A group of talented young artists from The Northern School of Art have risen to an unusual challenge by creating art on the back of old envelopes.

The young creatives based at the School’s Middlesbrough campus, who range in age from 6 to 18, were responding to a call for artworks created on used envelopes by a Teesside Art gallery.

Now their artworks, which range in style, size as well as the media used to create it, are on public show as part of an exhibition at Palace Arts Gallery in Redcar.

The students thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to extend their creativity.

Level 2 Art and Design student Sophie Hearnehough, 16, a former Stokesley School pupil from Coulby Newham, pictured left, who plans to study an Extended Diploma in Fashion at the School’s Green Lane campus, said: “It was really fun, I really enjoyed it as I was able to use lots of skills beyond just drawing.”

Her fellow student, also a former Stokesley School pupil, Emily Angel, 17, pictured right, from Nunthorpe chose to focus her design on a war theme.  Her work features wool and thread and she is aiming to study on the School’s Extended Diploma in Textiles and Design. She commented: “It’s great to have work exhibited. We had been learning about the First World War so my theme is based on what I had found out about the trenches.”

Former Abbey Hill Academy student, 18-year-old Flynn Shorttle from Stockton, pictured centre, has ambitions to study on the Extended Diploma in Fine Art at the School’s Green Lane campus. His work was inspired by the Redcar location of the exhibition.

He said: “It made me think of a fisherman with a beard so that is the focus of my piece. It’s good to exhibit and get my name out there and it was a nice surprise for my parents when they went along to see it.”

This is the second public exhibition of work by the cohort of Level 2 Art and Design students at The Northern School of Art’s Green Lane campus. In December a display of their artworks featuring the Tees Transporter Bridge was held in the landmark attraction’s museum.

Andrea Goodwill, the Course leader said that the students had learned a lot from the experiences.

“It has given them a taste of working in the creative industries as they had to consider a brief carefully and respond to it. They are all quite rightly very proud of what they have achieved.”

Work by some of Andrea’s younger students who attend the Saturday morning Creative Kids art classes at the School’s Green Lane campus is also featured in the Palace Arts ‘On The Back Of An Old Envelope’ show.

The free exhibition is open for public viewing at the gallery on Redcar seafront until Sunday 17 March.

The show is located at Palace Arts, The Palace Hub, 28-29, Esplanade, Redcar TS10 3AE. Opening hours are: Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday 10 am – 4pm and Sunday 12 noon – 4pm. (Note: The gallery is closed on Wednesday and Thursdays). www.palacearts.co.uk

Further details about the wide range of skilled and technical creative courses offered by The Northern School of Art is available at www.northernart.ac.uk