IT is important for students studying art or textiles to gain inspiration from various sources for their work.

With this in mind, a group of GCSE and A Level students set off for the capital's famous galleries, armed with their sketchbooks and cameras.

First stop: Trafalgar Square and The National Gallery. Not only does it house historic artwork dating back to the 1700s, the building itself is an example of grand Regency architecture.

Next door, The National Portrait gallery was surprisingly interesting with an exhibition of portraits focusing on people in the public eye and recent Olympic medallists. A portrait of Sir Paul Maxime Nurse by Jason Brooks caught my eye, as, from a distance, it looked like a photograph but up close was a detailed acrylic painting.

A short stroll across the square to the bus provided amusement in the form of pigeons, ferrets being taken for a walk and a sighting of a minor celebrity (Sam Mitchell from Eastenders!).

The most memorable art we saw was at Tate Britain. Work No. 850, by Martin Creed (an artist I had previously studied) involved athletes sprinting “as if their lives depended on it” across the Neoclassical Gallery every 30 seconds. Many people entering the hall were unaware of the installation, so watching their reactions as an athlete suddenly flashed past them was entertaining. This work was designed to celebrate the beauty of human movement and certainly extended my view of art.

We even managed to fit in a bit of boutique shopping! This was, of course, highly relevant to my current topic of ethical textiles, as the Oxfam boutique sold fairtrade clothing and recycled designer pieces made by fashion students. I was able to collect information about the new project, see how they marketed the issue and photograph some of the clothes.

This busy day helped students choose a relevant artist to study in detail and fill their sketchbooks with ideas, from which designs can be developed. Back in the classroom, the trip has provided students with research material, which could not have been obtained without this practical experience.