Tessa Goodfellow, Carly Hillier and Cara Maim at Emery GateGAZETTE: Historic figure Maud Heath and a bevy of art students from Wiltshire College Chippenham persuaded shoppers to exercise their artistic skills for the Big Draw.

A national initiative, the Big Draw was launched by Rolf Harris in Trafalgar Square recently in an effort to get more people to take up pencil and paper.

Participants from all over the country contributed portions of the famous Constable painting, The Haywain.

The Chippenham Big Draw took place in the Emery Gate shopping centre last week with Heritage Centre education officer Jean Harvest dressed up as Maud Heath and the eight art students donning a variety of historical costumes to get into the spirit of the event. The unusual gathering attracted attention from the shoppers and turned heads and some of the passers by had a go at drawing.

Mrs Harvest brought along a series of artefacts, including a jug and writing equipment, for the drawing of a medieval still life.

Plenty of people joined in ranging in age from 15 months, to pensioners.

The works of art were pinned up in Emery Gate for shoppers to admire.