By Seb Zabarte

The 2023 Smoothey House Art Competition was extremely successful, seeing 62 participants from across the school. This year’s theme was festivals, with a huge variety in mediums used and an excellent quality across the board. Entrants could also win house points for their entering, and it was Hamonde who beat off the competition to claim first prize and six points towards the Hardy cup.

‘There were some diverse and interesting festivals covered and really creative use of materials and images.’

Mrs Shepherd – Head of Art

Joint Junior Winner – Andrew Kuang

Andrew’s lively depiction of a street during the Chinese New Year set him apart from the other entries. The subtle forms of the lanterns allow them to be instantly recognisable without excessive detailing which would be out of sorts with the otherwise impressionist styling. The implicit reflection on the street floor, the soft focus and the colder, blue colours create the atmosphere as if it is raining. Reds, blues and whites are Andrew’s strongest colours here; with the contrast of red and blue giving the picture energy and the softer whites give the appearance that every surface is glistening in the moonlight. An interesting piece.

Joint Junior Winner – Theo Odhams

Theo opted to sculpt his project, choosing to create an impressive depiction of a dragon coiled throughout a tower. The detailed model is precise in its design, from the construction of the house to the intricacy of the lanterns that float above it all. The flowing curves of the dragon and then the spiralled lanterns draw the eye up the piece and give the sculpture sense of movement. The clever incorporation of lights into the piece draws attention to the warm golds and blacks of the colour scheme and creates a strong contrast with the silhouettes, particularly on the lower layers, showcasing the detailed construction .

Senior Winner – William Morrow

William chose to paint as well, his subject of choice being a dancer. The vibrancy of the colours used truly accentuates the extravagantness of festivals, the dancer’s face being adorned with all sorts of colours. The distortion of the human tones is captivating as well, choosing to make the dancer purple in colour adds to this idea of surrealism, making it seem grounded in reality, a human face, but also outlandish and stylish.