I’ve been doing a series of education workshops at The Mall Galleries with different visiting schools from Lambeth. The children get to talk about paintings, choose a character from a piece of work in the current exhibition, then make their own book featuring doors into other worlds. The children have been so enthusiastic, it’s been great working there.

I’ve spent the last week working at St Paul’s C of E primary school, Hook, creating two large textile collage panels to celebrate the school’s 150th anniversary. The red words are the school’s values. Everyone from year 1 up to year 6 took part, and I completed the work by building two wooden frames and stretching the fabric over them for a neat finish.

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.

Today was the last day of the library project at Singlegate Primary School in Colliers Wood. All term I’ve been working on Friday afternoons with a group of children from different classes, making an installation for the library - including a wall hanging complete with collage nests, a flock of papier mache birds (I specially like this one with the smart scarf):

and - since the project is in the library - a set of hand-made books about the birds:

They were a great group and I will miss them all!

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.

Just finished my demonstration book for the ArtisanCam project on the 28 and 29th - turned out rather romantic!

In a couple of weeks I will be visiting a school in north London for a project with ArtisanCam. A class of year 6 pupils will be getting a visit from a live macaw from London Zoo, then making a book inspired by the experience. Today I’ve really enjoyed making a demonstration model, using a selection of jumbled up words and paper collage.

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!

This week I have been with Y8 and 9 children from Cricket Green School in Mitcham and Y4 classes from Wimbledon Chase Primary. This is the first stage of the lanterns project - the children made wax rubbings from features of the Snuff Mill and the park - from fencing, manhole covers, leaves, the grind stones - even the back of a TV set and each other’s shoes. Then they tore and cut up the paper to make images inspired by the park - the bridges, waterwheel, minibeasts and all the other things they have seen on their visits. The results look very impressive and will inform the children’s designs for their lanterns next week. I love the 3-D collage, with a walk-though entrance to the park and stand-up buildings and signage, and the beautiful detailed brickwork in the second one.