What we did at the Tate

Just a quick taster of what we did at Tate Britain last Saturday.  Amazing artists from 3 to 10 years old and from all over the world made a special Tiz and Ott Gallery.  I love watching kids draw - and envy their directness - never befuddled with second thoughts!
Thanks to Ella Finch for this video of us all in action.  And some pics to follow.

Here's me in my mother, Julia Marzo's dress dating from the Seventies.  
My 21 year old daughter suggested I could
wear it at the Tate.  It was also my mother's birthday.  She would have been 92  - thank you mum!

Tate Britain - and World Book Day events

If you are in London on Saturday March 26th, come and draw in Tate Britain!  We'll be making a little Tiz and Ott gallery, from 3pm in the Octogon room beyond the main shop.   

I'll be showing some quick tips though I know some children will need no guidance to get drawing!  Adults can join in too - in fact anyone from ages 3 to 103.  More details here.

Like many UK based author-illustrators I have been busy with school visits during 'World Book Day' - weeks of World Book Day in fact.

I love working with children and it so inspiring to see what Tiz and Ott's Big Draw has inspired. Some snaps from some of my recent visits.

Ms Maynard gave her Reception Class at Lubbins Park Primary (for the Pop-Up Project in Canvey Island)
 free reign for inspiration - using the material of their choice. So good to see painting as well as drawing!
At the top she linked  the pages Tiz & Ott's Big Draw to different aspects of work by the 4-5 year olds. 

 Tiz in tip top form - what a happy mix of patterns and textures!

"This is Ott - he is handsome!"

some great mark making...

and happy houses!

Tiz and Ott's train is great for drawing expressions focusing on eye direction, as well as for mark making and a class group activity.

Here's me with pencils and more to the ready talking to a bunch of book characters at Kew College...

...they had done some very  beautiful marks with  paints and crayons...

The Kew College display of work by 4- 6 year olds was full of brilliant  curly whirleys - splodges, wave and - oh and on display an old book of mine, Mini Racer!

Tiz was on a roll at our SCBWI illustrator showcase party
at the lively N.London bookshop, Pickled Pepper Books

We made mini books at National Library Day at Minet Library in S.London -- and here's an amazing story by 6 year old Emily about a fox and a duckling.

Emily started off with a bunch of great characters ready to go into stories