This article was published in the Algarve Art Magazin in Autum 2017. Click here to read online.

I enjoy encouraging children to paint. They are small goldmines of creativity — they just need a little stimulation and out it pours!

I started visiting local schools in 2012 to organize Art Workshops. They were a real success, welcomed by the children and teachers. Art is not a set subject in many schools syllabuses, it is often an optional choice for out of school activities.

I hoped my small workshops and projects may help and encourage the children to realise how wonderful it is to create and paint their own pictures.

In 2016 I decided to organize an Art Project for all the schools I was involved with. I chose Sardines as the project — what could be more Portuguese the Sardines?!

With the help of two teachers, a video was produced in Portuguese and English, inviting pupils to paint or make models of Sardines. The result and response were incredible!

Over 50 schools submitted almost 2000 individual Sardines. These creative children and their teachers used many interesting and imaginative materials including bubble wrap, bottle tops, paper towels, grains of rice, coffee beans, sweet wrappers and even pencil sharpener shavings.

These produced a series of collages, that stretch over 15 metres (see images below). They have been on display in Galeria de Arte in Lagoa, Silves City Hall and several local schools.