TWENTY Ilkley Grammar School art students from Year 10, 12 and 13 were given the opportunity to experience an oil painting workshop from an artist.

Tess Houghton is an accomplished artist whose work mainly centres on semi abstract landscape painted in oil paints. The students were given an opportunity to learn more about oil paint and spend the day on this specialism.

The workshop lasted a full school day, split up into four sections. Each section started with a demonstration by Tess on differing techniques and styles. The class then repeated these and made copies of our own image on paper.

Flora Lee, aged 15, really enjoyed the day and said: "We all copied off the same set of photos, but every time our paintings were displayed all together on a wall it was amazing how different they all were. Everyone’s own style came out making the pictures—similar but not the same. Finally at the end of the day we used all our new techniques to produce a painting of our own on canvas. This made a great end to a great day."

Some of the work produced is now on display outside the staff room.