Summer in the Studio

Canaletto's paintings were treasured souvenirs for visitors travelling through Venice on their Grand Tour. Where would you go on yours?

Create a postcard inspired by his painting, A Regatta on the Grand Canal, using collage and oil pastels. Design a unique postage stamp by taking inspiration from Canaletto's tiny painted figures, then write a message to someone about your imagined journey.

Before you leave, help us create a giant collaborative drawing inspired by the excitement and spectacle of the Regatta. Add your own ideas to a shared artwork that will grow throughout the day as families create together.

Alex Bowie is a Scottish visual artist with a background in socially engaged art, arts education, and the therapeutic use of the arts. Her practice explores colour, shape and materials. She joined the National Gallery in 2024 as an Art Road Trip Facilitator and now works as a Gallery Educator. Previously School Programme Manager at Dulwich Picture Gallery, Alex has also delivered creative projects for organisations including the Brixton Project, The Art Room, MacRobert Arts Centre, and The Citizens Theatre. She also manages the Power of Play project at Young V&A.

Kevin Christensen is an artist and one of our Gallery Educators. He uses drawing to interpret people, places and history through mark making, gesture and the movement of pen over paper. He translates these drawings into zines and comics to tell new stories, often focused on queer lives and experiences. As an educator, Kevin has encouraged audiences to interpret art and tell their own stories at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, the Farrell Centre, the Laing and Shipley Art Galleries, and the National Gallery.