Lockdown Creative Activity - Help MAP Build The World's Largest Bouquet of Flowers

I've read that homeschooling is the ultimate test of your patience. It's true. I used to be a teacher and worked with primary school kids but I do find teaching my younger son is leaving me tetchy and impatient. To while away the lockdown hours, I'm trying to encourage him to do more art.

You can find excellent tutorials online, but if watching someone doing step-by-step is not to your liking, you might like to get some useful How to draw (insert a subject) books.

There are some interesting children's art competitions around as well. In the last few weeks, my son submitted his drawing to a couple of drawing competitions. I believe there's another one going on - check our Rodda's Insta page for details.

And it's not just children who could immerse themselves in fun art projects.

Over a week ago I was asked to spread the word about an inspiring art project hosted by The Museum of Art and Photography (MAP) in India.
While COVID-19 keeps us apart, the MAP is working to bring us together digitally.

Founder Abhishek Poddar wants your help to create the world's largest digital flower "bouquet of hope". It is a fun activity for the whole family while stuck indoors.

For Abhishek's parents 25th wedding anniversary in 1989 he surprised them with an art installation of 25 flowers. Twenty five of India's well-known artists created a single flower, one for each year of his parents' married life together, in the artists' own inimitable style.
Every image reminded them of a family or friendship moment, an incident or a story behind each painting.
"At times like these, we hold on to precious moments - of family times, of challenges we managed to overcome, of personal journeys we ventured on", said Abhishek.

MAP wants to send the world this virtual bouquet of hope, not just for this difficult time but for the future ahead.

Anyone and everyone is encouraged to join in and send an image from their garden or balcony, a drawing, painting, or even create a flower motif from an object or textile.

Images can be submitted to www.bouquetofhope.in (check out what beautiful flowers you can find there).

Image credits: MAP

MAP hopes you can join in on this fun arts and crafts project! So, get our your camera or iPhone and snap that pretty flower you have in your garden, or encounter on your walk.

Maybe embroidery is your hobby, or you love crochet? Do you enjoy drawing or painting?
I'm thinking of submitting my old water colour, which I painted over 10 years ago.

Or perhaps my Mum's acrylic art work which she painted last autumn for a friend, while staying with us.

I am also hoping that Eddie will draw a flower for the project. He's been busy drawing in the last week, but mostly Marvel characters and a cat.

This inspiring art project is encouraging you to add a flower to this symbol of unity. "Flowers are a celebration - of new life, of new beginnings. They often speak of the unspoken, exchanged as symbols of hope, love and courage".


About MAP:
The Museum of Art & Photography (MAP) is a new museum, being built in Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of India. It will be among India's very first major private art museums, with a goal to share India's artistic heritage while also igniting a new modern museum culture.
MAP connects India's past, present, and future by showcasing historical artefacts alongside modern and contemporary works, folk art, textiles, painting, sculpture and photography. The MAP collection currently has more than 18,000 works ranging from the 12th C to the present day.