A portrait painted in oils described by the judging panel as ‘simply sublime’ is the winner of The Northern School of Art’s 2025 Foundation Art Prize.

‘Opulence’ by Poppy Davidson from Bishop Auckland was chosen as the winning entry of the prize backed by the School’s Middlesbrough campus UAL Foundation Diploma in Art and Design course to celebrate the talents of young creatives in the Tees Valley and North East.

The winning entry was amongst of a shortlist of fourteen finalists selected from submissions by the Foundation Diploma course teachers at the Newport Road campus.

The winner and two runners up were then chosen by an independent judge, Claire A. Baker, pictured below, one of the 2024 Tees Valley Artists of the Year.

Commenting on Poppy’s entry Claire said: “From the very beginning, this was a showstopper.

“We kept returning to it again and again. It’s simply sublime – a sensitive, beautifully executed piece showing an exceptionally high standard of painted textiles. Absolutely superb.”

The 17-year-old artist who attends St John’s Catholic School and Sixth Form College in Bishop Auckland in County Durham said that her painting had been “inspired by Renaissance and Baroque era portraiture which used vibrant, rich and flamboyant clothing and colours.

“I have always found the older styles of painting fascinating. I am always in awe of how they managed to capture such detail in such a refined style, looking at works by masters such as Artemisia Gentileschi and Rembrandt have always made me aspire to one day be able to paint in such detail and to capture the emotion within people.”

She added: “I was so happy when I heard that I had won and also surprised as there were so many other amazing artworks to contend with. It felt amazing and I was so proud of myself.

“Winning this prize has given me so much more confidence to pursue art as a possible career and to recognize that I have the capacity to do big things with my art and hopefully inspire others.”

Poppy’s art teacher at St John’s Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Mrs Danielle Deverell, who was at the Prize award ceremony said: “Poppy is very deserving of this year’s Foundation Art Prize. She works tirelessly to create the most wonderful pieces of artwork in both her own time and at school.

“She has a genuine love of using oil paint and she has only just started using this media at the start of Year 12. She is a truly gifted recorder, and her painting and drawing skills are exceptional. We are very lucky to have her at St John’s and we are very proud of what she has achieved.  Well done Poppy!”

Two runners up prizes were also awarded to Joshua Denning, aged 18, from High Shincliffe, Durham, for his drawing ‘Skelton Leaves’, pictured above right with The Northern School of Art Principal Dr Martin Raby, and Zack Royal, 18, from Bishop Auckland, pictured above left, for his short film ‘The Game’.

Commenting on Joshua’s work, Claire noted: “The sensitivity of this image really moved the judging panel. It’s a beautifully simple piece that demonstrates real attention to detail – especially impressive for such a young artist. It’s an image everyone can connect with.”

Reacting to his achievement Josh, a student at St Leonards School, Durham, said: “I was really happy. It was very exciting to find out on the night that I was one of the top three finalists.

Josh, who has just finished his A Levels and is heading off on a gap year added: “I will definitely carry on with my drawing.”

Zack’s short film, shot pictured below, of two friends playing a pool game, was also praised by Claire: “This piece really struck a chord with me – I used to manage pool tables in a past life! The editing was so well thought through, with a strong narrative that really came through. It made us both smile.”

Zack, who has just finished his A Levels at New College, Durham, and has a place to study on a film and TV production degree, said: “It was a nice surprise when my name was called out as one of the top three on the evening.

“It’s been an amazing experience and a great opportunity.”

The Northern School of Art’s Foundation Diploma teacher Andrew Edwards said: “We were really impressed with the quality of the strong work submitted this year by the competition entrants. There was an incredibly varied range of work representing several different disciplines 3D, painting, photography, video, drawing and costume based.

“We embrace the variety and ambition of the students who entered and we celebrate the talents of all the young creatives in the region.”

