Sharjah24: Fun and interactive workshops at the 40th Sharjah International Book Fair which runs until November 13 at Expo Centre Sharjah, are giving children of all ages an opportunity to learn new skills and express their creativity. At the ‘Leaf Printing’ workshop, organised by Sara Mezher, an award-winning Lebanese filmmaker and creative workshop facilitator, children learnt the techniques of creating beautiful and unique patterns and designs by using dry leaves and paints.

With a few simple but determined brushstrokes, a group of boys and girls painted their leaves in bright hues of orange and green. As they pressed these painted leaves on paper, they were excited to see a colourful leaf silhouette printed on paper.

“I call it ‘leaf printing’ because I am not a painter, and I cannot teach children how to paint. But children love painting, so I found a simple way for them to be creative by exploring the leaf texture and playing with paint,” said Sara. “Participants in the workshop do not have to know complex painting techniques but they can learn how to use simple materials found anywhere in the home to create a beautiful piece of art.” 

Mezher will be holding more workshops at SIBF including the Art of Planting, Movie Poster Star, and Art Science. To view the full list of activities for children at SIBF 2021, check out the “Kid’s Activities” section at https://www.sibf.com/en/home.