Patterns in Nature

Goldfinch Create and Play is delighted to be joining St George’s as part of its wider Nature Reconnect programme, with a special family art workshop inspired by the patterns, textures and shapes found in the natural world.

Designed for families with children aged 4+, the workshop will invite children and grown-ups to explore nature through hands-on making, playful experimentation and observation.

Our main activity will be a large ammonite-inspired artwork, using spiral forms as a starting point for collage, texture and pattern. Families will work with a rich mix of materials including leaves, feathers, wood, coloured paper, wool, oil pastels and paint sticks. Ammonites were chosen for their beautifully distinctive spiral structure — a striking example of pattern in nature and a wonderful shape to reinterpret in imaginative ways.

Alongside this, participants will create colourful mosaic-style feathers, combining natural inspiration with bright, playful materials. Rather than simply copying what they see, children will be encouraged to respond freely and create their own unique patterns, colour combinations and textures.

Natural objects, books and images will be dotted around the tables for inspiration, and we’d love families to collect a few small natural treasures from the St George’s grounds on their way in to incorporate into their artwork.

A separate toddler area will offer simpler, more tactile activities, including circle-pattern stamping, stencils and plasticine exploration using ammonites and shells.

Join us for a relaxed, hands-on family workshop that celebrates creativity, curiosity and the beauty of the natural world.

Places are limited, so early booking is recommended.