Art

This week, our students explored the fascinating world of Pablo Picasso and learned about the artistic style known as Cubism.

During the lesson, we talked about how Picasso liked to “break” the usual way we see faces and objects. Instead of drawing a face in the traditional way, Cubist artists experiment with different angles and shapes, showing multiple viewpoints at the same time.

Students began by exploring how facial features such as the eyes, nose, and mouth can be placed in unusual positions. Using foam board shapes, they experimented with arranging these features in different ways, creating playful and imaginative Picasso-inspired faces.

Next, the children drew their own portraits on paper, trying out the idea of breaking and rearranging facial features just like Picasso did.

To extend the activity further, students also painted Cubist-style faces on small stones. This allowed them to explore shape, colour, and composition on a different surface while continuing to experiment with abstract facial designs.

Through these activities, the children began to understand that art does not always need to look realistic. Instead, it can be creative, expressive, and full of imagination.

By the end of the lesson, students developed a deeper appreciation of Picasso’s unique approach to art and gained confidence in experimenting with new and unconventional ways of creating portraits.

This week, our Year 3–4 students began a new unit exploring the artworks of Camille Pissarro.

During the lesson, we looked at a variety of Pissarro’s paintings and learned more about Impressionism. Students spent time carefully observing the artworks and sharing what they noticed. We encouraged them to describe the scenes, colours, light, and atmosphere in detail, and it was wonderful to hear how thoughtful and observant their responses were. Many students made surprisingly detailed comments about the mood of the paintings, the direction of light, and the small elements within the landscapes.

After our discussion, students selected a painting they particularly liked and began creating their own sketches based on the artwork. They focused on identifying the main shapes and composition, preparing their drawings for the next stage of the project.

Next week, students will begin adding watercolour, building layers of colour to bring their paintings to life. I am very excited to see how their artworks develop.

I am also sharing photos of the Degas-inspired artworks that students completed during the previous lessons on Edgar Degas.

This week, students explored the artworks of Spanish artist Eva Armisen and shared the feelings and thoughts they experienced while viewing her paintings. At the beginning of the lesson, students first learned about contemporary art. Contemporary art refers to art created by artists who are working in the present time and often reflects modern life, emotions, and everyday experiences. Through this introduction, students were able to understand contemporary art as “art that expresses the stories of our time.”

We then looked closely at the expressions and atmosphere of the characters in Eva Armisen’s paintings, discussing the warm and charming qualities that are characteristic of her work. Students also talked about how everyday emotions such as family, love, and happiness are represented in her paintings.

After the discussion, students selected one of Eva Armisen’s artworks that they liked and recreated it in their own way. For this activity, they worked on large canvases using acrylic paint, focusing on the distinctive facial expressions and the bright, warm colours that are often seen in the artist’s work.

Students thoughtfully chose their own colours and carefully expressed the characters’ facial expressions as they developed their paintings. They showed excellent focus and enthusiasm throughout the lesson, exceeding expectations with their effort and engagement. Through this activity, students had a meaningful opportunity to appreciate an artwork and extend its ideas into their own creative expression.

This week, our Year 7–9 students continued developing their AI hamburger brand advertising project by focusing on video production and presentation.

Students worked on combining the short promotional clips they created last week into a complete sequence, turning their ideas into a cohesive brand advertisement. They also added brief explanations to introduce their brand concepts, helping viewers understand their creative choices, brand identity, and visual inspiration.

Through this process, students learned how to organise video sequences, connect scenes smoothly, and communicate their ideas more clearly.

Some students have already completed their final video advertisements, and their results are truly amazing. It has been wonderful to see how confidently they presented their brands and transformed their ideas into engaging promotional videos.

A few students are still finalising their projects and will complete them soon.

Well done to everyone for their hard work and enthusiasm throughout this project.
I will be sharing some of the students’ video advertisements soon.

Our Year 1–2 children continued their exploration of the bold and energetic world of Keith Haring — but this time in three dimensions.

Using clay, students created their own Keith Haring–inspired figures, transforming his simple, dynamic characters into sculptural forms. They focused on strong outlines, active poses, and clear shapes, thinking carefully about how to show movement and emotion through form. It was exciting to see the children bring familiar figures to life in a tactile and hands-on way.

