TWO budding artists had a ‘brush’ with success after being named winners of Bolton Art Circle’s inaugural children’s artwork competition.

As part of its biennial exhibition at Bolton Museum’s Art Gallery, the club launched a contest encouraging young creatives to submit a piece done in any medium.

Winners Kalsum Saddique, aged 12, and seven-year-old Jessica Leighton were presented with colouring and painting sets by Bolton Art Circle’s chairman Lesley Taylor.

Mrs Taylor said she was delighted with the standard of entries received and said they would run the competition again next year.

She said: “This is the first year we have introduced the competition and we were really pleased with the entries we got, so we will definitely hold it again next time and run it for longer.

“We suggested entrants might want to look at some of the pictures in the exhibition for inspiration, or follow the theme of World War One which we used for some of the exhibition.

“Jessica did just that, creating a World War One picture which was very well thought through and colourful, with good detail.

“Kalsu produced a very good pencil sketched and we were very impressed with her understanding of perspective, as well as her fabulous pencil skills.

“We like to encourage children to get more involved with art and visiting the gallery, and it is lovely to see so many young people coming into the gallery now.”

Jessica won the aged nine and under category, while Kalsum triumphed in the 10 to 16-year-olds section.

Cath Baxendale, Bolton Art Circle’s exhibition secretary, came up with the idea for the competition and helped judge entries.

Bolton Art Circle was established in 1946 to support and promote visual arts in the North West, and holds three workshops each week at Highfield Hall.

Jessica and Kalsum’s artwork will be on display in the gallery until the end of the exhibition on March 1.