The Art Department Curriculum

Pupils will develop a range of work from the African Still Life using viewfinders to frame composition. Look at Schmidt-Rottluff and German Expressionists. Work tonally
in pastels, then paint in Acrylic.

Pupils will construct a vessel using extruded coils inspired by African domestic and decorative pottery.
They will look at the work of Magdelene Udundo (contemporary potter) and a full range of historical and modern ware. They will consider decoration to include additional modelled forms, carving, painted pattern and inlay. They will use red earthenware clay and coloured slips. Pupils will then work on a much larger collaborative vessel on the same theme.

Pupils will look at paintings of buildings by Piper and make a number of studies of local Architecture themselves on plain and prepared grounds. They will explore colour, texture and atmosphere.
One or more sustained pieces will result and pupils could carry one idea through as a drypoint print.

Pupils will construct individually designed ponds with water features, plant life and additional decoration. They will look at a wide range of traditional and contemporary pond design. They will use buff stoneware clay, glaze and broken glass.
They will then form mugs from rolled slabs of clay. Pattern will be achieved by pressing the clay into a variety of textured surfaces.

Pupils will draw from the still life and decide on an effective image to make into a lino print.
They observe light & shade to work out which areas will be black, white or hatched. They will trace design and transfer it on to lino in reverse using carbon paper, cut out white areas and print. They will also make ‘Ghost Prints’ colour in the white areas and then print a second time in black to get black & coloured images.

Pupils will construct a throne for a real or imaginary Monarch.
They will work with slabs of rolled clay and a template to assemble the back and seat. They will then add the legs and arms and decorate as appropriate with additional shapes and carving. They will use white stoneware clay and earthenware glazes.

Pupils will draw first in pencil and then ink pen from items in the display. They will practice images they like and try various compositions.
They will create coloured abstract backgrounds using ink on wet paper and draw their design on top.
They will develop a painting from these experiments.

Pupils will model life sized plates of food, savoury or sweet, from white earthenware clay. They will consider appropriate food combinations looking at international cuisine and glaze their work with bright earthenware colours.

Pupils will make decorated “African” calabashes using papier mache over balloons.
They will experiment with a number of designs and paint their chosen design onto their calabash.

Pupils will create “African” masks using buff stoneware clay. Starting with a basic face shape they will model the features using a variety of techniques including coiling and carving. Slips will be used to add colour along with bead earrings and raffia hair.
They will also create some finely modelled cup cake storage pots with white stoneware clay. These will be hollowed out and the icing will act as a lid.

Pupils have Art once a fortnight. They will draw from the still life, make polystyrene prints, make figures using modroc over wire armatures, collage figures and take rubbings, draw faces and paint flowers.

Pupils will make “Beaker People” pots using the pinch pot and coiling techniques. These will be decorated with impressed patterns.
As a continuation of their Egyptian studies they will model “Anubis” statues with buff stoneware clay. These will be coloured with earthenware glazes.