STUDENTS from across the town exhibited the skills they had learned at college by creating some stunning human artwork.

From today, art lovers will have the opportunity to look at some of the highest quality pieces as the annual Swindon College art finals show starts, while media make-up and production students at New College put on an end-of-year show for invited guests on Wednesday night.

At Swindon College various styles will be on display, from illustration to photography and graphic design to fine art, at the week-long exhibition.

The display is a showcase of the work by students at the college who have completed their degrees and HND courses.

Until next Wednesday, members of the public will be able to go and look at the show, which is being held at Isambard House, close to the Steam Museum.

Peter Benson, a part time lecturer who has taught at the college for 41 years, said: “We hold this show every year and the quality which is put out rarely drops, with this year being no exception.

“When you look around at the student’s work much of it is commercial standard. The graphic design work could easily be used by a company.

“Everything here has been done to such a high standard that even the lower bar is still top quality work.

“I think most people will find something they enjoy if they come done.

“It is a fantastic display of the creativity which the students at the college possess.”

The show is held every year at different locations and this year for the first time work from the pre-degree Foundation and Access to HE Course is also being shown.

One of the students displaying their work is Keith Hursthouse, who took up studying photography after leaving his former job as a journalist.

He said: “Photography had always been a hobby for me but after being made redundant I thought why not pursue it on a more full-time basis.

“I like to look at communities which have been brought together a various reasons, such as politics or religion.”

Meanwhile Carrie Morgan, producer of New College’s show, said the 34 students involved in the Level three BTEC production and the VTCT level two media make-up courses had exceeded expectations.

She said: “We always put on a show at the end of the year as a final assessment for the students. We like to make a big thing of it.

“The theme was a night at the movies and we wanted to just let them run free because there was so much scope and variation. We were totally impressed and they really pushed and challenged themselves.”

Work from the Swindon College media make-up team will be shown in a special display at the Steam Museum next month.

For full details on when the exhibition will be open, as well as details on how to get tickets for the media make-up show, visit www.swindon-college.ac.uk/news/school-art-final-shows