Painting By Numbers

Painting by numbers used to be the preserve of the very young, the very old and those in some kind of therapy. Kits came with boards marked out for the budding artist to daub on prescribed colours.

But the craft is now being rehabilitated courtesy of arty types. This month, the Corey Helford Gallery held a charity auction of painting by numbers artworks that had been messed around with by artists such as Glenn Barr and Liz McGrath after they'd completed the original picture. The results twisted the familiar bold blocks of the art into something altogether more strange and imaginative.


Meanwhile, Tate art gallery's shop is selling oh-so-tasteful PBN kits so you can boast you've created your own wall hangings. And they're on sale at the moment! They're a bit school of Argos Additions for me, but would be fun to have a bash at.

I think I'd rather go for this Louis Wain-esque painting by numbers and, with a few modifications, create a mad cat picture worthy of the walls of Bedlam itself.