Painting of Canterbury Landscapes

The Senior Syndicate are learning about painting techniques whilst focussing on Canterbury Landscapes. They are thinking about composition, focal points, how to portray the clarity of our skies and about artists who have painted the landscapes. Look out for them at the upcoming Fernside Garden Tour Art Exhibition.
Olivia painted this from a photograph.

Pastels, pencils and zentangles

Senior students have been learning how to use zentangles, pencil, blended pastels, dye, black and white  contrasting and perspective to create some cool designs.
Following some PD for the teachers, we learned how to use some cool pencils to draw designs over blended pastels. The end products are cool, but it is the huge amount of learning to use different tools and materials which has given the students a real buzz - and so much confidence in visual arts.
We hope you like some of our selections.
The first one is from Josh Campbell.

Bird Prints

In term 2 The senior School created contemporary prints of NZ native birds and how cool is it to see the NZ Commonwealth Games logo!

Watch out for our Art at the Fernside School Garden Tour.

Collage

Rooms 8, 9 & 10 have been creating works of ART by tearing and cutting paper.
Room 10 have also been using the keynote programme to create digital collages.

AT present the Senior Syndicate are working on their multi-material collages with an ANZAC theme.
Students have to show an understanding of composition and focal points as well as staying within a colour palette.
Collages are to include a poppy, weaving, frottage and different textures.

Room 10 have been using cut up photocopies of their torn paper collages to create other works. Please visit the collage page for example of these works. This was our first completed work by Sam S.

Long time reporting

It has been a long time since we posted on this blog so won't be surprised if no one even reads this.

19 students will have their work displayed at the Kaiapoi Art Expo in July. sat 21st, sun22nd 10am - 5pm. at Kaiapoi Club

Kerrin Hainsworth and Jade Gilbert have painted a giant book cover of "The Power of One" for the production tonight.
Much of our arts time this term has been channeled into our School Production.

Stylised art works from Years 7/8 Fernside School

Students spent time at Waikuku Beach to study the ecology and conservation of the sand dunes. They also practised surfing as part of experiencing a popular New Zealand recreational activity and learning to be safe in our coastal waters.

We used this experience to paint a photographed scene of Waikuku Beach, from the rivulets of tidal sand and the imposing sand dunes on the foreshore, to the distant Mt Grey and crisp but moody North Canterbury sky. The use of earthy muted tones and textural variation to represent the changes in the light, sand, grasses, scrub and forested slopes was emphasised.

After studying the work of New Zealand contemporary artist Miranda Jane Caird, the students used black vivid markers to define their stylised elements. 

Artists' responses to CHCH earthquake

Visit the new website www.articulate.org.nz where artists talk about their Quake experiences and their work post quake. It is interesting to note the effects on their art and their living arrangements.

This week the largest work of art on display in NZ is being installed in CHCH . It is by artist Darryn George and it hangs from the City COuncil building on Montreal Street.

After a wide range of artists' studies in term2, we are doing some activities to gain a taste of Surrealist Art as well as learning how to design and create successful posters for PREP. This will involve collage, paint, layout, lettering, computer skills etc.
In week 2 we have Artist Quilliam Collister visiting Fernside School. Quilliam does pencil drawings and watercolour paintings so we eagerly await his time with us. I am also copying a picture of a winning chch recovery flag design run by a radio station. What do you think of it?

Cardboard textured mono prints

Following the traumatic experiences and images of the February earthquake our students wrote about them, and the rebuilding of Christchurch. They have also created cardboard mono prints depicting an image that was meaningful to them, or one that showed recovery. Plants were depicted as part of that recovery. Please enjoy some of our prints. Next term will see the publication of our work in book form.

This week the students have created some stunning prints from their wood cuts. Their results are worth seeing as they have  mastered overprinting techniques with very few cut fingers acquired along the way. Parents, please ask your children for a sample.