TEST Valley’s famous gardens have inspired artists at an Andover school.

Art in the Garden, the outdoor exhibition held at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens in Romsey, provided the creative spark for Harrow Way Community School’s Year 10 art and design students.

Now in its 15th year, the exhibition features 100 sculptures by 47 different artists displayed in the unique outdoor setting of the gardens.

The pieces have been created by a combination of new graduates and established sculptors, some of whom have travelled from across Britain to exhibit their work.

The artwork on display ranges from abstract to figurative pieces, created from a variety of materials including glass, metal, marble, stone, acrylic and aluminium acetate.

The school’s visit, which formed part of a natural forms project, gave the GCSE and BTEC students the chance to photograph and sketch a number of natural forms found within the gardens and create a weaving out of collected fallen materials.

The BTEC pupils used their research to develop ideas and sculptures of their own, some of which were then sold in the shop at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens.

Chrissy Collins, curriculum leader for art at Harrow Way, said: “This is an important lesson for young artists, which sees them engage with artwork and interpret and evaluate the meaning of a piece in order to go beyond their initial subjective reaction.”