Our Year 3 children embraced the opportunity to draw ‘en plein air’ while on their trip to Hole Park. Using oil pastels, they drew their impressions of the wonderful water lilies that floated elegantly on the many ponds in the beautiful gardens. Reminiscent of Claude Monet’s Giverny Gardens, where the artist planted water lilies before he painted them. He organised his garden at Giverny, with the help of six local gardeners, as if it was a huge painting. Monet diverted a river, planted exotic flowers, weeping willows, bamboo trees and an abundance of water lilies. Nature, began to resemble his art and Monet said, “My finest masterpiece, is my garden.” ​

The children, inspired by Monet’s love of water lilies, created magnificent masterpieces that captured the Hole Park water lilies with their rounded leaves and pink petals, expressively. They applied the techniques of the Impressionists – quick energetic, experimental mark making and blended colours to capture light, colour and movement. Individuality and creative confidence are reflected in their wonderful water lily masterpieces. They make a great impression!​ In the words of Claude Monet, “Water lilies are an extension of my life. Without the water, the lilies cannot live, as I am without art.”​