Interactive Monster Doodle

Yesterday I launched The Children's Books festival with an interactive Live Streamed Monster Doodle event in Tallaght Library. I gave a workshop with tiny children as young as four and we connected to 9 schools across Ireland in a Google+ Hangout. The Monster Doodle was also live streamed on You Tube so other schools could follow us too. We all made Monster art with Oil pastels on huge rolls of Fabriano paper that took over the library! The doodles were fantastic. Go have a look at Mrs Bells Class Blog to see how her class got on...Doodletastic! 

Happy Niamh at the Monster Doodle! 

 10m Giant roll of paper at Tallaght Library

 Monster Doodles 

Monster Doodles 

 Google Hangout 

Cabra Library's Doodle

Huge thank you to the team at Children's Books Ireland, Bord Gais Energy Book Club for their support, Tallaght Library for setting it up and all especially to the children who Monster Doodled with me on Google!  

Photos from Dalkey Book Festival

Here's some photos from my Doodle and Reading event at Photogenic at The Dalkey Book Festival yesterday. Huge thanks to Calla and Finn's Mum Naomi Murphy for these wonderful photos!

Happy World Book Day Everyone!!!!!!

It’s been a busy couple of days. Yesterday, I was at a great school Dalkey School Project NS and was warmly welcomed by the teachers and children. The school are mad about books and drawing and I had great sessions drawing and doodling with the kids.

This morning after I dropped a princess, a skeleton and Hermione off to school, I headed to St Catherine’s NS, Rush to celebrate World Book Day!

They had really prepared for my visit too; this really makes a huge difference to the children’s enjoyment of the day, (and the authors too!) The teachers were brilliant and so enthusiastic; Junior Infants had made painted Hugglewug masks and Roarsome Roars welcomed me. They nearly lifted the roof off the building!

Its been a great two days, I love meeting kids and reading and drawing with them, as they're what its all about. I’ve done lots of doodling, character sheets, showing dummy books, notebooks and roughs too.

Hundreds of Mr. Aliens, Mavis and Marge’s and Hugglewugs have been doodled. I’ve almost lost my voice from celebrating too much. Tomorrow St Catherine's tell me they are opening assembly with The Hugglewug Song!!! Huzzah!

Here are a few drawings the children made over the last two days...

Happy World Book Day everyone hope you got to enjoy reading today! I’m off to my book club tonight. Now, that’s what I can a 24 hour celebration!

Over at Scamp...

Some new work is up on scamp.ie The theme was Pet Life Drawing and you can see everyones illustrations here.

Doodle Doodlers!

In the interest of promoting doodling; here is an owl doodled with left over ink from paint brush, and a pencil owl scribbled on my diary. I think the quote below the owl was an over heard conversation between my 4 and 3 year old. 'It's not a ..." "It's a burp!"

Everyone can draw!

I believe everyone can draw, just pick up a pencil and make a mark.
When I have an idea going around in my head I try to capture it in my notebooks. Little doodles, character sketches, snippets of conversations. Nearly everyone I know doodles when they are on the phone or taking notes. Children are so comfortable making marks on paper. I know from doing workshops that the older children get, the more self conscious they become. A four year old will not worry about what the other children think of his drawing but the eight year old will. They will say, 'I'm no good at drawing, I can't do it.' But you can. Everyone can. Even stick figures radiate charm.
The UK has The Big Draw. It has one aim to get everyone drawing. The Big Draw proves that drawing can be an enjoyable public activity as well as a private passion. It is inspired by the visionary Victorian artist and writer, John Ruskin. His mission was not to teach people how to draw, but how to see.
I have been mulling over this one for a while, Ireland has lots of book festivals and events that celebrate literary events but a HUGE gap exists for celebrating and encouraging drawing. Not sure where to start on this one, you need it to be in public spaces: Museums, Art Galleries. You also need it to be very accessable to all ages, you need funding. Anyone want to help me?