Workshop at Fishpond Wood

The fee of £25 per person for taking part in the workshop from 2 until 3.30 p.m. on 20th May will go towards fundraising for the appeal and I aim to raise at least £100. Please come along, have fun whilst learning a new skill and create a beautiful collage to take home with you. My theme in using recycled materials for my art is to highlight nature and the importance of protecting the environment. I work with unwanted, discarded material and turn it into something quite unique. I like to share my techniques to show how you can also become more creative using recycled materials. The image below shows a large collage I have created to donate to The Alzheimer’s Society. I have been involved in fundraising previously with the charity as my own grandmother suffers from a mixed diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and Vascular Dementia. For almost 3 years my grandmother lived with us but she has recently gone into a care home as her condition severely worsened. I like to remember the more positive times of when she used to watch me create my artwork and came along to some of my art exhibitions and my gallery in Pateley Bridge. I also think back to how she often spent time doing colouring with me when I was a young child. Art can make such a difference to our mental wellbeing, reducing stress and anxiety. I am on the autistic spectrum myself and have always found art therapeutic. There will be plenty of materials available at the workshop to create your own small collaged canvas, greetings card or fridge magnet to take home. I will bring along some postcards and other materials but also feel free to bring some materials with you that you would like to recycle if they have a special meaning to you. Please spread the word and help us raise vital funds!