I honestly can’t believe how quickly September has gone! It has been such a fun, exciting and very special month for me having The Snail Artist at W5 Belfast, and I’ve absolutely loved being there, meeting so many lovely families and seeing children getting creative with my little snail characters.

When I first created The Snail Artist, I never imagined that the little children’s book I had written and illustrated would one day grow into a real-life interactive experience where children and families could actually step inside the world I had created. Seeing my original paintings, illustrations and colourful snails around W5 Belfast has been a little bit surreal!

One of my favourite things about the The Snail Artist exhibition at W5 has been meeting so many children who already know and love the book, as well as lots of new little snail fans discovering The Snail Artist for the very first time. I’ve loved chatting to families, answering questions about the story and characters and, of course, doing lots and lots of drawing!

The interactive parts of the exhibition have been brilliant too. Children have been able to colour in one of my snail designs and then add their creation to the huge collaborative artwork. It has grown and grown throughout September, with hundreds of colourful and imaginative snails appearing. I’ve loved seeing how differently every child approaches their drawing and watching their little personalities come through in their artwork.

There’s also a giant snail photo opportunity, which gives children the chance to step right into the world of The Snail Artist. I’ve seen so many brilliant photographs of children posing with the giant snail, and it really does make it feel as though you’ve stepped inside the pages of the book!

Another highlight for me has been my live drawing sessions at W5 Belfast every weekend. These have probably been one of my favourite parts of the whole experience. I love sitting down with the children, picking up a pencil and showing them how I draw some of my favourite Snail Artist characters.

Some children arrive as confident little artists who are already drawing all the time, while others can be a little nervous about putting pencil to paper. But that’s what I love about drawing, you really don’t have to be an amazing artist. Just pick up a pencil, have a go and see what happens!

By the end of the drawing sessions, everyone has created their own little snail to take home, and seeing the proud faces at the end is just lovely.

Encouraging children to draw, paint and be creative has always been a huge part of what I do as an artist. I really believe that children’s art and creativity should be about having fun, experimenting and expressing yourself rather than worrying about whether something
is “good” or “bad”. There are no rules when you’re creating your own little world!

As well as the interactive activities, there are also some of my original paintings and illustrations from The Snail Artist book on display at W5, along with behind-the-scenes artwork showing how the characters and story developed.

It has been lovely watching families stop and look at the artwork and hopefully giving everyone a little glimpse into how The Snail Artist children’s book came together. Every painting starts with an idea, and it’s amazing to see how those ideas have grown from paintings on canvas into a book, characters, activities and now a whole Snail Artist experience.

And, of course, there is the lovely W5 gift shop, where you can find a selection of The Snail Artist goodies. There are signed copies of the book, prints, cards and other fun merchandise featuring some of my favourite snail characters. It is still a little strange – but very exciting – seeing my paintings and little snails appearing on so many different products!

I’ve honestly had such a brilliant time at W5 in Belfast. I’ve met so many wonderful people, made lots of new snail fans and had some really lovely conversations with families who have enjoyed the exhibition and discovered The Snail Artist.

This is actually my final weekend at W5, so if you haven’t visited yet, this is your last chance to come along and experience The Snail Artist at W5 Belfast for yourself.

Come and find the snails, explore the exhibition, have a go at the creative activities, add your own snail to the giant collaborative artwork, take a photograph with the giant snail and, hopefully, I’ll see some of you at one of my final live drawing sessions!

If you’re looking for family activities in Belfast, children’s activities in Belfast, creative activities for kids or something fun and different to do with the family, I’d love you to come along and discover The Snail Artist before the exhibition finishes.

A huge thank you to everyone at W5 Belfast for helping bring The Snail Artist to life in such a fun and imaginative way, and a massive thank you to everyone who has visited, bought the book, joined in with the drawing activities, coloured a snail, taken a photo or simply stopped to say hello.

It really has been such a special month for me and I’m so excited to see where my little snail goes next!

Who knows where The Snail Artist might pop up next? 🐌❤️

Dawn x