Corby students come face-to-face with portrait painter to the stars

One of the most highly regarded and innovative portrait painters of his time, Jonathan Yeo is known for his paintings of stars including Kevin Spacey, Cara Delevingne, Nicole Kidman and Sienna Miller, as well as HRH the Duke of Edinburgh and two former Prime Ministers.

Over 250 students attended the event, the first in a series of art lectures designed to give students the opportunity to hear from acclaimed artists.

Sixth Form students from Lodge Park Academy also had the opportunity to showcase their work during an exclusive workshop with Mr Yeo.

As part of the session, he talked through the key techniques of portraiture, as well as the artists that inspired him.

Mr Yeo said: “We live in a world where we are constantly innovating and inventing, the ability to do creative things is incredibly important.

“At school I loved drawing and painting, experimenting with different styles and techniques.

“Your mind is constantly editing what you see, paintings often reflect the way that you do that.”

Richard Williams, Director of Academic Studies at the David Ross Education Trust, said: “This has been a fantastic experience for our students.

“They have been able to see the impact of working hard, pursuing your creative dreams and believing in what you can achieve.”