These paintings are by Poppy Courtney, a 6th former at Heathfield Community College.   Poppy won a prize from us, TAS Wealden, for her artwork being chosen to illustrate our leaflet and bookmark for the 2026/7 year of lectures.  The paintings of the little girl (that we used) and the little boy seen on her display were drawn from life. 

Amber, an A Level arts student at Heathfield College was shortlisted for The Arts Society national young arts competition with her image “Weightless”.  This year The Arts Society Wealden sponsored a workshop for Amber and her fellow pupils at the college.  Students were able to spend the day with Ian Murphy a professional artist which their tutor said was extremely beneficial and great fun.

The Arts Society Wealden arranged an Art Prize to Art A Level Students at Heathfield Community College. The prize was awarded to Eloise Chandler and her artwork can be viewed on the leaflet and bookmark that provides information for our new programme of lectures 2025-2026

The Arts Society Wealden sponsored the insprational workshop led by the celebrated artist and illustrator Carne Griffiths at Heathfield Community College following its success in 2022

The Arts Society funded the inspirational workshop with celebrated artist and illustrator Carne Griffiths at Uplands Community College, Wadhurst, 28th March 2022.

Carne Griffiths studied at the Kent Institute of Art and Design in Maidstone and moved to London where he served an apprenticeship at the longest-established gold wire embroidery firm in the world. Here he worked as a gold wire embroidery designer for twelve years, eventually becoming the creative director. Carne produced intricate designs for the military and the film, theatre, fashion, and advertising industries. His designs were used for the uniforms in the films Valkyrie and The Last King of Scotland. He established his own studio in 2010 and has exhibited in the UK and overseas. Carne's illustration work has seen him collaborate with the British magazine photographer Rankin for a 6-page feature in Hunger magazine as well as featuring in publications worldwide. He creates commissions for brand projects including work for Microsoft, Derwent, Peroni, Mojo and Lakes Distillery and Ibis Hotels. 

Working primarily with calligraphy inks, graphite, and liquids, such as tea, gin, brandy and vodka Carne Griffiths' fascination with drawing focuses on the creation and manipulation of the drawn line. Images explore the human form, flora, and abstraction. The GCSE and Year 13 students experimented with inks, tea and brandy on drawings they produced the week before and refined the accidental patterns with pen details.

The Year 13 students never fail to impress teachers with their stunning skills. Some are continuing to university to study Art Foundation in Leeds and Fashion in Nottingham.

Due to the Corona virus pandemic, we were unable to arrange for students from Heathfield Community College and Uplands Community College to attend a one-day oil painting course with Susie Monnington at her studio in Lewes, following the successful visit 2019. Susie is a talented local artist and teacher: please check her website to find out more – www.susiemonnington-dairystudio.co.uk

Looking to the future, we would like to continue to develop these experiences to provide such extraordinary opportunities to our local young people. We hope to arrange for students to attend a one-day oil painting course with Sue Monnington this coming year.