Awe is just a little word - but it captures how I feel about the art made by children.
I'm not much for decorations and bric-a-brac but I do cover the walls of my house with art made by my children (and their friends) over the years. To me, these are more precious than anything I could buy in the shops. There's an incomparable energy to them -- and life is magic when seen through the eyes of children. Here are a few examples from my walls:
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| My two sons playing ping pong. The artist is disputed. Both sons claim they drew it. |
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| Wonderful 3D art by my neighbour, Hugo, when he was four. |
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| Batman! |
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| Spiderman! |
Recently, I visited Grafton Primary School near Holloway.
The minute I saw the giant snake winding its way along the length of the ceiling, I knew I was in for a treat. A lovely enthusiastic teacher showed me around (so sorry, I couldn't find the piece of paper where I scribbled down her name). I could tell from the members of staff I met and the children that there was a real passion for art at Grafton. Apparently the school even holds after school art sessions for parents and children.
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| Giant snake in Reception |
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| More of the giant snake. |
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| In one classroom, the ceiling was hung with sailing ships. |
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| Art by the photocopier |
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| I would love to have some of this art on my wall! |
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Art is such a feature of the school that one of the teachers
made this to introduce a new lesson |
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| I think this might have been for RE |
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| A map of London |
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| One room was a rainforest of strange creatures |
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| Is that a bird combined with a squirrel? |
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| What about this Reindeer-Giraffe-Bird? |
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| An Ostrich Zebra and an Eagle Lizard |
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| A Tiger Snake and Giraffe Butterfly! |
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| A Cat Fish. |
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| There was even a Green Man in the corner of one corridor. |
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| I love these framed self portraits. |
It reminded me of FRAMED by Frank Cottrell Boyce, in which during a flood, precious works from the National Gallery are temporarily moved to safety in a grey, grey Welsh town. When the townspeople inveigle the National Gallery to allow them to see the art, it has a magical effect on the whole town.
I felt privileged to have had a peek at the treasure trove on the walls of the school. I walk past Grafton almost everyday. Who knew?
Afternote:
Knowing my love for children's art, my son recently sent me this link to
paintings by the artist Telmo Piper recreating his childhood drawings.
Mind blowing!
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| What Telmo's childhood rendition of a snail would look like in real life. See more |
Afternote 2:
And it was really, really nice to meet such happy teachers. Like these guys:
