Ellen receives prestigious Les Jones art award

Ellen Woods, an A level Art and Design student from Dromore High School said she was ‘gobsmacked’ to have been chosen as the recipient of the award.

Ellen, who has just finished her exams for her A Level subjects Art, Technology and Geography, was delighted for her work to have been selected for two exhibitions.

Ellen’s work was selected for the CCEA Young Artists Exhibition in Londonderry/Derry last December, and the True Colours exhibition in the Ulster Museum in February.

Both these exhibition’s showcased the best of young talent from schools throughout the province.

Ellen’s work was selected for the Les Jones Award at the True Colours exhibition and on Wednesday June 4 her work was shown alongside professional artists at the Indoor Bowling Club in Belfast.

Speaking about her award, Ellen, who will be studying at Plymouth Art College next year, said: “I am over the moon. My work was accepted at two other exhibitions, I was delighted with that.

“Les Jones is the Past President of the Art Society of Ulster. He goes to the True Colours Exhibition and picks work for GCSE, AS Level and A2. I was absolutely gobsmacked to be chosen.”

Ellen’s winning work was a series of Ceramic bodices she created, based on a derelict farmyard close to her home at Mount Ida.

“My dad’s a retired art teacher and he also runs Mount Ida Pottery. My work was mostly ceramics, all my final pieces were in ceramics because I want to do a degree in ceramics. My dad has been an inspiration and my teacher, Ms McMahon was probably the most inspiring person to me in the last two years.

“My work was based on a derelict farmyard and the lady who lived there. She must have been 90 when I started going as a child and as she got older she got more fragile looking so it showed that.”

Ellen was presented with a cheque and a certifcate.