Working with clay also helped them develop fine motor skills, spatial awareness, and an understanding of form and structure. After completing their clay sculptures, we began a new unit introducing portrait art inspired by Pablo Picasso.

Students explored how Picasso experimented with facial features, shape, and perspective.

We discussed how portraits do not always need to look realistic and how artists can rearrange eyes, noses, and mouths to express different feelings and ideas.

It has been a wonderful week of creativity, exploration, and artistic growth as students moved from pop art sculpture to expressive portrait drawing.

I look forward to seeing their imaginative Picasso-inspired portraits develop in the coming lessons.

This week, our Year 3–4 students continued their exploration of the artworks of Edgar Degas, with a focus on his famous ballerina paintings.

Building on last week’s pastel work, students were introduced to charcoal as a new medium.

They carefully observed Degas’ ballerina compositions and recreated the figures using charcoal, paying close attention to pose, balance, and movement.

Through this process, students explored how charcoal can create strong contrast, expressive lines, and dramatic shading. They practised blending and smudging techniques to build depth and atmosphere, discovering how light and shadow help bring the dancer’s form to life.

It was wonderful to see students becoming more confident with observational drawing while also experimenting boldly with texture and tone. Their artworks beautifully capture the elegance and motion found in Degas’ ballerinas.

I am so very proud of their focus and artistic growth this week.

This week, our Year 5–6 students explored expressive figure drawing inspired by Jean Jullien.

We began by observing his artwork and discussing its key characteristics: simple body shapes, minimal facial details, bold and flat colours, and strong, exaggerated poses. Students learned that powerful movement does not require complicated details — simple shapes can be full of energy and expression.

Using one large piece of paper, students carefully drew a full figure with the head, body, arms, and legs connected as one continuous shape. Instead of cutting separate parts, they cut the entire figure in one piece. They then bent, rolled, twisted, and folded the paper to create movement and action. Through this process, students discovered how paper itself can create energy and form.

Finally, they added very simple facial features with a marker, keeping the focus on pose and movement rather than detail.

Throughout the lesson, students showed good focus and creativity. It was wonderful to see their flat paper figures come alive through bending and sculpting.

Well done to our Year 5–6 students for their imaginative and expressive work this week.

This week, our Year 7–9 students completed their exciting hamburger brand advertising project using AI tools.

After developing their brand concepts and designing promotional posters inspired by famous artworks, students printed their final designs and transformed them into large-scale posters. Seeing their digital ideas brought to life in a physical format was a proud and rewarding moment for them.

In addition, students extended their learning by creating short promotional videos featuring their own brand concepts combined with elements inspired by well-known art pieces. They learned how to structure visual storytelling, select key images, and present their brand identity in a dynamic and engaging way.

Throughout the project, students demonstrated excellent creativity, independence, and decision-making skills. They not only used AI as a practical tool, but explored it as a creative medium to communicate their ideas visually. It was wonderful to see their confidence grow as they experimented with design, composition, and digital media.

Well done to all students for their enthusiasm and impressive work this week.

This week, the Year 1-2 children continued learning about Keith Haring and explored his well-known Barking Dog image. We looked at different versions of the artwork together, talked about what we see, and shared ideas about sound, movement, and feelings in the picture.

Children then created their own drawings inspired by the barking dog, experimenting with bold outlines, simple shapes, and bright colours. In the remaining time, they decorated take-out cups using various Keith Haring–style figures they have learned so far, expressing their own moods and personalities.

Through this activity, the Year 1-2 children practiced observation, imagination, and self-expression while enjoying a fun and energetic introduction to pop art styles.

This week, the Year 3-4 students continued learning about Edgar Degas and spent more time exploring and expressing his artworks.

They selected a Degas painting, cut out a chosen section, and then extended the remaining area by drawing their own continuation, combining observation with creativity.

Students also practiced coloring with soft pastels using a blending and smudging technique, which helped them create smooth transitions and soft textures similar to Degas’ style.

It was a meaningful session of experimentation and artistic expression, and we are excited to see the finished artworks next week.