by Martha C. Z. Bayliss, MYP Arts teacher -

Some of you may have noticed the amazing artwork on display in the Atrium of our Lakeside campus this week. Over the past semester, our Grade 9 and 10 students have been exploring different aspects of the Visual Arts. This is the culmination of the talent and passion of those students.

Our Grade 9 students began the year studying biomorphic form (artistic design elements taken from naturally occurring patterns or shapes reminiscent of nature and living organisms) and the art of Beatriz Milhazes and Terry Winters. These are two painters who explore biometric form in very different ways and use paint to express their vision. The students researched the artists and their styles which helped to inform their compositions and influence their multi-media painting. They explored different media techniques such as watercolour and acrylic paint, collage, ink, pencil and charcoal drawing. They worked on observational drawing from life, and “zoomed in” on organic form and their explorations were recorded in their Process Journals, which constitute an integral piece of the MYP Arts curriculum. These paintings and journal pages showcase their research, explorations, experimentations, and reflections on their work throughout the unit.

The Grade 10 students’ Unit, “The Digital Age” was an exploration of technological development and how people’s lives change and evolve as a result. The students learnt technical drawing skills, using one, two, and three point perspective to create observational drawings that would later inform their pieces. In addition, architecture and photography were integrated into mixed-media art pieces that explored perspective, scale, and multiple viewpoints.

Taking inspiration from the artists Ian Francis, Stephen Bush, and Amelie von Wulffen, students were tasked with applying these famous styles and techniques to create their final pieces. The pieces needed to make statements about the evolution of technology.

The charcoal self-portraits that were included in the showcase, were designed are representations of the “Cultural Identities” Grade 9 Unit, which led students to explore ideas of identity and culture while developing drawing and digital manipulation skills.

The Grade 10 unit, “The Human Condition” requires students to use found objects and create an assemblage sculpture that makes a statement about their perceptions of the human condition.

The quality and depth of talent displayed by our Grade 9 and Grade 10 Visual Arts students are unquestionable!

1 of 35