Visual Art 

Arte Visual 

Foundation

This term, our Foundation students have been revisiting collage by practising their cutting and pasting skills while also reinforcing their Spanish vocabulary. During these sessions, they’ve been labelling the materials they use and confidently asking for items such as papel, tijeras and pegamento. As part of this unit, students created a miniature suburb using coloured paper and Melways maps of our local environment. These wonderful creations will be unveiled during the Art Show in October — so stay tuned!

This week, our lovely Foundation students explored clay for the first time at Newlands Primary School. They were encouraged to manipulate this new medium using simple techniques such as rolling, flattening, and pressing. In doing so, they expanded their Spanish art vocabulary, learning the words arcilla (clay) and herramientas (tools). Students practised shaping their clay into a family member or an object of their choosing with impressive results!

Grade 1/2

Our supremely talented Grade 1/2s have been preparing for the Art Show by creating auto retratos (self-portraits), inspired by the artwork of Amedeo Modigliani. As part of this unit, students explored how Modigliani used lines and shapes in his portraits. Using mirrors to observe their features, they drew themselves with large oval faces, almond-shaped eyes, L-shaped noses, and elongated necks, thereby echoing Modigliani’s unique style. They then used oil pastels to bring their portraits to life, experimenting with blending, smudging, and colouring techniques.

This week, the students began their puppet-making unit by designing a box puppet. After exploring a variety of examples made by other children, they planned their designs, thinking about the placement of facial features, the materials they'd use and the appropriate box size. In the coming weeks, they’ll bring their designs to life as they construct their cardboard puppets.

* If you have any spare socks or small cardboard boxes that can be taped up and closed, we’d love your help! Please drop them off at the office in the labelled tub. Thank you so much!

Grade 3/4

At the start of the term, the Grade 3/4s continued working on their Soy Yo papier-mâché busts — a creative project representing themselves. We discussed the difference between 2D and 3D artworks, as well as the types of papier-mâché glue available. Students used both commercial 'clag' and homemade glue, learning to apply paper strips smoothly around the armatures they built last term.

During the last fortnight, students have explored the properties of clay during recent double sessions. Together, we reviewed key clay techniques, focusing especially on the importance of properly scoring, slipping, and smoothing when attaching details; a skill they practised with great care and enthusiasm.

Grade 5/6

This term, our brilliantly industrious Grade 5/6s have been working on two major projects. They began by completing their beautiful dry felting artworks, and they will soon collaborate on a miniature parklands or wetlands installation inspired by Merri Creek.

Currently, students are creating clay casitas (little houses). They’ve learned how to use templates and follow plans to create the base of their houses. Building on their previous experience, they’ve refined their clay skills, especially in joining slabs using the score, slip, and smooth technique. They also learned how to tidy up the “seams” using clay tools to give their houses a more polished, professional finish.