Workshops

www.lizniven.com

Liz Niven held a Writer in Residence post with Angus Council during the course of the RSW Annual Exhibition in Forfar. Liz worked with young people from Angus Council schools on Artists Books based on the RSW exhibits and here, responds in two poems to one of the paintings on display.
We are grateful to Angus Council for the support they provided to this successful project.

There are 2 quite different kinds of poems here.
The wee riddle is for the primary school pupils to make poetry fun and to make them look closely at a painting and describe what's in it. The 2nd poem I wrote with older pupils in mind to do something slightly more abstract and also to demonstrate the choices we have in voice. In the poem, something in the painting 'speaks', taking the viewer and reader, into the heart of the painting.

Longevity
         from Anne Skinner's painting.

I am the heart
         in Midnight Venice.

Hear me,
         beating gently,
inside red beads.

Rosaries perhaps,
         transplanted to shape
a human's centre.

The way religions can.

What pulsed          through
         the artist's heart?

Did she remember
         she won't lodge long
in Time's artery?

As I will.
As Art can.

For I am the heart
of Midnight Venice

 

Liz Niven

Riddle

I'm turquoise,
blue as an Italian sea.

I'm full of objects
and I'm stripey.

Look at my heart
of red beads.

I'm pretty holy,
decorated
with crunchy gold leaf.

Which painting am I?

 

Liz Niven