I have just spent the day with Newport Primary school in Barnstaple. The children in Class 5 both conceived and created this colourful mixed media image representing 'Determination' one of the Olympic values within the day. This will be one of the many banners from schools in the surrounding areas which will be erected around Exeter Cathedral as part of the Olympic celebrations 2012. We were inspired by James Rizzi, the American pop artist who just recently sadly passed away. We thought his eye catching colourful creations were fantastic inspiration for our Olympic and Paraolympic banner. www.jamesrizzi.com

These shadow boxes where created by KS1 children at Marldon Primary School ready for the Bear Hunt exhibition at the Northcott Theatre, Exeter. They look best in a dark spooky place.

These cave paintings were painted by reception children.... some of which were still only 4 years old. They all tried out painting and drawing with Earth Pigments, chalks and charcoal. It's so interesting to see that when you give small children little paint brushes that they can (and do) paint/draw pictures with delicate and intricate features. It is such a shame that something as simple as being able to use a small paintbrush is becoming rarer in schools today with tight budgets, because the quality of drawing even in very young children can change dramatically when given the chance to use better quality drawing tools. Here is a small selection of paintings from Bowhill Primary School in Exeter during November 2011.

These fabric paintings are inspired by the Senufo Mud Paintings from the West Coast of Africa. The children were really stimulated by the Senufo cloth which uses shapes both for pattern and form within their designs. These simple shapes helped the children generate ideas for patterns and how to draw animals using specific shapes. During the second day the children, working with the same creatures made 3D versions from clay.