Park Art Competition winner & entries

“I have always doubted my ability but noticed that you had used my picture of Florence Nightingale in your last ACL Discover Magazine which encouraged me to enter the Explore Essex Park Art Competition.”

Jeni, Park Art Competition winner

In April we partnered up with our friends at Explore Essex and launched the Park Art Competition. We asked you to send us your photographs and artwork inspired by the Essex Country Parks. The entries we received were exceptional and picking a winner was not an easy task!

A huge congratulations to Jeni Drake who won with her portrait of a duck. Our judging panel were captivated by the texture within the painting and the metallic aspect that Jeni included. One of our judging panel was Creative Curriculum Lead, Gill. Gill said that the artwork really reminded her of a park walk with the ducks swimming in a pond or wandering around the bank.

Jeni developed her artistic skills during an art class at ACL Witham last year. She wanted to explore her own style rather than copying something from a book or another painting. We asked Jeni what inspired her to create this artwork, here is what she had to say:

“I photographed the duck which had appeared in my garden in 2020 with it’s 9 ducklings (another family have arrived this year). I then used this photograph as my inspiration for a watercolour painting that was destined to become a birthday card for my sister as she too has a love of ducks.

My love for wildlife has come from the many hours I spent at Danbury Park, Chelmsford as a child where my Uncle, Robert Button was Park keeper for many years. I loved visiting the lakes, seeing the ducks and the beautiful reflections of the trees in the water, picnics in the summer, and kicking my feet in the leaves in the autumn. A place of freedom, space, plenty of fresh air and a place to think amongst the beauty of the trees and the songs of the birds is why I continue to enjoy my visits to the park.”

A huge thank you to everyone for their entries. We have been blown away by the talent and standard of photographs and artwork we received. View the full range of images below.

Click on the image to enlarge them.