Renowned Young Artist of the Year competition winners revealed

This year an unprecedented number of entries were submitted from 10 high schools across Warrington and Cheshire.

Lauren Weedall, who attends Weaverham High School in Weaverham, and Marlies Woo, who is a pupil at Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School in Latchford, were the two winners of this year’s competition.

“I drew two old ladies laughing together for my work and I used pencil as my main medium,” said winner of the Young Creative Artist Award, Lauren.

“I love how it shows that the love and friendship that life brings us is entirely ageless, as these two women are still enjoying their time together, with such clear humour and fun.”

Lauren Weedall's artwork that saw her win the Young Creative Artist Award (Image: Lauren Weedall)

The competition, which was open to pupils in year 10 and 11, demonstrated the exceptional quality of artwork from children in the local area.

An exhibition and awards presentation for the competition was attended by a record-breaking 110 guests, including the entrants, friends and family and teachers from local high schools.

“For this piece I was really inspired by Japanese illustrators such as Naoki Saito, and various pins on Pinterest,” said Marlies, who won the Young Digital Artist of the Year award.

“I wanted to create a scene where my original character is trapped inside a space, and I experimented a lot with lighting and colours.”

Artwork submitted by winner of the Young Digital Artist of the Year award, Marlies Woo. (Image: Marlies Woo)

This year’s entries demonstrated a diverse range of mediums and styles – including photographs, portraits and architectural designs.

“The exceptional standard of this year’s entries has left me speechless,” said Ben Brady, director of Quality and Curriculum at the college.

“The talent on display has been truly extraordinary and its incredibly inspiring to see the next generation of artists proudly showcasing their work.”