Artwork by Bradford children and teenagers in exhibition

Work was submitted from Peel Park Art Club, Newby Primary School Art Club, tuition students and other local children between the ages of two and 17.

The artwork included landscapes, portraits and animal themes

The exhibition, at Peel Park Primary School, was, says organiser Lynne Dobson, “a roaring success”.

Lynne, a Bradford artist and retired art teacher, and a regular T&A columnist, reveals more about the venture:

“I do my best to showcase and promote children’s art and for the past couple of months I have been desperately trying to secure a venue, in the centre of Bradford, to install a children`s art exhibition, without success.

Not wanting to give up, and more importantly, let the children down, I approached Peel Park Primary, the school I retired from. They came to the rescue and offered their school hall. Perfect!

Freya Shifaa with her self portrait

The next two or three weeks were taken up getting all the paintings, drawings and collages exhibition ready. I think it is important to present the children’s work well. After all, if it was my own I would spend time applying mounts and frames where appropriate. Their work is no less important. It’s like choosing an outfit and getting dressed up for an important event - then we can look in the mirror and say ‘Yes, perfect.’

Likewise, when we have carefully chosen a colour of a mount, and then a colour and style of a frame, we can then stand back and be proud of our work.

This exhibition was to highlight work from the last six to 12 months, created by a cross-section of groups. These included Newby Primary School and Peel Park Primary Art Clubs, my three private tuition students, some individual pieces from an art session I did with my neighbour’s children, and even my two-year-old grandson’s wild finger and sponge paintings.

There was a wide range of ages showcased, from two to 17, which emphasised how important and beneficial art is throughout childhood, whether for fun or a means of relaxing, and in seeing young people through periods of anxiety such as tests and exams.

One of the portraits on display

The two art clubs produced exciting artwork using the same themes and ideas, but represented in slightly different ways.

One club chose animals as the theme for their first painting on canvas, and the other was landscapes. Both subjects were very successful. The portraits were an experiment, using soft pastels along with fine line markers. Some girls decided on self portraits whereas others used models etc from the internet.

Miley Surtees with her portrait

For the textile landscapes the clubs looked at photographs and images of the Yorkshire moors. Taking the colours and shapes they used a variety of fabrics and wool and yarn to create the colourful pieces. The clubs also discovered the effect of white pens on black paper.

Some of the striking artwork on display

During the new school term the children will become multidisciplinary artists, combining painting with music, drawing with sport and athletic movements, for example. All these new disciplines make art even more fun and exciting.

Chelsea Rawson with her sunset landscape

Among the individual artists’ pieces were some beautiful acrylic paintings.

I was delighted to include a very poignant piece from an ex-pupil of mine. Lydia Wilby’s family are from Ukraine, and she had painted a portrait of her mother as a young girl. It was surrounded by pencil drawings of tanks and destruction. On first impressions, viewing the piece, one would think it unfinished. However, Lydia had attached the following explanation: ‘This is a painting of my Mum, a Ukrainian woman, in the 1980s. In the background I have included parts that represent Ukraine and what is affecting Ukraine today. By leaving it unpainted it shows that it is hard to remember the past.’

Lydia Wilby with her portrait of her Ukrainian mother

This is a prime example of how art is capable of stirring emotions. A piece of music can bring back happy or sad memories, make us want to dance around the room or merely lie quietly and close our eyes. A book may take us into a different world. All the arts can bring a tear to the eye, be it in sadness or joy.

As I quietly prepared the display boards in an empty classroom I realised how lucky I was to have crossed the paths of all these young artists. With boards ready and placed on tables, for all to admire, I stood back, my heart bursting with pride and waited for the visitors to enter and be suitably impressed.

The art drew on various creative disciplines

My father was an artist and encouraged my drawing and painting from a very early age, therefore it was heart-warming to see families, from all cultures, discussing not only their own child’s work but showing an interest in all the art displayed.

Watching the children proudly pointing out their masterpieces, and also taking an interest in their peers’ work, made all the hard work and late nights worthwhile.

This is how art should make everyone feel and I hope the children will remember these exciting proud moments for the rest of their lives.

The exhibition was a roaring success, and I would like to thank all the staff, friends, families, Telegraph & Argus photographer Mike Simmonds for the photos, and most of all the children for making it so.

* Tonight Lynne appears on BBC2’s Joe Lycett: Summer Exhibitionist - a celebration of why people love making and creating art of all kinds. In the programme, Joe follows a mix of artists, including Lynne, who submitted artwork to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition - the world’s largest open-entry art contest.

* Joe Lycett : Summer Exhibitionist is on BBC tonight at 8pm.