Published 01.10.2026
by Kids’ Own
by Kids’ Own
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A children's arts organisation and publishing house.
Our Shared Impressions project with Ballinode College has come to an end, with the TY students bringing their handmade publication together through print, drawing, painting and bookbinding.
Over four sessions, the students worked with associate artist Lorna Watkins, associate writer Mary Branley, and the team at Pulled Print Studio to explore the possibilities of Riso printing and handmade bookmaking.
Lorna Watkins reflects on the creative process:
“We started off by making random marks using sticks, wire wool, sponges and old mascara. The students loved the freedom of working with inks and paint using strange and quirky objects instead of using the traditional paint brush. Then armed with the confidence of making marks, the class created a page each for the book. Each page was personal to them depicting their favourite past time, place or something more abstract. Finally their last task was to decorate the book covers anyway they wanted. It was a pleasure working with such a hard-working, fun and curious class. The book is stunning and reflective of their hard work and self-expression.”
For the final session, the focus shifted to putting the books together. Mary Branley describes how the students moved from making individual pages to creating the finished publication:
“After three intensive sessions with Lorna, Mary, Dany and Edel, the process ended on day 4 with setting and binding our Risso print books, and adding a cover of our Shared Impressions. Dany had his book binding equipment with him, ‘old tech’ as he said; an awl for piercing three holes in the centre pages on a wooden stand, and needles and thread.”
For the final session, the focus shifted to putting the books together. Mary describes how the students moved from making individual pages to creating the finished publication:
“The TY class gave one word feedback on the process, from fun, to artistic, from relaxing to different. They were a great group to work with, so cooperative and responsive and a credit to their art teacher Ms Bartley and Ballinode College.”
At the final session, Ballinode College principal Maranna Grimes spoke to the group and thanked everyone involved in the project.
The finished book brings together the different approaches, ideas and marks created by the students throughout the project, with every page offering something different.
A big thank you to Ballinode College, to art teacher Ms Bartley, and to the TY students for their creativity, curiosity and enthusiasm throughout the project. Thanks also to Pulled Print Studio, and to our funders Creative Ireland Programme (Sligo) 2023–2027 and Sligo County Council, for making Shared Impressions possible.