Art and Design

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up. " Pablo Picasso

Art, craft and design is all around us in the world from gardens to fashion, architecture to sculpture, illustrations in books and much more. At our school we teach the children how to develop visual perception and language in order to make sense of the world. Children are encouraged to explore, experiment and investigate different ways of working. Our children become aware of the breadth of art, craft and design. Through our curriculum our art is given a context and therefore becomes meaningful. These range from the natural to the man-made world, memories, imagination, observations, art and design from the past, our culture and other cultures.

"I dream my paintings and I paint my dream." Vincent Van Gogh

Knowledge about Art

Children will gain knowledge about the different processes involved in art, for example which tools and materials to use and how to take care of them. Key vocabulary is taught during the lesson to develop children’s language, such as texture, portrait, printing etc. As children become used to looking at the work of artists, they will develop a more rigorous understanding of how artists work and apply their knowledge to their own work. They will also learn about where the artists live and when they lived. Children are inspired by the artwork of famous artists and begin to think critically and reflect on how this knowledge will affect the creation of their own art work.

"Creativity takes courage." Henri Matisse

Making Art

There are some basic processes that underpin art activities at our school. These are:

• Rough drawing and sketching

• Making design drawings

• Experimenting with materials and techniques

• Using a sketchbook to record ideas

• Making careful drawings from observation

• Working in colour with pastels, crayons pens etc

• Working in colour with paint

• Using clay

• Working with fabrics and threads

• Using computing to aid design

Some activities, like drawing might happen weekly, some less frequently. Different approaches will also be used in the classroom, such as working individually, in pairs or collaboratively in a group.

"A life spent making mistakes is not only more honourable, but more useful than a life doing nothing" George Bernard Shaw

Investigating

Developing visual perception is essential, not only to art but to English, Science, Maths and all other areas of the curriculum. Investigating produces the initial ideas which children use to engage in the art-making process. Our children can explore and experiment and try out new ideas-with some surprises. Children challenge themselves to invent new applications for different tools and mediums.

Throughout their time at our school, our children will develop their knowledge and skills through eight formal elements of art. These are:

• Shape
• Pattern
• Colour
• Form
• Tone
• Space
• Texture
• Line and Mark

BWIS Framework for Art and Design

Progression of Skills