We have been pleased to welcome a number of primary schools this year to participate in our Tuesday morning workshops - some have visited us many times, others we have met for the first time. Click on the links at the bottom of the page to see what goes on, and if you would like to book a visit we would be pleased to hear from you.
Natural Drawing
The drawing workshop, which is based on Ruskin's book The Elements of Drawing, involves observational drawing of natural objects. The children are able to choose from a selection of material - bones, shells, plants and flowers in season etc. Initial
drawings are done in pencil: others may be made with the aid of magnifying glasses and with
a variety of crayons.
This session is held in the Gallery, and whilst there the children
will be encouraged to look at, and talk about, the exhibition. They will also see examples of how Ruskin used his own sketchbooks.
The drawings on these pages have largely come from a lovely morning spent with Nether Kellet Community Primary School - if you would like to see them at work, have a look at their webpage.
Making Books
This workshop begins with a brief introduction to the history of book production: the children will have the opportunity to examine examples of nineteenth-century books.
The staff will then
guide pupils through the making of a simple sewn booklet with a decorated cover.
