Budding artists get a chance to paint the famous Minton Tiles at St George’s Hall

Budding artists are being given a chance to paint the world-famous Minton Tiles which are being unveiled at St George’s Hall. 

Pinot and Picasso, which runs regular art sessions in the Baltic Triangle, is holding three special Paint the Tiles events in July and August as part of a wider programme around their much-awaited return.

Thousands of members of the public are expected to view the Victorian mosaic design for the first time in three years when it goes on display from Friday July 17 to Wednesday September 2.

But for artists there’s an opportunity to not only see the floor, comprising 30,000 hand crafted tiles, but to be inspired to create their own personal work.

Amelia Penny-Bailey, from Pinot and Picasso, says it’s an idea that’s been months in the making and one which she hopes will bring together the city’s heritage and creativity.

She explains:

“The St George’s Hall partnership is something I’ve been working on with the team there since last year. 

“They approached us to become part of the programme which has been very exciting because, as an artist myself, it was something I’d always wanted to do

“We hold regular sessions in our studio on Norfolk Street as well as private events and we’ve done pop-ups in different locations including Hope Street Hotel and The Municipal Hotel, but this one is a lot more about heritage and learning about the Minton Tiles as well.

“Usually we have our own Pinot and Picasso gallery that we’ve developed in-house and when people book onto a session it’s based on one of those artworks. 

“With this, people are welcomed to St George’s Hall, they have full access to the Great Hall so they’ll be able to see the Minton Tiles up close, take photos if they want and sketch out which part of the floor they want to paint.

“Ultimately we want them to really look around, feel the space and see what catches their eye rather than us guiding them towards something.

“It’s less structured and more about people being inspired by what’s around them.”

Artists on the Pinot and Picasso sessions will be welcomed into the hall, and given a glass of prosecco and a bag with a canvas and pencil. Then they’re invited into the Great Hall where they’ll be given shoe covers, a talk about the tiles and an hour to walk around and sketch out the piece they’d like to do on their canvas.

“After that they’ll move into a different room which will be set up like an artist’s studio,” says Amelia, “and there we will guide them through painting techniques and give them any advice they might need on how to make their piece come to life. They’ll have two hours to create their own artwork.”

Each session lasts 3 hours and there will be three sessions, on July 23, August 6, and August 20, from 6-9pm.

Amelia says there’s no restriction on art experience, beginners are very welcome, and people can either book on their own, or with friends and family.

“The majority of people who come to Pinot and Picasso sessions haven’t painted since school, but nine times out of 10 they surprise themselves with what they create,” she adds. 

“With these events at St George’s Hall, I think we might get a lot more local people and people who are interested in Liverpool heritage and want to see it from a different angle and have that enhanced experience. 

“I think it’s really about making heritage more accessible. I fell in love with the city through the architecture and the creative community here, and the love people in Liverpool have for their heritage and how proud they are of it is something we really want to celebrate.

“Creativity isn’t something you have to be good at, it’s something you can just enjoy. 

“We do have people who say, ‘my artwork’s terrible, but I really enjoyed myself’. However good you think it is, you leave with a painting that has a memory behind it and you think, I had so much fun doing that.”

Find out more on the St George’s Hall website.

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