The Turner House yesterday hosted its first event since reopening last month as children joined local illustrator Chris Glynn for The Big Friendly Drawing Workshop.

Taking inspiration from the Quentin Blake Big Friendly Giant exhibition currently exhibited in the gallery, partakers learnt how different textures, materials and scales are used to tell stories with pictures. Fifteen lucky children attended the fully-booked event.

Chris taught the group about mark-making with pencils and inks. After a warm-up session, everyone worked together to create a giant drawing of an alternate Penarth where many weird and wonderful things take place.

It will hang down from the first floor into the ground floor exhibition room until Sunday.

"This was the first event we have been able to run in the reopened gallery and we were so pleased it sold out and everyone had a good time learning new ways to make and draw," said the event organiser, a Penarth Town Council Officer.

"We were very grateful to receive funding from the National Lottery community fund in 2020 to provide hands-on workshops and events in The Turner House but due to the Pandemic everything was put on hold. This is the first of many workshops in The Turner House where we hope to provide something for all ages, abilities, and interests."

Penarth Town Council are currently organising future workshops, potentially including photography, screen-printing, basket-making and puppetry.

The Big Friendly Drawing Workshop was truly a resounding success, illustrating the role The Turner House can play as a community and artistic hub.

Flick through our gallery for more photos.

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