Seashore Art School With Fiona Fish Finger

During lockdown, I was lucky enough to be given the chance to make some little puppet shows for children. My tour of The Crab Prince had to be cancelled and instead I made five short little films using puppets and focussing on art history and making. Seashore Art School starred Fiona Fish Finger, the mermaid who lives under The Erskine Bridge, and her friend Lucy Le Crayon, a little girl who’d like to make things inspired by her library books.

For instance, a picture of a monster, some wrapping paper for her friend’s present, and a little doll to play with and send on holiday, inspired by Eileen Agar and Paul Nash’s found personages. The idea was to reference some artists and creatives that aren’t usually mentioned in the National Curriculum or in children’s art books, such as Ronald Searle and Aardman Films. The age group for the films was 5+ with the added remit of using no specialist art materials as much as possible, just stuff that most people have lying about.

We added sweet music by Heather Minor and Pad Mclean to make the making sections as soothing and sweet as possible. Early lockdown was such a bonkers time, home schooling was a real challenge, to be honest in the end I was proud to have completed them at all. A big thank you to Julia without whom I might have thrown in the towel, and my family who ended up on photography, sound, lighting, acting, music and direction. One of the episodes features a music video with psychedelic effects.

You can find a link to these films here on our website under videos, or search for Seashore Art School on Youtube.

We hope you enjoy them! Here is Lucy with her mum Cathy.

Hello! I’m Welsh but my accent is all over the place because it’s been years since we left Merthyr. Love from Cathy Le Crayon

Lucy shows off her printed pattern

One of our episodes on mono printing.