A selection of paintings created by North Northumberland school pupils, inspired by the work of botanical artist Margaret Rebecca Dickinson

200 pupils from 8 North Northumberland schools visited our Margaret Rebecca Dickinson – A Botanical Artist of the Border Counties exhibition at The Granary Gallery and then worked with artist Anna Chapman Parker over the course of a day, to explore how botanical observation can be the starting point for new artworks.

Pupils collected their own plants and undertook observational and timed drawings in sketchbooks. Pupils were then asked to create new plants with special powers, that had never been discovered before. Starting with ‘automatic drawing’ in the manner of Swedish artist Hilma af Klint, they used their imagination, memory and observational drawings to create these wonderful plants. Year 8 pupils from Tweedmouth Middle School used similar techniques to create images drawn from their own plant memories.

The work on display is by pupils aged 5 to 13 years old and features just a small selection from the artwork created by each participating school. We hope it illustrates the amazing diversity and creativity of North Northumberland’s pupils.

Participating schools and year groups:

St Cuthbert’s First School: Year 1 & 2

Holy Trinity First School: Year 2

Tweedmouth Prior Park First School: Year 2

Ford Hugh Joicey First School: Year 3 & 4

Spittal Community First School: Year 4

Tweedmouth West First School: Year 4

Berwick Middle School: Year 6

Tweedmouth Community Middle School: Year 8

The programme was supported by funding from the Sir James Knott Trust, The Finnis Scott Foundation, Northumberland Arts Development and Arts Council England.