YOUR WEEKLY FINDS

CREATE! Art Competition

Have you used time in lockdown to tap into your creativity? Whether you've discovered a new passion or re-ignited the flame of something you have done before but haven't had much time to pursue lately, the charity 'Schoolreaders' wants to know about it!

Judged in four categories: drawing and painting, photography, embroidery and needlework and other creations, you only need to submit a photograph of your pieces so no worries about getting it back again. The judges are the artists Hugo Guinness, Harry Cory Wright, Sarah Foot and British pottery legend Emma Bridgewater. The prizes will be a framed original piece from the artists and a personalised teapot from Emma Bridgewater.

Schoolreaders finds volunteers and matches them to primary schools in the UK where they give free one-to-one reading sessions. Their aim is to make sure that every child can read well by the time they move to secondary school at the age of 11 to get the most from their whole school career and beyond. With most children spending much of this year outside of the classroom, it is even more likely that some of them will fall behind and struggle to catch up to where they should be without significant extra help. To enter the competition there is a pay-what-you-can policy but just £15 can provide one child with a whole academic year of reading support.

CYANOTYPES

USE THE SUN and make something beautiful. Fun for the entire family and a reminder of sunshine filled memories when the weather changes again. Using nature to create art is something really special and makes you really focus on the shapes and textures of the things surrounding you. Whether you can find these things in your garden or have to go for a walk, you're sure to find something to help you make one of these beautiful prints.

The technique was originally invented in 1842 by Sir John Herschel at first to make copies of notes and diagrams, which is how things like engineering and architectural plans came to be known as "blueprints". Since then, it has been used for a variety of other types of visual art and it's clear all kinds of things from the botanical world work really well when reproduced this way.

They would make some seriously pretty wall art or even as cards for loved ones who might have been struggling through the last few months. Nothing is more guaranteed to put a smile on someone's face than a hand made card landing on their doormat. Unexpected delights are more appreciated than ever these days!