AS an artist I have always tried to encourage and promote children and young people`s art, therefore I am delighted to be able to showcase their artistic talent on this page.

This article highlights how painting, drawing and all forms of art and creativity can help children gain confidence and be proud of their abilities.

I'm not looking for masterpieces, unless of course there is a special piece a young person wants to show. It may be a drawing they did on a scrap piece of paper in the back of a car. A doodle whist waiting for an appointment or bus. A sketch out of a bedroom window. A collage of the street where they live.

I love seeing young children`s paintings and drawings. They are so innocent and naïve, which somehow adds to their appeal.

I remember years ago a member of staff telling a six-year-old they had painted a person wrongly, as the face in the picture was green. This child was just expressing how his character felt.

Maybe the person was sick or even an alien. I hate the word WRONG when associated with art. After all, art is a very personal thing.

In this feature I have tried to select art from a range of ages. There will be the joyful submissions from children as young as two to the more accomplished 18 and 19-year-olds.

In this feature we have the believable glass of the goldfish bowl in Ayden's submission; Behrouz's disjointed portrait of his sister; Lydia's soulful self-portrait in pencil; four-year-old Amina`s wonderful carefully painted owl; and lastly Zenia`s exciting jungle, using brush pens, and in the style of the French artist Henri Rousseau.

It was interesting to see the children and young people using a variety of techniques and mediums. The range of work submitted was not only using paint but collage, pencil and brush pens. Brush pens are similar looking to a felt tip but with a softer tip and give the effect of paint. They are very useful if you have a more detailed piece of work to undertake, as easier to control.

So, as you can see there are many talented artists amongst our children and young people.

I am pleased to notice young people becoming more enthusiastic and willing to be proud of their work. Also schools and other establishments seem to have realised the importance of art and creativity, especially post lockdown. When families were confined to the home I know many were taking up new hobbies and discovering talents they didn`t know they had.

For many, it was a stress buster as well as providing entertainment away from a screen. Many TV channels offered art programmes too, which hopefully will return on a regular basis.

* If you know of any children (aged two to 19 who would like to see their work in the T&A please send images, together with their names and ages, to myself.

I hope to feature more artwork from Bradford's children and young people on a regular basis.

Please email me at red4paint@yahoo.co.uk