Schools Christmas Card Competition

Chairman of the Trustees, Scot Mckendrick spoke as follows: "A big thank you to the schools and everyone who submitted an entry. It was a difficult decision to choose the winners not just because of the high number of entries but also the quality of the paintings. In the end it was about inspiration and the winners were those who found something extra special in the art of Stanley Spencer to inspire them to produce four wonderful designs."

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	Schools Christmas Card Competition (20 November 2017)
	A Christmas card design competition for local schools has proved tremendously rewarding, both for the Stanley Spencer Gallery and for the schools involved. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 of three local schools were given possible Christmas themes to engage their imagination, linked to the life and work of Stanley Spencer. ‘Angels’, as a theme, proved especially popular with the children, their designs charmingly reflecting Stanley Spencer’s many angels, watching over every aspect of our lives. But we also had Christmas trees and baubles, winter scenes, turkeys, cherry trees and ‘The Pram’, all calling up elements of the work of Stanley Spencer and many also possessing a welcome ‘local’ flavour. Out of around 100 wonderfully bright and imaginative entries, the Gallery’s panel of judges chose the following four winners. 10 year old Temi Odutoye in Year 6 of Herries Preparatory School, Cookham created a lovely design of five angels, capturing both the simplicity and the patterning often seen in Stanley Spencer’s work. 9 year old Ava Knight in Year 5 of Cookham’s Holy Trinity School designed a Stanley Spencer pram, loaded with colourful presents, which could not be beaten for sheer Christmas exuberance. 10 year old Imogen Downes in Year 6 of Cookham Dean Primary School created a wonderfully depicted angel keeping watch over the St John the Baptist Church in Cookham Dean 9 year old Catalina Garcia in Year 5 of Herries Preparatory School took her design concept from Spencer’s painting of Christmas turkeys with highly decorative feathers, combining this idea with that of Cookham’s own turkey flocks roaming over green spaces, and adding a guardian angel for good measure. These winning designs are available in the Gallery for £3.75 per pack of 8. Other beautiful Stanley Spencer Christmas cards are also to be explored in the Gallery. Some of our Christmas card designs are also on offer at the Stationery Depot and Hillcrest stores. If you are coming to the Gallery (now open Thursdays to Sundays) specifically to buy Christmas cards it will not be necessary to pay an entrance fee.

	The Winners - from left to right: Ava Knight, Temi Odutoye, Imogen Downes, Cataline Garcia
	Chairman of the Trustees, Scot Mckendrick spoke as follows: "A big thank you to the schools and everyone who submitted an entry. It was a difficult decision to choose the winners not just because of the high number of entries but also the quality of the paintings. In the end it was about inspiration and the winners were those who found something extra special in the art of Stanley Spencer to inspire them to produce four wonderful designs."

	Click for the Cookham News Front Page