New Colouring Renfrewshire Book Launched

A DRAWING of singing star Paolo Nutini busking outside his parents’ chip shop in Paisley is just one of the illustrations in a new colouring book launched this Saturday. (September 3)

Colouring Renfrewshire 2 will also include an illustration of Baker Street and Stuck in the Middle songwriter, Gerry Rafferty standing below the ‘Alien’ gargoyle, at Paisley Abbey and of famous artist and playwright, John Byrne.

This beautifully illustrated book will be launched at Modstuff on Saturday, September 3 in the Spiegletent, in Bridge Street, Paisley as part of the Spree festival.

The book has been produced by a group of young adults with learning disabilities and autism, assisted by the OneRen arts team, Project Search Renfrewshire work experience programme and Glasgow Clyde College.

The book features 11 original illustrations by local artists designed to celebrate the area’s architectural heritage and popular culture.

The young adults from Project Search Renfrewshire, who were also students at Clyde College, commissioned the contributing artists, chose which scenes and subjects were to be included and researched the background and history of each drawing.

They were supported by the arts team from OneRen - the local charitable trust providing cultural, leisure and sporting opportunities to help people enjoy active and healthy lives.

Families are being encouraged to get their free copy of the book – which has a print run of 2000 – and colour in the line drawings. A similar book was published two years ago and was very popular.

OneRen outreach worker, Pamela Givan said: “The young people have been given a great opportunity to gain work experience and have learned the process of working with artists and creating a book.

“It also gave them an awareness of the area’s culture and architecture heritage through the research they carried out.

‘And the artist community in Renfrewshire got the chance to show their work to a wider audience.”

Pamela added: “We’re encouraging families to come along to the Modstuff event from 12pm to 4.30pm and pick up their free copy of the Colouring Renfrewshire 2 book.”

The Colouring Renfrewshire 2 project is supported by Future Paisley - the wide-ranging programme of events, activity and investment that aims to use Paisley’s unique and internationally-significant cultural story to change the area’s future.

ends