Skills

“Every skill you acquire doubles your odds of success.”  -Scott Adams, cartoonist

Not everything we do during our Visual Arts lessons is a work of Art.  We spend a lot of time practicing skills, learning techniques and experimenting with materials.

Skills fall into six main groups.

Drawing: using tools such as pencils, pens, pastels or charcoal to make marks.

Painting: applying paint or dye to a surface with brushes, rollers, hands, cardboard, branches… or an unlimited variety of other tools!

Collage: gluing materials to a surface.

Printing: applying paint or ink to one surface and pressing it onto another surface to transfer the image.

Sculpture: modelling with clay, plaster or similar materials, often over a framework, or armature.  

Construction: building or assembling a structure out of various materials.

Knowledge

“Why do two colors, put one next to the other, sing? Can one really explain this?” – Pablo Picasso

The elements and principles of Art are the building blocks, or ingredients, of a work of Art.  In the Visual Arts program we explore how artists use line, shape, colour, value, form, texture and space and the intent conveyed by balance, variety, contrast, pattern and movement in an artwork.

Creating

“Learn the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist.” – Pablo Picasso (attributed)

After practicing and exploring, students are encouraged to use what they have learned and discovered creatively to produce artworks that reflect their individual ideas, personality and style.  This may involve planning, problem-solving and choice of materials, and students are encouraged to think about how the work makes them feel.

Art Show

“A picture is worth a thousand words” –popular saying

The success of our Visual Art program can be measured in the high level of student engagement and, of course, by the wonderful artwork they produce.  Every alternate year this work is showcased in our bi-annual Art Show.