Mansfield artist sets up competition to help children get creative during coronavirus lockdown

A Mansfield artist has set up a new art competition to encourage young people to get creative as the country eases its way out of coronavirus lockdown.
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Full-time artist and art instructor Julija Greaves, of Sheepbridge Lane established The Young Picasso Painting Competition Mansfield and Ashfield 2020 for children in the towns.

The Sheepbridge Studio owner, on Kirkland Avenue, set up the art competition for young people aged between eight-years-old and 16-years-old to motivate them to be creative while lockdown restrictions continue to be eased.

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While there are no rules to the style or method of paintings, the submission must be based on original ideas to do with either nature, bonfire night, a seascape or landscape, a corner of your bedroom, looking through the keyhole or a futuristic design.

Mansfield artist Julija Greaves set up the competition to encourage young people to be creative during lockdown.Mansfield artist Julija Greaves set up the competition to encourage young people to be creative during lockdown.
Mansfield artist Julija Greaves set up the competition to encourage young people to be creative during lockdown.

Julija, who has been a professional artist for the last 15 years, explained what motivated her to create the competition.

"There's a lot of young people out there who are beginning to come in now and they've got a lot of talent”, she said.

"This particular competition is to encourage people in the area because young people have suffered during this period with being off school because of coronavirus.

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“I don't think they have many opportunities like this at the moment and I want people to develop their skills more and more.”

Paintings must be done on paper, card or canvas, using either watercolour, acrylics, oils, inks, poster paints or pastels with a minimum size of 13cm x 18cm up to 30cm x 42cm.

Digitally enhanced or printed copies of paintings will not be accepted and all submissions must be individually titled.

The instructor shared how her personal passion for art inspired her to set up a space for young people to express themselves.

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Julija added: "I think if you are artistic, talent and creative then you never stop being that way but sometimes life makes you go in a different direction but you can always come back to it.

"That's what happened to me, I could have had a professional art career when I was a youngster but didn't through circumstances beyond my control but I never lost the touch and I never lost being creative.

"Most of the artists that succeed they are in the cities like London but they forget there are people in the sticks like us that have a multitude of talented young people that need a break and to be recognised and encouraged.”

Young people can submit up to three pieces of work, in their age-related category, to be in a chance of winning a prize for best artwork and receive art materials.

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All entries must be submitted online before Friday, August 28 and which will then be judged by Julija and two other independent judges.

The runners up will also receive art materials as well as a certificate and have their art displayed at an exhibition at the Sheepbridge Studio on Saturday, September 5.

To enter the competition, people should register online using the email contact form on Julija’s website where they will then receive a Personal Identifying Number (PIN) to complete their submission.

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