Making new connections with creativity

Our Sixth Form's Year 13 Art student Alice was inspired by her volunteering work with younger students to paint a beautiful and incredibly lifelike portrait of her reading buddy Maddie, using her creativity to demonstrate that students of all ages across the school can connect and bond with each other.

The idea came from her regular lunchtime reading sessions with junior school girls, and the honest and uplifting conversations they shared. Maddie was always smiling and talkative, and one moment that stood out to Alice was a valuable talk about the importance of being kind, stemming from reading a book together about two young boys stepping in to help their injured grandmother. After talking so openly about such a meaningful life lesson for young girls, she knew that she wanted her portrait to reflect those values too.

The painting itself is of Maddie smiling and surrounded by flowers. The intricate details to make her look so realistic were done by layering paint with precision over several weeks, and although it captures the delicate side of the girls as the flowers fade into the background, it also shows their vibrant personality with a mix of bold and pastel colours.

It now hangs in the art studio, inspiring big smiles like Maddie’s in every lesson.