A NUMBER of AS and A2 level art and photography students from Kelly College headed to London at the end of January to be immersed in the works housed in four of the most prestigious art galleries in London.

Accompanied by head of art Miss Spooner, art teacher Mrs Holwill and artist in residence Alex McCarthy, the group visited the Tate Britain, the Tate Modern, the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery, ensuring that a broad segment of London's artistic culture was sampled.

The group also decided to travel on foot meaning that students not only experienced the interiors of numerous galleries, but also the architecture, public sculptures and iconic sites of Central London.

While on route, pupils made the most of the opportunity by photographing the Houses of Parliament, Downing Street, the London Eye and Trafalgar Square.

Throughout the day, pupils saw a mixture of old and new artwork ranging from John William Waterhouse to David Hockney.

The National Portrait Gallery was a significant source of interest, with Marc Quinn's 'Blood Head' and Lucian Freud's 'Big Sue' providing plenty of inspiration.

The gallery was also showcasing the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize — a group of images portraying the lives of individuals from around the world.

The expanse of the Tate Modern provided further awe, as did the works of Annish Kapoor, Pablo Picasso and Francis Bacon that were housed inside.

Kelly's art students have just begun their exam unit in which they have to create body of work under the themes of 'covert and obscure' for AS Level and 'inside, outside and inbetween' for A2 Level.

A portfolio created over the coming weeks will act as preparation for the 'final piece' they will create in their exams.

Artist research is a fundamental part of the exam and students are expected to respond creatively to the work of others and show their understanding of the more complex issues involved and as such, the trip was a great source of inspiration and will prove hugely valuable throughout the exam process.