Mind is a mental health charity in England and Wales. It runs local groups for people to go to across the country, in my city the local Mind has an art group each Friday which I've been going to for a few months now. This page has a few of the things i have made there, whether as part of the group, or while waiting for the group to start.

On one of the days the woman who leads the group brought in some stuffed animals from the museum. These thing always creep me out, and I hate to think the poor things were killed just to be looked at (hopefully they were found dead rather than trapped or shot). But with nothing else i gave drawing them a go. If it's not clear, they were a badger and a kingfisher.

If I remember right, this is one of the first things I did at the group, we drew simple patterns and pictures on styrofoam tiles then covered them with ink and printed onto paper.

The next pictures are a bit of a mix. The first is a card, just a simple colouring thing, but I thought I would include it because I love Pooh bear, I made it just before Easter but I hate giving things I've made away. The second picture is a plaster caste bunny I made and painted, I had made a number of models but they were taken and painted by other members of the group. and finally the pink/purple square is a cushion cover, I cut it out of a sheet and tie dyed it, the dye was meant to be purple but it came out much more pink than i would have liked.

Every so often I get to the group early, so in the time before it starts I do a few drawings in the sketch book I take with me, or I might play with a bit of clay. Here is a little clay head I made, a sketch of guinea pig and a copy of one of the badges I have on my bag.

As the Leader of the group went to Australia for her holiday she came back with the idea of doing aboriginal paintings. I haven't finished the painting part but this is the drawing I started with, the end design is different in some ways and I'll try to get it online soon.

Here I'm cheating a little, I didn't actually do these drawings at the group, but they are in the book i take with me and I thought it would be pointless just to have a page for them.

We have now done some felting at the group. This is making felt, either into shapes or a picture, out of fleece. I have never done this before, which is my excuse for the poor quality of my first picture. It is supossed to be of my guinea pig Shammy, based on this Photo. Personally I don't think it's terrible for a first (and rushed) attempt.