Fantasy Houses

We had a family day out today and returned to the National Portrait Gallery where we had such a great day last week. One of the ladies on the Information desk invited us to attend a family workshop. She said that she'd seen us in the Gallery before, which makes me wonder what impression we make if we are so recognisable!
The Gallery's theme this week was families and we were led to grand, full-length portraits of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. After discussing both pictures, the children were encouraged to sketch copies. My eldest son was overwhelmed by the impossibility of the mission, but rapidly warmed up when I re-framed the task as an exercise in helping us remember the details so we switched it round to him dictating a description to me. Once sketches and notes were complete:


we descended to studio where the children decoratated fanatasy homes inspired by the settings of the Victoria and Albert portraits. They come up with some colourful creations:

Bringing these home on the train was not easy, but the children are thrilled with their creations and I am under instruction to remove my daughter's toy farm from her room and replace it with this royal palace for her dolls. I think that Victoria and Albert will live on in their memories and will join Richard III, Charles I and Oliver Cromwell as old friends to visit.