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Ridwana

[book id='3' /]

Many congratulations to Ridwana! Out of all the nominated pupils, we have decided to make Ridwana our “Sketchbook Star”!

Why we liked Ridwana’s sketchbooks so much

We received Ridwana’s sketchbooks through the post and opening them was like an early christmas present. We felt privileged to hold them – it was obvious how loved and cherished they were. They felt owned by Ridwana, not her teacher. We loved their immediacy – they had obviously been carried about by Ridwana, and reached for whenever she wanted to express herself – which she did most eloquently. Ridwana’s sketchbooks demonstrate perfectly how they can be a space for inward and outward thought, for doodle, for communication.

Well done Ridwana, and her teacher Emily Saner of Wilberforce Primary School, for enabling them.

We’ll be sending Ridwana a copy of Drawn to Antarctica by Frances Hatch.

See what Ridwana says about her sketchbooks…

“Why do you like working in your sketchbook?

“It cheers me up. Makes me think of other things.”

When do you use it?

“Sometimes when I’m angry I draw an angry picture. Also, after I come back from a holiday, I record what happened. To remember.”

What’s your favourite medium?

“I like sketching and sewing best. We’re doing a lot of sewing at home. My father gave me and my sister an art box each as an Eid present this time. We have no paint at home so I use felt tips. Mum says I am messy when I do art. I like to use pipe-cleaners and straws, too.”

Emily Saner, Ridwanas’ teacher:

“Both Ridwana and her sister Humaira really love art (but are not allowed to come to Art Club on a Friday after school as it is after school hours!). Last year, when she was in my class, Ridwana made the most of every medium we tried together. Pastels, wax crayons, collage, mostly imaginary drawings rather than observational, but some observational, too. I encouraged the children to explain why they had drawn what they did and Ridwana delighted in explaining her pictures. She always fills a page and adds extraordinary attention to detail. I think she sees the world in a very interesting way. She is a sweet, quiet, well-behaved girl but with all this rich interior life that she expresses through pictures!”