Hello again!
I’ve been out and about in Manchester again, only this time I wasn’t outside painting! Nope, this time I was inside and on set as artist and consultant on the new CBeebies: Colours series. The first programme is all about the colour red. I love being on set, especially this set, as we were on location at one of my favrouite cultral landmarks; The Manchester Art Gallery. You may know already how much I love that place – even if it means getting up at 6:30 in the morning! After a hot water and lemon, I was ready for a super busy and exciting day shooting all the way into the early evening.
Eagle-eyed viewers will spot my beautiful earrings made by local artist Audrey and George. We met when she attended one of my collage workshops last year and I love her work! All the patterns are so bright and colourful. You can grab a pair of your own using the links at the bottom of the page – supporting fellow artists has never been so fabulous!
It was great to be back with BBC Childrens, after having such a lovely time on Blue Peter. It also got me thinking about the difference between working with adults and kids. My conclusion is there isn’t much! Naturally I might use different language and pacing, tailoring my approach to the skillset and age of the group. I do find that adults sometimes need more time to relax into an activity – maybe they’ve had a bad experience at school or think they’re not creative, which is so not true!
The key is connecting to the child inside of us. We all need to be able to do that – that’s when we make our most creative work! Children solve the problem in front of them. They don’t worry about whether it’s possible or what’s gone before, so they’re open to new possibilities and creative ways of working. This is especially true for neurodivergent children and adults who see the world in a totally different way. Working with these individuals has really encouraged me to embrace and appreciate my own individuality and quirkiness, doing what comes to mind with no filter. What a gift!
The series started on 22nd March this year and you can watch it here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000tpcm