Year 4 students have had a strong focus on practicing skills of observation in Visual Art this year. It’s really important to gain skills and confidence at this age when children begin to become critical of their artistic abilities and have a stronger impulse to create realistic images. Students learn that artists are not necessarily aiming for a perfect reproduction of the world around them, but a likeness, shaped by their individual experience.
We commenced drawing objects arranged as a Still Life, grouped in different themes of ‘Sport’, ‘Music’, ‘Reading’ and ‘Tea Time’. Seated around the table, students come to realise that everyone sees things from a unique perspective. The term ‘Still Life’ comes from the Dutch word ‘stilleven’, meaning ‘quiet life’. Students examined this genre all the way back to ancient Egyptian and Roman paintings and 15th Century Dutch paintings, through to the works of modern artists such as the Cubists. Students developed their A2 contour drawings further adding collage and watercolour painting.
Year 4s are currently working on stylised bird sculptures, after a focused session of drawing taxidermy bird specimens on loan from the Australian Museum. We can’t wait to see what fantastical birds the gluey mess of papiér mâché turns into!
Ann McDermott
Junior School Specialist Teacher (Visual Arts)