Poppy, Joshua and Zack joined other finalists of the Foundation Art Prize at a special reception held as part of The Northern School of Art’s Middlesbrough campus end of year Summer Show where images of all the finalists’ submissions were displayed.

Andrew Edwards added: “The Foundation Art Prize was launched to raise awareness of the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design (Level 3). The one-year course, which is free if you are 18 when the course starts, offers the unique opportunity to take another year to try a range of different areas in art and design to help students ‘figure out’ their next steps or just to try new things, gain confidence, experiment, work more with ideas, and perfect your skills.”

Details of the other finalists

• Ryan Bate, 17, Middlesbrough (Bede Sixth Form College), Billingham: Fragments

This monochromatic oil painting is called Fragments and explores the fragmented nature of identity through the haunting image of a cracked face. Rendered in a single tone, the work strips away distraction, compelling the viewer to confront the raw vulnerability beneath the surface. Each fissure speaks to the quiet struggles, hidden scars, and layered experiences that shape the self. A powerful reflection on the tension between outward appearance and inner reality, the painting invites contemplation of how identity is formed, fractured, and ultimately endured.”

• Jack Berry, 18, Sunderland (South Hill College, Sunderland): The Climb Welcome Home

Jack has autism spectrum disorder and epilepsy.  The painting The Climb Welcome Home represents all the times that Jack has been in hospital and has then had to make a Climb in his health to come home after a seizure.

Jack has used static grass for the hill, a stencil of the monument and texture paste for the parts in the clouds.  He wanted to put birds on his painting to demonstrate that his problems healthwise can be seen to be flying away.  (This has been written by Sara Berry for Jack Berry)

• Lana Chapman, 17, Sunderland (St Aidan’s and St Anthony’s Catholic Sixth Form, Sunderland): Forest Vision

This is a charcoal portrait of my younger sister with oil pastel etching in various shades of green surrounding her. The green beginning to merge over the charcoal is inspired by how humans should be becoming intertwined with nature to become empowered. ”

• Oliver Dixon, 16, Hartlepool (Hartlepool VI Form College): Shattered Horizons

This piece is a personal reflection on the devastating yet enduring spirit of Ukraine amidst the ongoing conflict. The scraping technique, where layers of paint are peeled away and redefined, mirrors the complex process of survival and transformation in times of crisis. The tones of green, yellow, and pure blue are deeply symbolic—the green evoking the fertile fields of Ukraine, the yellow recalling its rich cultural identity, and the pure blue representing the expansive sky and the unwavering hope of the people.

As the paint moves and twists, sometimes aggressively, sometimes gently, it speaks to the violent disruption of the country’s landscapes and lives, while also highlighting the quiet resilience that persists. The deliberate roughness in texture captures the tension between destruction and the fight for renewal. The abstract form holds no single narrative but invites the viewer to see the infinite nuances of a nation’s struggle: the scars left behind by war, the fragility of peace, and the deep-rooted desire to rebuild.

This work is not just a reflection of a distant tragedy, but a deeply personal connection to the universal experience of loss, resilience, and the pursuit of peace in the face of overwhelming odds. It is a meditation on the fragility of stability, the strength of identity, and the profound yearning for a future where horizons are no longer shattered.”

• Maria Garrity, 18, Ouston, Durham (St Leonards School, Durham): Untitled

I am a charcoal / graphite pencil artist, inspired by artists and photographers like Chuck Close, Peter Hujar, Nan Godlin, Cindy Sherman.

• Jenny Hardcastle, 18, Middlesbrough: Undead Nightmare

Traditional style comic cover of Red Dead Redemption’s undead John Marston, riding one of the four horses of the apocalypse: Pestilence.

• Mico Mcensi Manso, 17, Newcastle upon Tyne (St Mary’s Catholic School, Newcastle upon Tyne): An Eon of Sky

This oil painting depicts an intimate moment between a person, the nature close to them and the boundless sky ahead, inspired by how beautiful yet impossible to reach the sky feels, like my own feelings about my family in the Philippines.

