darrell, I'm a maker/artist/teacher and I've spent over 35 years convincing everyone that 'cutting & sticking' is a valid career. 😆
Please check out my work at www.darrellweakelam.com
#edusky

A model of a lions head made entirely from recycled cardboard tubes.

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Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 4d

Enjoyed this so much I thought I'd make another one. 🙂
www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky #sculpture #cardboard

The beginnings of another smaller cardboard seahorse. This small model is just cut from thin cardboard, scored, and folded to make it more three-dimensional.

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Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 4d

No worries, I guessed it was auto 😁

Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 4d

Thank you Isobel 🙂

Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 4d

It's a mixture of lots of techniques I use, scoring, rolling, using strips, making separate pieces and then combining them, paper mache (tissue) When you've got a broad age/ability range, you have to dissect the techniques and work out who can do what, when, and how.

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Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 4d

Thanks Marie, it was lovely on the last day, they all have to come down the stairs next to this to go home, and the sound of their gasps and their lovely comments to each other were very special.

Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 4d

This week's project took me up to Gastrells Primary in Stroud where the whole school took part, creating a new display area outside their school hall. This will be added to over the coming months.
www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky

This week, the children from Gastrells Primary made a tree in their corridor! Compete with birds, a resident squirrel and a fox. All of this was built in three days just using cardboard and simple sculpture techniques.

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Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 7d

😆

Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 8d

Thanks Jessica. I’m going to add more to this when I get time, and patience. 😁

Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 8d

Probably not with this, I’m not finished with it, I’m going to add even more detail to this one, but keep it as the raw card I think. 😁👍

Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 8d

😁😮 thanks

Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 8d

Sometimes I like quick results, sometimes I like a challenge. 😁😅
This ship is made entirely from recycled cardboard tubes.
darrellwakelam.com #edusky

A ship that I’m currently working on which is made entirely from recycled cardboard tubes.

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Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 10d

Thanks 😁 There's not many bits of household recycling I haven't transformed at some point. 😆

Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 10d

Oh I've been on this for a long time 😆

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Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 11d

Okay, this little 'Corrugated Card Seahorse' is now up on the website here . . . www.darrellwakelam.com/news/corruga...

Photos of my corrugated card seahorse. This 3D artwork is entirely made from scrap cardboard with the outer layer covered with pieces of corrugated card to create the surface texture.

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Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 11d

They didn't think for long 😆

Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 11d

It's a classic case of someone really not thinking through a comment 🙄

Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 11d

Or have to save someone else.

Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 12d

I grew up as far from the coast here as you can get, we were literally surrounded by canals (Birmingham) and had three very large ponds locally, one big enough to have boats on. 🙄

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Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 12d

No problem, often, if it's more imaginative, a tree, a dragon etc, then the kids have a bit more freedom obviously. Sometimes, like with this, schools have a set idea of what they want the work to express, so there's less wriggle room, but, I'm paid for both 😆👍

Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 12d

This is a mixture, unlike many of the more 'imaginative' things I do, this obviously had to have the 'icons' of the values, and the logo, which are 'set'. However, when they build these elements I let them work out how, I show ways, but they decide. This one was more prescriptive than many though.

Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 12d

Nice isn't it, tried to give it an 'industrial feel'

Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 12d

I've had a very busy few days at Bridge Learning Campus in Bristol, helping the children to create a new display for their school entrance. It seemed obvious to make a 'bridge', linking their logo, values and the industrial past of the local area. 👍
www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky

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Darrell Wakelam @darrellwakelam.bsky.social · 18d

I was at Winterbourne Valley First School this week, where all of the kids worked together to create this amazing tree display. One of the Year 3 boys described the process as “splatisfying”, which is possibly the best description of my work I’ve ever received. 😆
www.darrellwakelam.com #edusky

A 3D relief tree sculpture created by the children from Winterbourne Valley First School. This is about 2m by 1.5m and was created as a display piece to go in the school's entrance lobby. The whole piece is constructed from cardboard, paper straws, and tissue, so is totally recyclable.