Stanley’s 12-year-old Ella Weber had a creative time helping youngsters in an art workshop held for the first time in Stanley on Saturday.

Hosted by the Stanley Community Playgroup and Stanley Artists at the former village primary school, Ella said the workshop gave young children a chance to have fun with art and clay.

“They’re with people who are artists as well,” she said.

“Younger kids have a chance to get messy with clay too.

“I've always had access to paints and pencils and have been painting since I was four years old."

One of a planned series of four workshops, the ‘Stanley Children’s Art Revival’ has a variety of activities in different mediums for youngsters to explore.

Among them are having fun with clay, easel painting, ink portraits, printmaking and puppet making.

Stanley Community Playgroup’s Mallory Watson said the workshop for ages three to 12 had drawn families from Beechworth and as far as from Chiltern.

Mallory said the idea arose from a recent art show held by local artists in the Stanley Memorial Hall.

“We had a lot of kids who asked if they could have an art show,” she said.

“We applied for, and received, a grant from Indigo Shire Council to set the workshops up with facilitators who are wonderful artists and teachers.

“Kids can have fun and experience different art mediums, and we have two more workshops."

Mallory said an art show for the children will be held in the Stanley Memorial Hall on Saturday, 14 March - the weekend after Spring Ditch.

“We wanted to get the kids involved in the community as well,” she said.

“We will have a marquee at Spring Ditch too with free activities for kids and the workshop teachers will be there as well.

“People can book one ‘Stanley Children’s Art Revival’ workshop as they don't have to come every weekend, and morning tea with tea and coffee is included for parents as well.”

Mallory said the first of the four workshops planned for 31 January had to be cancelled due to an unexpected power outage.

The next workshop is Saturday, 14 February from 10.30am to 12pm.

Visit https://events.humanitix.com/stanley-children-art-revival for more information about the workshops.