ROSS WALLIS
Biography
Ross is an artist and educator with a background in photography, fine art and printmaking, recently retiring from his full time role of 35 years as head of Creative Arts at Sidcot School in Somerset. He became interested in the creative use of digital technology in the mid 80's and has pursued this interest though its rapid and remarkable development.
For the past ten years Ross has taken a daily photograph on a smartphone, editing it on the device and uploading it to an online gallery. He runs a weekly life drawing class and uses this opportunity to sketch directly from life using various drawing apps on a tablet computer. Some of Ross’s drawings have been exhibited at the Royal West of England Academy.
Ross is an Apple Distinguished Educator and Adobe Education Leader, and has published a work on digital media in the art room. He is in demand to share his experience and expertise at conferences, seminars, and training sessions. Ross recently completed a masters degree in Interactive Design.
Apple Distinguished Educator
Apple Education Mentor
Adobe Education Leader
Date of birth:11.02.58
Nationality: British
Religion: Quaker
Married, with two children
Secondary Education
Beauchamp School Oadby and Leicester Polytechnic.
CSE grade 1/O’level Biology, English, Art and Design, English Lang., R.E., Gen. Studies, Photography. GCE A’level Art, English.
Higher Education
Leicester Polytechnic - 1976 - 78 - Two year Foundation course in Art and Design.
Sunderland Polytechnic - 1978 - 81 - BA (hons) Fine Art. Upper 2nd with 1st class classification for Historical and Critical studies
Sunderland Polytechnic - 1981 - 82 - Postgraduate extension year in Sculpture, Evening class to obtain GCE Mathematics
Reading University - 1982 - 83 - Post Graduate Certificate in Education. Distinction in Professional Studies
University of the West of England - 1987 - 89 - 2 year part time Extension Course (Printmaking)
Weston College 1996 - Ten week evening course in Computer studies (Adobe Photoshop)
University of the West of England 2007 - 2009 10 - 3 year part time MA in Interactive Media (Merit)
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Professional Courses
An initial set of evening classes in First Aid in 1982/3
with one day refresher courses in December 97, November 2000 and November 2009
1997 - Two day School Mini Bus training.
1995 - Two day training in computer studies for art.
1994 - Two day course in Water Based Screen Printing.
1998 - 10 week course in Adobe Photoshop
2001 - Day course in Web site design.
2004 - Day course in Final Cut Pro.
2005 - Four day residential course – Apple Training Institute accredited by University of Hull
2006 - Four day residential course – Apple Training Institute.
2007 - Four day residential course – Apple Training Institute.
2007 - Four day residential course – Adobe Global Institute.
2008 - Four day residential course – Adobe Global Institute.
2009 - Four day residential course – Adobe Global Institute.
2009 - Adobe Photoshop accreditation
2010 - Four day residential course – Adobe Global Institute.
2012 - Four day residential course - Apple Global Institute.
20 14 - First Aid Training
2017 - First Aid Training
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Other professional training
Termly CPD courses in school.
Weekend conferences hosted by various school in the Independent Schools Art and Design Association.
Courses run by examination boards
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Current Employment
Head of Art Department.
Date of Appointment: 28.01.83
Sidcot School,
Oakridge Lane,
Sidcot,
Winscombe,
North Somerset.
BS25 1PD
01934 843102
Head of Creative Arts Faculty, Sidcot School.
Date of Appointment: June 2008
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Other Employment
Play-scheme Leader1979 - 80
Sunderland Borough Council Summer Vacation Post.
Figure Drawing Classes1987 - 91 Somerset County Council - Weekly Evening class
1991- 94 Mendip Painting Centre Weekly - Evening Class
1994 - Self run weekly evening class
Summer Art and craft weeks 1995 - 2003 Monkton Wyld Court Yearly
week for teenagers and their parents concentrating on papermaking, but incorporating various crafts
Papier Mache Course - 1988 Monkton Wyld Court Weekend Course.
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Other relevant experience
1992 - Developed database for departmental administration.
1993 - Instigated departmental Handbook.
1996 - 1999. - Staff representative on Board of Governors
1997 - Organised weekend conference for Independent Schools Art and Design Association.
1997 - Took over full responsibility for school magazine.
1997 - Took over responsibility for Audio Visual provision in school.
1997 - Organiser of Local Exchange and Trading scheme.
1998 - 2000 - Woodcraft Folk group leader.
1998 - Organised school trip to New York and Boston.
1999 - Trustee of Monkton Wyld Court.
1999 - Representative on Children's committee (Local Quaker Meeting).
2001 - Two informal half day workshops for teachers on the use of IT in Art.
2002 - Took over greater responsibility for PR at Sidcot School.
