Visual Arts - National Art School

National Art School's Art Intensive 3 Unit HSC Course

During both the Christmas and Easter summer holidays, Year 12 students Oliver Stephens, Mia Underwood and Ruby Pierce were selected via their impressive portfolios to attend the National Art School's Art Intensive 3 Unit HSC Course in Darlinghurst. The course allowed students to choose from a range of different artistic disciplines such as life drawing, sculpture, black and white photography and painting. 

Surrounded by other like-minded HSC Visual Arts students, the two weeks were an excellent opportunity for students to experience life at an art school and build on their own artistic practice in their chosen field.  

Lasting for nine days in total across the two holiday breaks, the NAS Course gave students a chance to drill down into their chosen medium and build on skills they have learnt throughout high school. 

Mia and Oliver took part in one of the life drawing classes. For the students, experiencing life drawing was brilliant. They had the chance to gain valuable technical drawing and observing skills and work intensively with a teacher from the National Art School throughout the totality of the course. By the end of the two weeks, they had experimented and explored a variety of different mediums, scales and styles. 

Ruby took part in one of the sculpture classes, which was equally rewarding. Ruby finished the course with a completed sculpture which is now on exhibition in the Art and Design foyer at BMGS. A large cubist sculpture made out of cardboard . surfaced and painted. 

For all involved the course was a unique opportunity to experience working at an Art School and greatly assisted them in the continuation of their technical skill development in the lead up to the submission of their HSC body of work. 

At the conclusion of the course was a student exhibition where parents and friends were invited to view all works produced throughout the course. This was a great opportunity to view the creativity, ingenuity and skill of a range of different students across the New South Wales. 

Overall, the National Art Intensive Program was a great taster for life in an art school and an invaluable chance for students to build their own artistic practice while still in Secondary School. 

Mrs Sally Herron

Head of Visual Arts