A busy week of workshops at Llanover Hall and Wales Millennium Centre.
Yesterday, a full class for the Storytelling and Art session for children aged 8-12. I asked them to count down from ten and write the first three words that came into their mind. Then to choose the word they liked best and do a mind map with ideas for the beginning, middle and end of a story. Some words that were used: Parrot, Puppy, Horse, Cat, Teddy, Mermaid. I asked them to draw or paint three scenes of their story, either dividing up the paper, or on three separate sheets. The younger children needed more help and prompting to develop their initial idea, but most of them managed to create some fun stories in the two hours.
Today, at WMC, I set out a selection of recycled materials to use for printmaking. Four families came to have a go, some children as young as three, helped by their parents. I showed them how to roll out the ink and create a page of abstract textures and colours. Then they decided on a creature and drew a template, laid it over their printing page and cut around it. Finally, they mounted their creatures on coloured card.
Sarah J Featherstone 