Datchet schoolgirl wins international art competition

Genevieve Seguin, 11, from Eton End School in Datchet has been named winner in international school competition, iArt 2021 for her inspirational depiction of a painting by American artist Georgia O’Keeffe.

The competition received 168 entries, more than ever before, with entries ranging from pets to wild animals, landscapes and portraits as pupils embraced techniques from sculpting to impressionist art.

Schools encouraged pupils to use creativity as an outlet for emotion when other extra-curricular activities were impossible due to restrictions.

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Genevieve Seguin will receive Amazon vouchers for her efforts, as well as recognition in the iArt 2021 brochure alongside the other 27 finalists.

Genevieve Seguin's painting

Genevieve Seguin said: “During online schooling, we were studying the American artist Georgia O'Keeffe and were asked to make a piece of art based on one of her paintings.

"I had begun to experiment with watercolour at home, so I decided to try this medium for my painting. I like the way the red and yellow watercolour fused together to make a marbled effect, and how the black marker in the background really made the bright colours pop.

"This creates depth in the painting, which is emphasised by the white highlights used to indicate the pollen coming out towards us.”

Christopher King, Chief Executive Officer of IAPS, said: “Each year we are blown away by the quality of entries we receive, and this year was no exception. The artwork received opened our eyes to the student’s experiences over the past year and it was truly inspirational.

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“The competition is a brilliant way to recognise the creativity and innovation our students have, and to emphasise the value that we place on these skills. My warmest congratulations and huge thanks to every student that participated.”

One of the runners up in the international competition was Gabriella Hillier, 13, from Holme Grange School in Wokingham, for their depiction of dreams.

Gabriella Hillier

Gabriella Hillier said: “This drawing is part of a project that we were doing about dreams. We learned how to do a self-portrait and then I did this one with my eyes closed.”

The competition has been running since 2013 and is renowned for the high standard of its entries from pupils aged 6 to 13 from across the world’s leading prep schools, with 1,084 pupils taking place since it launched.