Visual Art News

What a busy (and messy) start we’ve had to term two! PAINT, PAINT, PAINT!!!! That’s the general vibe in Visual Art this term.

All grades have such fun colour mixing and starting to explore how white acts as a tone to lighten and black acts as a shade to darken colours. 

Senior students learned about Claude Monet and his life as a caricaturist when he was young. A visit to one of exhibitions by Boudin, who told Monet to put down the pencil and get outside into nature to explore colour and light, was life-changing for Monet. He went on to create the wonderful pieces we enjoy today; such as Water-Lillies. 

Junior students had such fun learning about how primary colours are the foundations for all other colours. There was much amazement in discovering and sharing such magical creations as PURPLE!!!! Our smallest students were using words like “teal!!!” and “violet!!!”. Their willingness to just have a go with paint is terrific to see. The ‘Growth Mindset’ is firmly established in the Art room.

As our Art program is based on “Teaching Artist Behaviours” or TAB, students are encouraged to make their own choices during art sessions. Junior students gradually receive a greater range of options according to their ability to organise and care for materials, clean up their work-space and move safely around the area. Mrs. Tulloch shares a picture book or some audio-visual material on the big screen, demonstrates a technique to students and then lists the choice of experiences set up around the room. This year, our smallest students have shown amazing maturity and have worked hard to earn the right to choose from a range of options in art learning time. This week, we have had a choice of painting, drawing with pastel crayon or graphite sketching. Some Junior students even spent time drawing outside in the Art Garden. 

Stay tuned for more painting discoveries next week!! 

Ginny Tulloch 😊