Here at the Museum we have our own collection of Scottish sea inspired art. This includes painting, drawings and sculptures. One of the artists is George Wylie. He was an artist who made us notice things around us especially things that were appearing and things that were disappearing.

George Wyllie built his very large Paper Boat in Greenock in 1989 and it was launched on the River Clyde in Glasgow. The Paper Boat was so big that George could stand onboard and wave to passing crowds as he sailed by. The Paper Boat travelled to places around the world including New York.

When George Wyllie made his Paper Boat, the shipyards on the River Clyde were closing and lots of changes were happening along the River.  Perhaps George Wyllie was questioning why things do not last forever. Shipyards have been replaced by housing and tourist attractions. The River Clyde has changed a lot since George Wyllie made his Paper Boat.

Here are some instructions to make your own small paper boat, you can choose any kind of paper though some may be harder to fold. Once you have created your boat it can be decorated and you can choose a name.