Quentin Blake has illustrated new pictures to shine a light on the beauty of autumn at a nature reserve.
Arundel’s Wetland Centre in Mill Road is hoping to take its visitors to “special places” at their wetlands and reserve as they have been illustrated in Quentin’s distinctive style.
The partnership between the Wildfowl And Wetlands Trust (WWT) and Quentin Blake began to encourage people to embrace a season “filled with sensory experiences”.
Quentin, who famously illustrated Roald Dahl's stories, said: “Visitors will be walking with me and I like to think of myself walking with them. I shan’t mind if I get my feet wet.”
Families are invited to explore art and nature at the Arundel centre through creating pattern books, drawing bird feathers, dissecting owl pellets and making clay frogs at activity sessions.
For adults, the trust’s wetland wellbeing week will give them tips to connect with nature to help their mental health.
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Claire Hogben, centre manager at Arundel Wetland Centre, said: “While every season is special at WWT Arundel, autumn seems to be the perfect time to immerse yourself in nature as it’s such a sensory part of the year when the landscape is at its very best.
“The greens of summer start to transform into a riot of golds and browns when at their height, just envelop you in their beauty. And of course, it’s a season that has inspired some truly stunning art, so we’re thrilled to continue this year-long partnership with Quentin Blake and bring art and nature together.
“And along with the changes in the landscape, the visiting species change with wild snipe and water rail arriving for the winter and marsh harriers coming in to roost in the late afternoons - this really is a chance to see why wetlands are so wonderful and why they influence so many artists.”
To celebrate this collaboration, the WWT has also launched a national art competition where artists of all abilities can enter their work to be in with a chance of winning a unique, embossed Quentin Blake wetland print.
Runners-up will receive copies of the Quentin Blake Papers and free entry into a site of their choice.
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