The Art trip to London took place last Friday and Saturday
and was a great success. We set off at 5.45am which was probably the earliest time
most of our students have ever had to get up for, but they all arrived on time
and smiling. The first day was spent walking through London to visit the
National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery. The weather was beautiful and
the students took in the sights of London as we walked from St Paul' Cathedral
along The Strand to Trafalgar Square.
Once in the galleries the students worked
hard producing lots of drawing, sketching and research. A group of students
joined a study group working from J M W Turner and said it was an invaluable
experience. Seeing works of art in the
flesh was an awesome experience. So different from computer and book
illustrations and our students responded with enthusiasm and made excellent use
of their time. We walked to Somerset Houser and then back along the Thames to
The Tate Modern, and once again, our students worked hard researching and
sketching some major pieces of artwork. In
the evening we went to see The Phantom of The Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre.
This was a great success and everybody enjoyed it very much. One of our
students had never visited a theatre before and this was the first time she had
seen a staged performance. She was completely overwhelmed. It was a perfect way
to end a busy and inspiring day.
The next morning we were up bright and early and spent some
time sketching and drawing the view along the Thames from the Millenium Bridge,
before the galleries opened. The students were a credit to the college. They
all took this drawing exercise very seriously and produced some excellent
studies. Some of them were nervous at first, about drawing in public, but soon
overcome these nerves and were very proud of the results. They then went on to
do more research and studies in The Tate before a last trip to Covent Gardens
to take in more sights. Many thanks to all staff and students involved in the
trip. As usual, our artists were impeccable in their behaviour and worked hard
to make the trip a success. Their continuing enthusiasm for the subject makes
us all very proud.
