WORK OF ART

Mairi Orchardson, 34, from Dundee, was delighted with her daughter’s true masterpiece...

- HARRIET ROSE-GALE

Laying out her crayons, coloured pencils, paper and glue on the kitchen table, my little girl was all smiles as she got to work.

It was January this year, coming up to Burns night here in Scotland, and Alia, five, had been learning all about the famous bard at primary school.

‘I learnt a poem off by heart,’ she’d said excitedly as we’d walked home.

By the time we’d walked through the door, she’d recited the entire thing, then proceeded to tell me about her homework assignment.

‘We have to draw something to do with Scotland,’ she chimed.

‘Oh yes?’ I asked. ‘And what are you going to draw?’

Alia thought long and hard, but I knew she’d come up with something clever.

A lover of baking and painting, she’d always been so creative.

Our home was covered in her drawings and craft projects, either taped to the fridge, upon the walls, or proudly placed in frames above the fireplace.

It was mostly flowers, rainbows, and unicorns – real girly stuff.

And this was the perfect assignment for Alia.