Lockdown can mean great news for Art lovers.

By Izzah

Banish boredom and finally follow that hobby you've always wanted to.

So your school or college is shut. Normally this would be a moment of celebration for those who dislike being told what to do in lessons but with an enforced lockdown restricting movement many young people are complaining of boredom. But there is always the lure of creating art to save you from devastating despair.

Lower than a goldfish.

I read somewhere that the average attention of a human being is 8 seconds. This is apparently lower than a goldfish. No idea how academically acceptable this statistic is, but if my conversations with the average human is something to go by I can attest for its accuracy.

Now. Imagine you could increase your attentive skills somehow. I'm no expert in psychology but I reckon if I sat down doing something I really liked and kept at it, I could probably train my brain not to switch off after the 8 second average.

Having an arty Dad comes in useful in times like this. He seems to do more art-on-the-go than in his studio. Bamboo and reed pens clutter our house so much that I have considered buying a panda.

I'm wondering what Banksy would be doing right now. He is used to wearing masks and social distancing I suppose. His French equivalent, Guémy, is using lockdown to sell prints online. Having an arty Dad comes in useful in times like this. He seems to do more art-on-the-go than in his studio. Bamboo and reed pens clutter our house so much that I have in the past considered buying a panda. Yet now I am eternally grateful for the art materials and all that clutter.

But if you are in a place where art materials are few. Fear not, as everyday kitchen stuff can be easily commandeered for use as art materials. Tea leaves don't just make a good staining medium you can actually do art with it. Have a look at how artists are using tea to make art. And the good thing is that you can utilise used tea leaves instead of wasting what could have been a fine cup of tea. In this respect, tea yet again trumps coffee!

If you have some created some art under lockdown, please do send it to us, we'd love to share your lockdown art!