• Cambell Raine, 16, Darlington, Co Durham (The Northern School of Art, Middlesbrough): Crisis Zine

An informative zine targeted towards the youth of today, explaining the impacts the cost-of-living crisis has had on young people’s clothing (16-21 year olds). The zine has a simplistic colour palette which resonates with a sense of danger and worry, with its style being inspired by street, grungy and Y2K themes. The zine is set up in a saddle-stitch format using a sewn bind, with 12 pages, containing informative content gathered from research, paired with relating and fitting artwork. The zine is also accompanied by a belly band as an additional binding method and art piece. The zine contains techniques such as film photography, scanography, typography and digital editing.”

• Millie Sanderson, 17, Shildon, Co Durham (Bede Sixth Form College, Billingham): I never would have guessed

I wanted to represent autism and specifically masking. I am autistic and mask nearly all of the time and often have people ask me if I am actually autistic or they just don’t believe me because I have learned to mask very well. I decided to represent the masking with theatre masks, with exaggerated expressions. This is to show how masking – for me – feels like a performance I have to uphold in front of most people. The chains represent the weight this takes on me and the effects masking can have, especially in burnouts. It often makes me feel trapped and hidden, which is why the person representing me is hiding behind a mask. I did the piece with sketch pencil and charcoal to replicate the dull and weightful reality of masking for an autistic person and how difficult it is to uphold that around people.

• Alice Smith, 16, Stockton-on-Tees (Ian Ramsey Church of England Academy, Stockton-on-Tees): Identity

‘Identity’ is a recreation of a magazine cover I designed over a year ago that aimed to explore the idea of diversity, but felt I didn’t have the skills to truly bring my vision to life. Now that I’ve developed my painting, I decided to use this competition as an opportunity to explore new media, in this case acrylic paint, and I used a wide range of colours to represent the differences between the people. They are looking into the same mirror to show that despite our differences, we’re all human.”

• Shelly Webster, 17, Hartlepool (The Northern School of Art, Middlesbrough): Rebirth

This artwork is about my personal feelings and the challenges I’ve faced along the way. This artwork symbolises how I must shine and not give up in the darkest of times. My inspiration came from this work after I started to heal after a horrible distrust from someone who was not a nice person. My artwork is a message from me that no matter what happens in life you will heal and bounce back to shine brighter that you ever have before. I used a ball point pen in my art to achieve a smooth and light-hearted look through light application of pen strokes. My work signifies how with a strong heart you can achieve anything.

• Special judge’s mention for “Technically outstanding work” (out of the area entry) Yesenia Serdiuk, 18, Hull, East Yorkshire (Hull College): Stripped of everything

This is a miniature model depicting all the cities that have been destroyed and are being destroyed during the war. It shows life before and after in Ukraine and was inspired by my personal experiences and surroundings. I want to show the contrast and truth of our current lives, and how cities are being razed to the ground, shattering thousands of lives.

I am originally from Ukraine, from a town called Nikopol, now just 7 kilometres from Russian-occupied territory. In 2022, constant attacks on my town forced my family and me to spend days and nights in the basement. That same year, my mother and I fled to Slovakia, where I began exploring art for the first time as a way to cope with what I had experienced.

In 2023, I moved to Hull, England, and enrolled in Level 3 Fine Art at Hull College. I discovered model-making as a way to raise awareness about the war and its impact on people’s lives. Each model is based on either my own experiences or those of others affected by the war.

My miniature models take anywhere from two days to a few weeks to complete, depending on size and detail. I primarily use Styrofoam, recycled materials like plastic and cardboard, and sand or stones for texture.

The UAL Foundation Diploma in Art & Design course is one of a number of college-level creative courses offered by The Northern School of Art. Further details are available HERE or visit one of the School’s college level open days at its Middlesbrough campus in Newport Road. Further details and dates are available at www.northernart.ac.uk