2002 - Created new prospectus for Sidcot School
2002 - Gave seminar on It it Art, Watershed media centre, Bristol.
2002 - Gave seminar on It in Art, Hewlett Packard Arts and Sciences conference, Cyprus
2003 - Organised & run a series of workshops on It in Art for the Excellence in Cities initiative, at two of the City Learning Centres, Bristol.
2003 - Organised school trip to Barcelona.
2003 - Took on role as graphic designer/ advertising for school. Member of the internal working group on school PR.
2003 - Interviewed by representative of ‘Creating Spaces’ initiative.
2003 - Instrumental in the setting up and running of Winscombe Digital Photography group.
2003 - 05 - Management of a Hewlett Packard pan-European initiative to share Art resources, expertise and creative work online.
2004 - April - Organised & ran day workshop session for Primary school teachers on ICT & Art at the Fishponds CLC, Bristol.
2004 - June - Organised and ran workshop sessions on ICT and Art for the Children’s Museum in Galway
2004 - September - shortlisted for Becta ICT award
2004 - October - organised and ran a two day conference in Sardinia for teachers across European for the HP @rtexchange
2004 - November – a one day extension to the above, run for the UK teachers in the project
2005 - January - Seminar slot at Bett 2005 to speak on the @rt exchange
2005 - January - Organised and ran two day workshop for teachers in Galway, hosted by the Galway Education Centre
2005 - February - Ran one day conference for SFE (from pen to pixel)
2005 - March - Seminar at the Becta Awards ceremony at the National Film Theatre
(Two students being awarded first place and runner up in the still image category of the Becta Awards)
2005 - April. SFE publish my interactive guide - Exploring Digital Arts: Making Effective Use of Digital Media in the Classroom
2005 - May - Involved in running two day conference at the University of the West of England (Photoshop and beyond)
2005 - June - Workshop for Becta, Kings Cross EAZ
2005 - July - Workshops for Becta
2005 - July - Becta practise awards shortlisted
2005 - December - On panel of judges for the 2005 Becta Creativity in Digital Media awards
2006 - January - Presenting seminars on Cut and paste from Adobe stand at Bett 2006
2006 - January - Presenting seminar on @rt Exchange, Bett 2006
2006 - April - attended and presented short keynote speech on Digital in Art Education at the Apple Training Institute
2006 - April - Presented the black tee shirt of the Apple Distinguished Educator
2007 - January - Presented for Apple and Adobe at Bett Show
2007 - January - Became Adobe Education Leader
2007 - June. ‘Dabs Daubs and Digital’, one day conference for art teachers, City Learning Centre Gateshead
2007 - July. Attended Adobe Education Leaders summer camp in San Francisco
2007 - October. started MA in Interactive Media at the University of the West of England
2007 - December - featured in Guardian article on the use of ICT in schools
2008 - January - presented at Bett show for both Apple and Adobe, and my own seminar on Digital Art.
2008 - July - Appointed Head of the Creative Arts Faculty, Sidcot School
2008 - July - ‘Creation to Animation’, one day conference for art teachers, City Learning Centre Gateshead
2008 - July - International Baccalaureate Visual Arts Training Week, Athens
2008 - July - Presented a seminar at the Adobe Education Leaders conference in San Francisco
2009 - January - Presented at Bett show for Adobe and for a second year in my own right as a digital art educator
2009 - January -.Asked to work on a group developing online teaching resources alongside the Bridgeman Art Library
2009 - February - Seminar with PGCE students at UWE
2009 - May -Two weeks of digital art at the Holburne Museum in Bath, working with teenagers at risk
2009 - July - three days of teaching at the Leigh Academy with fellow Apple Distinguished Educators
2009 - July - A third conference with Adobe, including a second presentation of my work
2009 - July - ACA certification in Adobe Photoshop
2009 - August - ‘Media Mash’ summer project with the Holburne Museum and Mentoring Plus
2009 - November - ‘Digital Puppetry’ one day conference for art teachers
2010 - January - Presented at Bett show for Adobe
2010 - February - Hosted and presented day seminar for UWE PGCE students
2010 - April/May ran 10 week adult digital photography evening course
2010 - July - three days of teaching at the Leigh Academy with fellow Apple Distinguished Educators
2010 - July completed Final MA module with distinction, MA as a whole with merit
2010 - October - Collaborated in http://www.rockourworld.org/
2010 - November - virtual seminar, Adobe Ed Quarterly Meeting
2010 - Autumn, collaboration with Mali Bickley, W. H. Day Elementary School, Ontario
2010 - Collaboration in a set of 10 workshops at the University of the West of England, along with the Centre for Fine Print Research
2011 and Aardman. The days were based around flip books and stop frame animation. http://www.uwe.ac.uk/sca/research/flickflipflick/
2011 - January - Presented at Bett show for Adobe
2011 - April - Talk for the Apple Training Institute at Cheltenham College
2011 - June - virtual seminar for Adobe - Liverpool
2011 - July - One day workshop at Chalfonts School, Buckinghamshire
2011 - November - Hosted and talked at Apple Regional Training Centre event
2012 - January - training day with PGCE students from UWE
2012 - February - led training day ‘iPad in Art’ with teachers from Worle School, Weston-Super-Mare
2012 - March - collaboration with Ocoee Middle School in Florida, the start of an ongoing project
2012 - June - led training day ‘iPad in Art’ with pupils and 30 invited prep school teachers, Radley College
2012 - July - Attended week long global Apple Distinguished Educators Conference, Cork
2012 - Oct iPad in Art training day, Atlantic College
2012 - Oct iPad in Art training day, Canford College
2012 - Sept - Dec Adobe Generation online Photoshop course (presenter/trainer)
2013 - January - two day workshops with Prep school teachers for SATIPS
2013 - January - Online ‘five minute tip’ for Adobe Education Leaders quarterly meeting
2013 - February - Day course for UWE PGCE students
2013 - iPad drawings accepted for the ‘Drawn’ exhibition at the Royal West of England Academy, displayed on an iPad.
