This week I’ve been working at the Mall Galleries with schools visiting from nearby Lambeth. I devised a workshop for them which involved looking at the paintings on display and sketching their favourites, then using that to inspire a book based on magical, mystery doors. Working with Elli from the gallery, we pre-folded A2 paper into a simple book form, then showed the children what was possible with a demonstration book featuring doors peeping on to the next page. Then the children got to work with scissors, glue and a big selection of tempting collage materials, together with coloured pencils. The results were incredibly inventive, with several children going straight into 3-D and others showing a tremendous innate sense of colour and design. You can see the demonstrations book I made to show the children here.

I’ve been putting together another demonstration book, this time for a workshop plan I am writing for the education programme at the  Mall Galleries. It’s on a theme of doors, and children will each choose and create a character, then make a book with open-able doors to lead to a series of adventures. Back at school after the gallery visit, the children can write the narrative to go with the visuals they have created.

I finished the macaw project today with 22 Y6 pupils from North London. They had great fun creating interesting textures on coloured paper with acrylic paint and hanging them up to dry. The next day they used them to create collage-based, Japanese-bound story books inspired by the visit of Roberta the macaw. Their work was brilliant and the children really enjoyed the project, and didn’t even want to stop for break-time. ArtisanCam will be showing online film of the project later in the year.

Only a couple more workshops this term then I will be preparing in earnest for my solo show in October at The Old Sweet Shop. It’s called ‘Compendium’ and will be inspired by games and ways of playing.

Varnished decoupage plates for the art club at Singlegate Primary School this afternoon. I’ve got a big pile of magazines so I hope the children have fun making some of these. Thanks Jill for helping make the demonstration models!