Workshops for children and families at Llanover Hall and Wales Millennium Centre this summer. Participants learnt how to fold a little book in which to write and illustrate a story. Some children came with ideas for their story: a brother and sister brought along their favourite toys to be the protagonists, and one girl knew … Continue reading Little Books
Children’s art
Summer Workshops
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 … Continue reading Summer Workshops
Cynefin: In the Gallery
Work from the Cynefin project is being exhibited in Llandough hospital until the end of August. The gallery co-ordinator, Molly Lewis and I arranged the paintings and photographs onto four boards and hung them in the corridor of the hospital where they can be seen by staff, patients and visitors as they pass through. It's … Continue reading Cynefin: In the Gallery
Dance and Film: Cynefin – Week Five
This week, dancer, actor and teacher, June Campbell-Davies came in to work with the children on our Cynefin Project along with Marcus and Nick from Redbrck Production Company. Following introductions, June told the class about her parents' experience of coming from Grenada in the West Indies to the UK post-war, part of a Dance Troupe … Continue reading Dance and Film: Cynefin – Week Five
Dragon Bloom and Other Magical Tales
The after-school Creative Writing and Art course at Llanover Hall finally started again on Thursday after months of lockdown with three new participants and three returning, aged between 8 and 11. A while ago, a friend (see her blog here), showed me how to make an eight page mini book, and it was great to … Continue reading Dragon Bloom and Other Magical Tales
Murals and Sculptures: Cynefin – Week Four
A lovely day for a walk to Penllwyn Manor in Blackwood accompanied by three of the children's fathers. Unfortunately, my attempts to gain access to the house proved unfruitful, though Douglas, the kind man at the council did his best to persuade the present owners of the building to let us have a look around. We … Continue reading Murals and Sculptures: Cynefin – Week Four
Flag Printing
Today, for the Romani Arts after-school session, the children designed and printed their own flags. Paint was used to colour the background, and either a lino stamp or stencil used for the centre print, reflecting designs traditionally painted onto vardos, or horse-drawn wagons. Some of the children decided to print their version of the Roma flag. … Continue reading Flag Printing
Mythical Monsters
Kids love monsters; they never tire of stories from myth and legend. At the beginning of the Story telling and Art course, we travelled around the world, exploring stories from many different cultures, finding out about the spirits and mythical creatures that populate these tales. We encountered trolls from Iceland, dragons in China, a host … Continue reading Mythical Monsters
Printmaking Fun
The children I've been working with from the Gypsy, Roman and Traveller community in Cardiff had a go at etching into styrofoam. They did self-portraits, and things they liked. Then I asked them to draw onto acetates so that I could print their drawings onto material using cyanotype technique. The finished prints.
Elves and Trolls
Exploring the amazingly magical Iceland this week on the Children's Storytelling and Art Course, where an elf expert is consulted before routing a new road through rock piles that may be elf habitats, and trolls are everywhere in the landscape if you know where to look. Ghost Mazes by George and Caius, and poltergist … Continue reading Elves and Trolls
