Youth Arts Open Fund: Exploring Land, Sea and Sky Through the Seasons in East Lothian

Festive Prints

Capturing the Magic of December in North Berwick

As winter embraced East Lothian, our YouthLink project continued to inspire young artists with a festive-themed session held at the North Berwick Youth Project's Hope Rooms. The Girls Group gathered to create beautiful artwork inspired by the December landscape and the magical atmosphere of North Berwick during the holiday season.

This special workshop focused on Gelli Plate printing, a versatile technique that allowed the girls to experiment with layers, textures, and colours. The session began with an introduction to the Gelli Plate process, demonstrating how to create interesting backgrounds and motifs using various stencils and techniques.

The girls enthusiastically dove into the creative process, using a vibrant palette of acrylics that reflected the twinkling festive lights in the villages and coastline of East Lothian. They experimented with charcoal, pastel, watercolour, and ink to add depth and detail to their prints, creating eye-catching designs that captured the essence of the season.

As they worked, the group engaged in thoughtful discussions about the shifting season, observing how the winter landscape influenced their colour choices and artistic decisions. The contrast between the cool, crisp winter air and the warm, inviting glow of holiday decorations provided rich inspiration for their artwork.

A highlight of this session was the girls' decision to create thoughtful cards for a friend who was leaving the area. This spontaneous act of kindness demonstrated how art can be a powerful tool for expressing emotions and fostering connections. The girls crafted messages of support and encouragement, ensuring their friend would have a tangible reminder of their friendship to take with her on her new journey.

This touching gesture highlighted another important aspect of our project: the way art can be used to process feelings and connect to the present moment mindfully. As the girls carefully selected colours, patterns, and words for their friend's cards, they were fully engaged in the creative process, allowing them to express their emotions in a positive and constructive way.

The festive session proved to be particularly memorable, not just for the beautiful artwork created, but for the sense of community and support that flourished among the participants. It was a powerful reminder of how art can bring people together, even in times of change and transition.

As we look ahead to the new year and the continuation of our seasonal art journey, we're excited to see how the experiences and techniques from this festive workshop will influence the girls' future creations.

The Gelli Plate prints produced during this session will make wonderful additions to our upcoming exhibition in May 2024, showcasing the creativity and connections fostered through our YouthLink Scotland project.

Kat 👩🏼‍🎨