PARENTS and their children created some 'stimulating, poignant and very creative' works of art during a four-week project looking at their environment.

The project was called Y filltir sqwar, a Welsh expression that means the square mile and describes the first five years of our lives when we know, more intimately than at any other time, the landscape and surroundings we call our home.

The project was the first Sure Start community arts project of its kind and the exhibition was put on display at Weymouth's Arts Centre and is hoped to be taken to other venues in the autumn.

Project organiser Sally Watkins said: "The project looked closely and creatively at our environment and our neighbourhood from architecture to ants and from colours to coast, exploring textures, sounds, objects and language and our thoughts about all these."

The project was designed for the mothers and fathers of pre-school children to have fun discovering different ways of documenting their local area and to encourage them to look at their neighbourhood in a fresh way. Parents were encouraged to involve their children in the activities.

Sally said: "Many of the methods were new to some people. They were asked to dispense with the conventions of an art class and to discover the potential of their surroundings, both as subject and as a medium.

"We combined mud with sand and charcoal, used flower petals to stain paper and twigs for brushes."

The mostly outdoor sessions, run by Sally together with Helen Jackson, lasted two hours and took place once a week.

Sally added: "The exhibition that followed the project demonstrated the breadth of work created by 26 parents and their children.

"The work was stimulating, poignant and very creative and included photography, text and beautifully framed and unusual paintings."

One of the mums involved in the project, Claire Banks of Portland, said: "It's amazing how absorbing I have found doing the project. Since doing it I have been much more creative at home and with my children."

Carol Pitman, manager of Weymouth and Portland Sure Start, opened the exhibition with mums, dads and children present.