An art student from Chesterfield College has gone from delivering the Radio Times on a paper round to being featured in the magazine as a winner of the BBC’s Little Painting Challenge.
Charlotte Wood, aged 17 was one of 29,000 artists to submit artwork on a postcard and her image of two people sleeping on a train came first in the post 16 beginners category winning her £500 of art supplies and a place in an exhibition at Whitworth Gallery in Manchester. She attended a celebratory event in Manchester on Friday 1st May where the work of the winners and the runners up will be on display until 22nd May.
Charlotte said: “I was so happy when I found out I had won but just being part of this exhibition is amazing. I never would have thought that my paper round and my passion for art would give me this opportunity! Meeting the other winners and seeing the artwork by the runners up was really inspiring too.”
Charlotte’s dream would be to study art in New York but her short term plans include finishing her level 3 extended diploma in art and design studies at Chesterfield College before going to Leeds or London to do her degree.
Rob Baxter, Curriculum Manager for Visual Arts at Chesterfield College said: “We are really proud of Charlotte. She has got a real talent and the judges obviously recognised this. Over the time she has been studying with us we have seen her talent grow and develop really quickly. I think this is the first step on a really exciting career for her.”