Children have hand-painted 160 unique plant pots as gifts for lonely and vulnerable adults as part of a Kilwinning art initiative.
Artastic CIC’s Pots Of Talent project provided schoolchildren with the pots and paint so they could design a colourful reminder for those alone in lockdown that they are not forgotten.
Angela Hughes McAlpine, the community art centre’s director, said: “I was in tears with how lovely it was to see these kids faces, them smiling, them having a purpose knowing it was for somebody else.
“I could not believe how well they’d done.
“When the pots came back, some had letters inside. One said: ‘I’ve created a fairy flower pot because I love fairies.
“I hope this pot makes you smile like fairies make me smile.’”
The big art initiative was designed to be an inter-generational project that would benefit everyone involved.
From May 18, Artastic will deliver the finished pots to lonely and vulnerable people along with handwritten letters from some of the children.
Dionne Anderson’s daughter Sophia painted her pot in stages, letting layers dry before adding to it.
Dionne said: “She has loved designing it and its been amazing to watch her take so much time over it.
“We hope whoever is treated to it loves it as much as she has loved making it.”
One mum said her daughter ‘decided after a while fingers were better than a brush’ for decorating her plant pot.
Artastic normally provides art classes and other programmes for over 100 people a week but have had to close due to the pandemic.
Angela said this seemed like the perfect time to do the project
She told the Times: “What I wanted, was to have a link between the younger genera and the older generation.
“They can learn so much from them about what has happened in the past.
“And it gives them a better understand of what life is like as you get older and to let people know that we’re thinking about you.”
Sunnyside Nursery in Kilwinning is planning on potting a plant into each pot to make it even more special.
They will then be delivered to care homes, sheltered housing and NHS facilities.
Angela said: “These kids have absolutely loved this project and feedback from parents and children has been fantastic.
“The children have taken more time over planning and painting because it’s for someone else.
“The kids have this whole new appreciation for what they’ve actually got.
“Some of the children now realise how fortunate they actually are to be in a family.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here