Yesturday I finally got to meet our winning artists up at The Heights. It was great to meet such an inspiring group. I really look forward to working with them in June..just got to co-ordinate diaries now! I'm uploading the winning designs onto the homepage so you can all get an idea what the mural will look like. The designs will probably end up being in a different order though as it's up to the students to arrange where they will sit. Two down and I'll do the rest tomorrow.

Announced today are the names of the six students whose designs will be painted by them on a celebratory 2012 Olympic Mural. The designs were chosen by a panel of judges from The Heights of Abraham along with local artist Tess Willoughby.

On Friday 29th June 2012 the Olympic Torch will be travelling by cable car over the Derwent Valley at Matlock Bath, Derbyshire. To commemorate this event, The Heights of Abraham has commissioned local artist Tess Willoughby to design a mural that will stand as a legacy to this exciting honour. Working alongside her will be the six students from the 6th Form of Highfield School, Matlock, Derbyshire.

John Coulson Marketing and Events Manager at The Heights said “The judging was difficult but in the end, of the entries received from the 6th form students at Highfields School, six entries stood out. The students who will be working with Tess are, and in no particular order,

Sarah Howarth, Tony Elkington, Rebecca Fletcher, Alice Woodings, Stacey Pritty, Natalie Walker.

The judges all felt the designs capture the excitement and variety of sports, the City of London and the Olympic symbolism in an energetic, colourful and expressive manner.”

Within the main mural, located alongside the Explorers Challenge play area, Tess will create six large frames in which the six chosen designs are to be painted. Each frame depicts elements of the Olympics and each has a strong and easily recognisable Olympic ethos.

As a reward for their participation the six students and teacher Kerry Fairbank will be given season tickets to The Heights of Abraham. This will allow them free access over the season to enjoy the site and see their work when completed.

Well done again to all the students who have designed an entry. They are all fab and respond well to the brief. Winners have been chosen..more about that early next week.

Well done to all of you who submitted an entry. What a talented bunch you are! We're going to be making final decisions soon and in the mean time, look out for all of the designs on this site. They should be up by Friday. Good luck and well done to you all.

Tess

We are asking students to fill in the frames of the mural with strong depictions of the Olympics. There's no barrier for style and we're really looking forward to seeing what the students come up with. The rules are that they must be in full colour, be instantly recognisable as an Olympic scene and must fit into a frame that measures around 1.5 m x 1m. Oh and they have to come along and paint it in! Can't wait! The closing date is only a couple of weeks away.

Big day today! This site is ready to go! Have spent the morning writing the brief which is about to be sent over to John at The Heights- it's also the first time he will have seen this page too- so fingers crossed he likes it!!