As part of their skills development for GCSE Art & Design the Year 10 students have each completed a charcoal portrait. These are drawings show an understanding of tone and sensitive use of materials.
Over the summer the art room has been painted and the room is gradually coming back to life as the colourful artwork and displays are placed on the walls. We are looking forward to some more magnificent work this year! If you still have work to collect from last year please drop in and see us.
The Year 10 students recently completed an exercise in painting that is focused on portraiture, brushstrokes and colour mixing by carefully studying a one of Vincent Van Gogh's portraits. Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat, 1887, is one of more than 20 self-portraits painted by Van Gogh between 1886 and 1888. With a limited amount of funds but determination to improve his portrait skills Van Gogh turned to painting himself rather than have to pay models to pose. This image was chosen as a portrait to allow students to practice their mixing of skin tones but also to encourage them to accentuate their brushstrokes. Below are their results completed in approximately 2.5 hours. As part of their exam preparation and exploration of new materials and processes the Year 13 students have been working with carborundum collagraph printing techniques. This involves building up the surface with materials like carborundum grit and paper as well as cutting in to the surface to create marks that will be picked up by the ink. It is an exciting and expressive process.
On Friday October 17th, the sixth form art students ventured to the UK capital to visit exhibitions at the National Gallery, Tate Britain and the Victoria & Albert Museum. It was a long day but one filled with inspiration and visual stimulation. From seeing great masters in the National Gallery, like Holbein's Ambassador's to the cherish objects of China and Japan at the Victoria & Albert Museum. This will provide a wealth of primary inspiration and research for the development of A Level coursework this term.
The 'Agored 2014 Open' exhibition at Galeri in Caernarfon opened on Friday evening, and it is wonderful to see that two former St. Gerard's pupils had been selected for the juried exhibition. Congratulations to Emma Huskinsson and Josie Seymour-Jones for being selected to exhibit. We wish them all the best for their future endeavours in art. The Agored 2014 Open is on display until the 14th of November.
It has been another stunning year in art at St. Gerard's School. All of the students have worked really hard and the work really does speak for itself. Students have developed a stronger awareness of drawing as well as explored new techniques and materials including painting, screenprinting, batik, monoprinting and clay, among others. The GCSE and A Level students produced work that expressed their individual interests as well as recorded their understanding of other artists. In Key Stage 3, the year 7 students developed an outstanding sense of colour and explored each topic with enthusiasm. The year 8's developed more technical skills by learning about perspective and facial proportion; as well as using digital cameras and the 'sculptris' software. While year 9 investigated ideas that promoted individuality and a sense of identity while also working in groups to produce monumental murals. With the weather getting warmer and the sun visiting, I hope that you will all have a wonderful break and look forward to seeing you all again in September for the start of another exciting year! As part of the initial stages of their 'cultural visions' project, Year 7(AL) completed a lesson on monoprinting. Using their line drawings they created images of their fish in both positive (as seen on the left) and negative form. Monoprinting usually only creates one print. However, with enough leftover ink on the plate it is possible to achieve the negative image, thus creating a second print. More of their wonderful results can be seen on the gallery page. A Level students have been hard at work completing their external (exam) tasks this term and they have had some great success. Students has challenged themselves to develop ideas that are complex and have tried to extend their skills by working in different materials. It is great to see elements of sculpture, painting and printmaking in their work. Aspects of installation and embroidery have also been used to create work that has a dialogue not only with the exam themes but also with the contemporary practice of other artists. Good luck to all on the remainder of their exams this year. |
AuthorMs. S. Key Archives
January 2016
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what's happening?
Our students are always working on developing new artwork that shows the development of their understanding, knowledge and making in art & design. The blog will help to keep you up to date with activities in the studio, trips and special events. If you are looking for more examples of student work then please visit the gallery page.