Poet Personas
Practice mindful looking with this guided meditation on Patrick Heron’s painting Christmas Eve 1951 and take inspiration from one of the characters in the artwork. You’ll then be guided through writing a collage poem from the point of view of this character. There is no pressure create something spectacular, just see what you can interpret when you spend time with the painting and let it inspire you imagination.
You will need: A pen or pencil, two pieces of paper, a pair of scissors, and glue.
Warm Up
Before we take a look at the painting, join in with this quick simple breathing warm up to help us calm down and focus.
Activity part 1
In this activity, you’ll be guided through a slow-looking meditation to think closely about the painting Christmas Eve 1951 by Patrick Heron. Pick a character in the image (this could be a person, animal or object) and think about the painting from their point of view.
Activity part 2
Inspired by the meditation exercise, in this video you’ll be guided to create a collage poem from the perspective of your chosen character. You’ll start by using your imagination to answer questions from their point of view. You don’t need to think too hard about this, just write the first things that come into your head. If you want to look at the painting whilst listening to the questions, scroll up and pause the video before this, and let this video play out.
Reflection
Let’s complete the activity by reflecting on it.