2013 - April - two day holiday workshop for students at Spratton Hall
2013 - May - article published in SATIPS magazine
2013 - June - ‘iPad in Art’ training day for art teachers at Bolton School
2013 - July - A fourth Adobe conference hosted by Adobe in San Jose, two short presentations.
2013 - July/August - Adobe Generation ANZ - hosting online training for teachers in Australia, NewZealand and the Pacific Rim
2013 - August - collaborative iTunes U and iBook published on iTunes - photography guidebook for iOS devices
2013 - November - Adobe Generation - hosting online training sessions for students
2014 - February - Love Technology conference, iPad workshops with primary school teachers
2014 - June - Oxford Art Teacher’s Conference, iPad workshop
2014 - June - iPad training day for the Haileybury Group hosted by Hampstead School
2014 - October - working with Oxford University Museums Service, exploring the use of iPads in Oxfords Museums
2015 - January - Half day iPad training workshop with Sidcot School staff
2015 - February - Presenting at Teaching Hub, St Katherine's School, Pill
2015 - February - Online presentation for teachers in Australia - Adobe Generation
2015 - March - Online presentation for teachers in North America - Adobe Generation
2015 - March - Online presentation for teachers in Australia - Adobe Generation Professional
2015 - June - Twilight iPad training session for local schools
2015 - June - Twilight iPad training session at St Katherine's School, Pill
2015 - September - CPD day, The Hall School, Hampstead - iPad trying session
2015 - October - Adobe conference, Rotterdam
2016 - February - Adobe Generation - hosting online training for teachers, on the theme of story telling with mobile apps
2016 - February - Twilight iPad training session, Fairfield School, Pill
2016 - July - Adobe conference, New York
2017 - January - presenting on the Adobe stand at Bett
2017 - June - Adobe Generation - hosting online training for teachers, looking at Adobe mobile apps
2017 - June - Webinar for Adobe looking at storytelling with Adobe mobile apps
2017 - October - 2 week Webinar for Adobe on digital photography and mobile apps
2018 - February - Webinar for Adobe on digital montage and mobile apps
2018 - August - 2 week Webinar for Adobe on digital storytelling
2018 - October/November 5 week Webinar series on Smartphone Photography
2019 - January - 2 days with the dept. of Astro Physics, Durham University, working in junior schools with students & teachers
2019 - January - presenting on the Adobe stand at Bett
2019 - February/March 5 week webinar for Adobe on Creative Imagery
2021 - Summer - preparation and delivery of online Adobe training for art teachers at the Leigh Academy
2022 - February - Artwork for animation - Mental Fight Club
2022 - February - Animation for Aspire AP - preparation and delivery of workshop sessions & training for students & teachers
2022 - Autumn - preparation and delivery of online Adobe training for Edge Gain
Areas of Expertise
Computers
Adobe suite (Photoshop Illustrator, Indesign, Premier) 3D modelling, Animation, Video, website design and Database (Filemaker pro).
Printmaking screen printing, photo screen-printing, Lino, and mono type.
Painting and drawing.
Figure drawing.
Textiles Knitting, weaving and printed textiles
Sculpture Papier mache, casting, plaster work, welding and woodworking.
Paper Making.
Stage design and set building.
Photography black and white and colour printing and digital photography
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Areas of Interest
Drawing
Family
Walking
Cycling
Craft work
Music
Guitar playing and singing
Poetry and song writing
Woodwork
Computers
DIY
Car Mechanics
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