With
groups of 30 children I will read one of the picture books and then
work on a large mural. I will draw out ideas in marker pens on big
pieces of paper, then the children are split up into groups with
some working on a background and others working on various elements
of the picture which are then cut out and stuck on. The aim is to
have a large piece of work finished in about an hour and a half.
This is a chaotic affair with glue and glitter and concentration
and giggles and lots of paint and colour.
With
groups of about 30 children I will first do a very small sketch
and then begin work on a painting so that children can see how I
work. I build up the painting in layers and while painting answer
questions they may have about how and why I work, techniques and
making books and stories. This is a much quieter and more intimate
workshop and I always leave the finished painting with the class,
so that they have something to remember me by.
To see a painting being
worked on click here.
Working
with much larger groups I can do slide shows of my paintings and
books, talk about how books are put together, show sketchbooks and
tell stories. There is no limit to numbers for these events, but
I do need a room dark enough for slides and this is often a good
event to have in an evening so that children can bring in parents
to see the work they have been doing in the day.
