Over the last three weeks I have launched myself into the arena of teaching painting!! I was asked by the school my elder daughter works at if I would go in and do some work with the children (aged 10 - 12) to get them started on watercolour painting. We have had such fun! They were trying to paint all the various sealife they saw on a recent trip to an aquarium and their teacher thought that the vibrant colours and unique properties of watercolour paint would be perfect. Most of the children had only ever used poster paints, so the whole concept of a paint that is less likely to do what it is told and obey the rules was daunting to them,as well as exciting. We spent the first two weeks just learning about the paint. The children experimented with the paint, played with the paint, tried wet in wet, tried wet against wet and generally got to grips with all the properties and happy accidents that you can achieve with watercolour. They were so excited when the paint ran and merged and produced different colours. They then did their drawings, which turned out beautifully (what a class of little embryo artists!). Today, it was time to paint their drawings. It was interesting that all the children had experimented with gay abandon but when it came to their 'proper' painting all the doubts set in and many started to tighten up and get worried about failing. My job was to go around and help with technical advice, calm fears, inject enthusiasm, promote a devil may care attitude and generally help them to become artists rather than a child doing a painting. Over this afternoon's session, they began to get the message and I could see children relaxing and not worrying about things having to be perfect but beginning to enjoy the backruns, the merging of colours and the drips and splashes. Several children decided on their own to add spatters of paint to great effect and some lovely vibrant and energetic work was produced. All the paintings are going to be mounted on a big display of undersea world and should look fabulous. I am going in a week after next to do some more work with them as we need seaweed, shells and other watery things to complete the mural. I haven't had so much fun for ages!