THE stage area of the Assembly Rooms was once again adorned with a “fabulous display of artwork” from children, running alongside Alton Art Society’s 84th annual exhibition.

Children from 13 schools entered a range of work, including drawings, collages, pastels, paintings, papier mache and ceramic creations and computer-aided images.

This year it was judged by Kate Davis, whose artwork Enchanted Woodland was chosen for last year’s Alton Art Society exhibition poster, and Margaret Hill, who split the judging duties and had the “enjoyable but difficult” job of choosing the prizewinning entries.

They said the most difficult category was the year four to six age group which had the greatest number of entries. And due to the range of 3D work, prizes were divided into craft work and papier mache sculptural categories.

“We never know what or how much will arrive and every year we are surprised and have new challenges in how to display the work. Thank goodness Assembly Rooms manager Jason Passingham is always on hand to find solutions,” said event organiser Kate Davis.

Bushy Leaze swept the board for prizes in the pre-school category, while in the group work (infant) category Busy Bees Nursery earned first place with a “joyful” collage of drawings and 3D areas celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s reign, just beating Alton Community Association pre-schoo’s ‘Under the Sea’ collage.

In the group work (junior) category, Wootey Infant year two Art Club won with a four-panel tree showing each season. In the craft work (junior) section, first prize went to Four Marks year six pupil Georgia Patterson for her ceramic mask, with another ceramic piece, an Alice Tea Pot, winning first prize for Laura Corlett, year 11 at Eggar’s, in the senior section.

Eggar’s huge imposing heads took first and third prizes in the papier mache sculpture category, with Leah Foulds’ giant iris picking up second prize.

The Year R and Year 1 category was won by Olly from Wootey Infant School with a painted sunflower, the Year 2-3 winner was Rebecca Marle, from St Lawrence School, whose sea piece caught the judge’s eye with its strong design quality, and the Year 4-6 category was so hotly contested that seven prizes were awarded.

The joint first prize winners were William Morrish, an Anstey Junior year six pupil with a crocodile whose “subtle shading” impressed the judges, and Lois Streak (Four Marks, year five) whose sea picture had “real movement of waves and changes in tone”.

Margaret Hill judged the smaller entry group of Year 7-8, where Arabella Davis, (Amery Hill, year eight) won with a “characterful orange and yellow portrait”. The most senior category, Year 9-11, was taken by Eggar’s, with third prize going to the world map and face collage of Holly Cove (year 10). Second prize went to the “really strong” drawing of hands created by Isabel James (year nine), while first prize, and a year’s subscription to the Alton Art Society went to Amy Cureton, from year 11, for her mixed media fingerprint.

Amy had also taken first prize in the papier mache section.

The prizes were awarded at a ceremony on October 10 at the Assembly Rooms where Kate Davis congratulated the winners and presented the children with certificates and vouchers for art supplies from Alternative Packaging Solutions in Alton.