As autumn arrives, a new season collection of Quentin Blake’s distinctive illustrations, influenced by wetlands and nature, give a new insight into the wonderful walking trails at WWT London Wetland Centre, taking visitors to special places where they can sit back and enjoy the wildlife that thrives here.
Continuing the perfect partnership of nature and art, WWT and Quentin Blake are embracing a season filled with sensory experiences designed to delight and inspire visitors of any age.
Activities
Drawn to Water Trail – collect your FREE NEW illustrated trail map complete with Quentin Blake’s drawings and see our wetlands in a whole new light.
Artist of the year exhibition – 1 to 31 October- featuring shortlisted entries to our exciting competition!
NEW! We are excited to launch our series of adult workshops: Charcoal Making – 16 September and Water Colours – 14 October
Arts Hub – a creative space to draw and display your own artwork
Nature’s Patterns and Wetland Colours wheel – perfect for families, these free activity trails will keep everyone entertained and connected to nature
Eek!Week – A fantastic, fun wildlife learning eek!sperience for all the family –An interactive trail from 21 to 29 October, including potion making and nature art workshops
Ruth Thomas, Acting Centre Manager Trust at WWT London Wetland Centre, said: “While every season is special at the London Wetland Centre, autumn seems to be the perfect time to immerse yourself in nature as it’s such a sensory part of the year when the landscape is at its very best. The greens of summer start to transform into a riot of golds and browns when at their height, just envelop you in their beauty. And of course, it’s a season that has inspired some truly stunning art, so we’re thrilled to continue this year-long partnership with Quentin Blake and bring art and nature together.”
“And along with the changes in the landscape, our visiting species change, migratory birds such as gadwall, shoveler and green sandpipers arrive and our reserve transforms into an impressive patchwork of rich textures and dazzling colour displays. This really is a chance to see why wetlands are so wonderful and why they influence so many artists.”
Misty mornings and early evening sunsets at WWT London Wetland Centre provide a perfect place to not only get a glimpse into the lives of birds on site, but to take inspiration from them to create art, from watercolour paintings to captivating photography.
To celebrate this, this collaboration has also prompted a national art competition where artists of all abilities can enter their work to be in with a chance of winning a unique, embossed Quentin Blake wetland print. With runners-up receiving copies of the Quentin Blake Papers and free entry into a site of their choice.
Using the wonder of WWT wetlands as a theme, entrants are invited to initially submit a photograph of a 2D piece of art – which could be a drawing, illustration, painting or photograph – which will be looked at by a panel of judges from Quentin Blake’s studios and WWT. The competition opens on September 4 and closes on December 31, winners will be announced in January.
For information about what’s happening near you or more details on the art competition, visit https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/quentin-blake-drawn-to-water/
