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Art Student Wins Prize

A talented Art student has won third prize in a prestigious local art competition.

A-Level student Daniel Kelly picked up a prize of £150 for placing third in the Open 10 exhibition run by the Alfred East Gallery in Kettering.

His artwork Camp Abu Naji, which was submitted from his A Level Art coursework and painted with a knife and fork, is based on the theme of war and depicts a prisoner in the British Army Base.

It was a winning entry out of 212 other submissions and will now hang in the art gallery until January.

Visitors to the exhibition are also voting for their favourite artist, so Daniel could still win the prize of a solo exhibition space.

Daniel - who paints everyday at home and has converted the dining room into an artist's studio - is no stranger to winning prizes, having won the younger artists version of this prize back in 2005.

He was also placed in the top ten of GCSE art students by exam board EdExcel.

Daniel, who will go on to a Fine Art course at Northampton University in September, said: "I was delighted to have won the prize.

"I am extremely passionate about my art and love doing it. I mainly use oil paints, but also mix up other materials - such as curry powder and have even painted with hair."

The student, has loved art from a very young age, even making his own toys when little.

His dream is to be a full-time professional artist and is already on that track having secured a number of commissions following his public showing at the Alfred East Gallery.

But he is not a fan of the infamous Young British artists such as Tracey Emin and Damien Hurst.

He said: "I think they are killing art as it seems to be more about the money. I am not in art to make money, and don't mind if it means I will be a poor artist for the rest of my life."