By Sarah Robinson

Last updated at 11:51, Thursday, 09 August 2012

AN ambitious Cleator Moor teenager is following in the footsteps of the great artist Lucien Freud and fashion designer Stella McCartney by securing a place at a prestigious art college.

off to London: Hana Bradnick, who has been accepted at St Martin’s College of Art

Hana Bradnick has earned a place at St Martin’s College of Art and Design in London a year earlier than most people apply.

She will begin a fine art degree in September soon after receiving her A-level results. It is a triumph for the West Lakes Academy sixth form student who has gone against the traditional route of needing to complete a foundation art course first.

She said: “I have a real sense of achieving my goals and making and taking opportunities. I decided to throw caution to the wind and see if my work could open the doors to St Martin’s for me.”

Hana was interviewed in London last Thursday where she spoke to tutors about a selection of her work based on the phrase, ‘hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil’. She was told that day that she had been given an unconditional offer for the course.

She said: “I’m looking forward to moving to London, working with the practising artists they have at the college and learning from other people.”

St Martin’s College has an impressive alumni which also includes Sir Peter Blake, fashion designer John Galliano and actor Pierce Brosnan.

Hana said: “I’m delighted to have a place at St Martin’s. It’s a dream for anyone wanting to pursue a career in art.”

The 18-year-old only began studying art two years ago when she enrolled in A-Level fine art at the academy. She previously studied at St Benedict’s School where she completed her GCSEs.

She said she moved to the academy because she wanted to expand her hobby and pursue her ambition of becoming an artist.

While studying at the academy, Hana says she has been producing creative installation pieces by using photography and film. She is inspired by a number of artists, including the painter Lucien Freud and installation artist Rebecca Horn.

She said: “It will be an intense environment in which to study with high expectations and lots of hard work, but I will be doing something that I love in one of the best possible places to do it.”

Hana has praised staff at the academy for their support and confidence building over the past two years.

She said: “With their help and knowledge I was able to turn my ideas into pieces of art which people seem to really like, even those which have a very ‘dark’ side. Hopefully my pieces provoke thought and emotion, which is what artists set out to achieve.”

First published at 11:10, Thursday, 09 August 2012
Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk