Following the incredibly positive response we received from ARC’s Heathland Art Competition during #HeathWeek in 2023, we revived the competition for more fun this year.

We asked artists passionate about heathlands and the species that live in them to create some incredible artwork showcasing why the heaths are so important.

This year’s competition was judged by Forestry England’s Richard Daponte, who ARC has been working with to carry out a refurbishment at the New Forest Reptile Centre, Jonathan Harbinson, the winner of the ARC Heathland Art Competition 2023, and staff at ARC’s head office. Judging criteria was based on not only the skill of the artwork, but the originality and how well artists conveyed their meaning of the heath’s importance in both the art and the statement. 

Jonathan Harbinson	Richard Daponte

 
Jonathan had this to say:

“What a difficult job to pick my top 3! This year's theme was specifically celebrating the colours of the heath, and the entrants did a terrific job. All of the entries stand out and highlight the importance of protecting and preserving the British heathland in their own unique ways.

Heathlands were developed by human intervention some 3000 years ago during the Bronze ages, and without conservation efforts the heathland in the UK will disappear - and consequently so will the ecosystem that allows such a rich and varied host of flora, fauna - specifically reptiles and amphibians to thrive. Naturally this is a shame in the ecological side of things, but having grown around and experienced the heath, I believe heathland also brings opportunities for education and fostering an interest in nature due to its unique attributes and biodiversity which would also be a pity to lose.”

 And the winner is...

Watch our video to find out the winners, see the beautiful artwork and read the artists heartfelt statements.

Read the comments from our judges for each piece:

1st place: Charlotte Fawkes

 “This piece immediately stood out to me! I love the use of the papercut medium's inherent colour palette limitations to further get across the theme of Colours of the Heath. It's an incredibly well-made piece that makes you want to look closer, but additionally, stepping back as a whole the composition feels complete. I think the artist's statement pairs well with the picture - the sand lizard emerging from hiding in the foliage and the artist's words about how to many people the heathland and its inhabitants are still unknown, so awareness of heathlands needs to be raised.”

“Charlotte’s image of the lizard in heather boldly highlights the colours of the heath. With the pink of the heather and the earth colours of the lizard and foliage, I believe this is the most striking of the shortlist. Made with paper collage, this is a stunning representation, crafted with skill. Charlotte’s caption does encapsulate the importance of heathland conservation well.”

2nd place: Debanjan Sarkar

 “Debanjan’s illustration reminds me of the old railway posters of the 30’s. It is beautiful and would make an excellent illustrated panel. The caption is very well put together and refers to the art very well. It is proficient and a joy to look at.”

“This piece is striking and dynamic, and really shows some of the diversity of the species found in the heath. Perhaps most obviously, the colours of the gorse and heather leap out at you. The colours of the sky are also so familiar to those that do an early-morning or late-evening ecological survey. You can really see all of the work that has gone into creating this piece.”

3rd place: Owen Jones

“I like the succinctness of Owen’s caption and the reductive nature of his image. Very imaginative. The most audacious of the shortlist, it deserves reward. Artistically spot on, it is the most modernist of the images, but is all the better for it. And it fulfils the brief perfectly. It would be difficult to use it as an illustration except as background, but as a piece in itself, it is very good.”

“A very clear representation of the colours of the heath. While the picture is relatively simple, I love that you can immediately see the heathland sunrise, with the warm purples and cool greens of the native flora. I found the statement about these ecosystems having more than just aesthetic value very thoughtful - as often it is the more beautiful, cute, or otherwise visually appealing parts of nature that garner the most support.” 

Special mentions

See the video above for artwork and artist statements.

Zachariah Wait

“Zachariah’s snake is a lovely rendition of a grass snake. Would make a great illustration of the animal. There is a skilled execution of perspective - it looks like it is slithering right through the grass towards you!”

 

Emmy Richards

 “A really unusual and eye-catching piece, that upon looking closer reveals itself to the viewer as being built up from the colours and patterns in the heath! I love this artist's interpretation of the prompt, and the composition almost feels like a flag or emblematic representation of the heathland. The statement is straight to the point and highlights the artist's intentions and appreciation of the heath well.”

  

We would like to thank all participants for letting us see not only their incredible art and creativity, but also for giving us a glimpse into their passion for this rare habitat and the species that thrive in it. The winners' entries will be published in ARC's exclusive member's magazine, ARC Eye. We would also like to thank our guest judges for their time.

If you would like to learn more about heathland habitats, the species that rely on them, and the conservation work ARC is doing to protect both, take a look here.