The Arts
Arts and Design Faculty Update
Oakleigh Grammar’s Arts and Design Department has a lot in store for its students this month. From Media to Food Technology, Drama and Theatre to Visual Arts, there are plenty of exciting opportunities for students to explore their creative talents and expand their skill sets.
VCE Top Screen for Media is one of the highlights of the department’s calendar. This is an exclusive event that showcases the best media productions by VCE students from across the state. The event will give our students the chance to witness the latest trends in media and learn from the work of their peers. Oakleigh Grammar’s media students will have the opportunity to discuss their own projects with other students and professionals and gain valuable insights into the world of media.
In Food Technology, students have been putting their culinary skills to the test by producing muffins and cookies. This activity is designed to help students develop their understanding of ingredients and their role in baking. The class also focused on the techniques involved in making muffins and cookies, such as measuring, mixing, and baking, and how to achieve the perfect texture and flavour.
In Year 10 Drama and Theatre studies, the focus this term has been set on set and prop design. Students are learning how to create believable and effective props and sets that enhance their performances. This process involves designing and constructing various elements such as backdrops and masks.
Students in Year 10 have been learning about Commedia dell’Arte as a theatrical genre. This is a style of theatre that originated in Italy during the Renaissance period and is characterised by the use of masks, physical comedy, and improvisation. Students have studied the history and conventions of Commedia dell’Arte, and have put on this knowledge into practise by creating their own performances.
Finally, in Visual Arts, students have been creating still life paintings. This is a common style in the world of Art and is an excellent way for students to learn about composition, colour, and form. The students have been challenged to create their own unique still-life artwork using fruit as inspiration, and working on refining their skills through careful observation and analysis.
The above activities are a testament to Oakleigh Grammar’s commitment to providing its students with a well-rounded education that fosters creativity and critical thinking. We can’t wait to see the exciting work that our students will produce and share their talents with the wider school community.
Nick Karakottas
Middle School Arts and Learning Leader
VCE Arts Academic Leader
Junior School Art
John Lubbock states,
“Art is unquestionably one of the purest and highest elements in human happiness. It trains the mind through the eye, and the eye through the mind. As the sun colours flowers, so does art colour life.”
The above quote resonates with our beliefs. Our young artists are enthusiastically indulging in the creative process. They are exploring materials, techniques and resources to express themselves in myriad ways.
Prep - Our budding artists had fun making mixed-media crazy hair portraits with sticks, patty pans, ribbons and multicoloured confetti tissue paper. They used their imagination, creativity and enjoyed putting the embellishments onto their art and craft projects. They also learned about the great Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci and his famous portrait ‘Monalisa’.
Grade 1- Students worked on a project titled ‘Houses’. They created mixed-media houses in which Art Element of ‘Texture’ was explored through use of icy-pole sticks, glitter and cotton wool. They are also being introduced to the great French artist Pierre- Auguste Renoir and his amazing artworks.
Grade 2- Students created dot-artworks using unconventional materials such as sticks and ear buds with acrylic paints. They experimented with warm and cool colours and practically explored contrasting colours in their art projects. The Australian contemporary artist, DrBronwyn Bancroft was their inspiration.
They are now working on a new theme ‘A Pirate Party.’ Their draft ideas are bursting with imagination!
Year 3- Students have completed an art project inspired by a contemporary Torres Strait Islander artist, Tatipai Barsa. They explored Art Elements and Principles, specially Lines, Form, Emphasis or Focal Point in their creations. Students completed 2D artworks on paper on the theme ‘Sea Creatures’ and are creating 3D turtles with air-dried clay.
Year 4- Students are diligently working on two art projects inspired by famous Australian artist, Margaret Preston. They are applying Art Elements and Principles of Colour, Form, Rhythm, Repetition and Pattern in artworks which are based on the theme ‘Birds in Habitat.’ The paper collage medium is being thoroughly explored with specific techniques.
Year 5- Students are learning about a contemporary Aboriginal artist Walangari Karntawarra and are developing confidence as well as skill in painting on a canvas with ‘flat and round’ brushes with acrylic paints. They are exploring a variety of colours and paint densities to create the desired effect on the theme, ‘The Rainbow Serpent’.
It is a delight to see the passion to create in our weekly art lessons. Their unique concepts and ideas are a visual delight! We celebrate our successes and ponder over our challenges during reflection sessions as we seek to continuously improve in our much-loved subject, Visual Art.
Senior School Art and Design
The Year 12 Art Creative Practice students are working on their body of work, where they are writing about their chosen artist, and analysing their art work and the techniques and processes that the artist applied to make their own work. Students began trialing and experimenting in different art forms as well as different materials, techniques and processes by exploring how their chosen artist created their artwork. The Year 12 Art students then presented their work to their peers as part of School Assessed Task as a critique to reflect upon the feedback they were given for their next steps looking into Outcome 2. Here are folio pages from Zoe Karkanis and Georgia Christofi.
The Year 12 Visual Communication and Design students have just finished their Outcome 1B: Environmental Design SAC, where they drew a floor plan and side elevation of a Balinese villa and one room as a planometric drawing. Students had to include specific dimension lines and labeling as part of their technical drawing specification for this SAC and were to include material swatches for their Balinese style room. Here are Kimheng Ngy’s drawings of his Balinese villi and bedroom.
The Year 10 Art Elective students have chosen a fruit to paint as realistic, abstract and microscope as part of their assessment this term. Here are their acrylic fruit paintings displayed in our Oakleigh Grammar Arts gallery.
The Year 7, 8 and 9 Visual Communication and Design Elective classes have been designing a brand logo for Jackson’s music company and a concert poster, CD cover, wrist band and ticket as part of their Summative Assessment task for the MYP. Here is Rheanna Rajesh’s designs from 7B, as she is designing for the musician and songwriter Selena Gomez.
The Arts and Design Teaching Team