Before my visit, it would be very useful if you could prepare in a number of ways.

1. Please ensure the children understand the following concepts: still life, symmetry, parallel lines, circle, cylinder, sphere.

2. Cover the tables, if necessary for painting.

3. I will need a large table at the front for all my materials.

4. Please provide an easel with flipchart, if you have one.

5. Please make sure you have the following materials available for the children:

For the Morning:

Sketchbooks, A3 if possible or A4 - 1 per child

Paper, A3, 1 sheet per child - for the final drawing

Pencils - 1 per child, sharpened

Sharpeners - a few

Erasers - a few

Rulers - 1 per child, preferably transparent

For the Afternoon:

Shirts/overalls for painting

Paint - red, yellow, blue (these should be pure primary colours), black, white (I will bring paints in case you don't have these) - the paint should be liquid, not the hard cakes fixed into palettes

Paint brushes - the thinnest you have (I will also bring thin brushes )

Paint palettes - 1 per pair

Plates for mixing paint - 1 per child

Pots for water - 1 per pair

Paper towels - 2 per child

Paper, A3, 1 sheet per child - for the final painting

6. You may want children to make a portfolio to keep all their work in. This will help engender a sense of pride in themselves as artists. They could make these by folding a large piece of sugar paper and decorating it.

7. You may want to give the children a chance to draw or paint a still life in advance of the workshop. This is to show the children how much their skills have improved by the end of the workshop, in comparison to this first effort. This will show them they do have the capacity to improve, by learning skills and by practise, which will motivate them to continue. You might also get children to indicate how their final work from the workshop is better than the first version, pointing out specific things like shape, proportion, symmetry, shading, and better use of colour.

Also, please have a cheque made out to Time Trips ready by the end of the day. The cost is £159 per day.

Thank you!