Year 7 Higher Ability and Talented Artists Visit to Wakehurst Place

On Wednesday a group of thirty Year 7 students visited Wakehurst Place in West Sussex, part of the Kew Gardens Foundation.

The students learnt how plants have inspired botanical illustrators and artists and then had the opportunity to work with specimens to create their own artwork in the style of famous plant illustrators and painters. Using microscopes the students drew a seed or leaf as it looks to their naked eye and then at 20 and 40 times magnification.

In the afternoon the students look at the work of plant photographers and then went into the gardens to photograph a range of plants using background boards to present and isolate flowers and seed heads. They experimented with editing, changing to black and white and cropping, finally selecting their favourite photograph to present to the group.

The Wakehurst staff leading the sessions sent us a message following the visit saying that The Skinners’ Kent Academy students were ‘engaged and enthusiastic‘ and ‘a pleasure to work with‘. Well done Year 7.