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Our Specialist Art Teacher: Ms Hannah Mundy
Creative opportunities at Oakfield Academy: Art & Design
At Oakfield Academy, we aim to instil a lifelong love of art and creativity in our pupils. Art is not only a vehicle for self-expression; it can also help to build self-esteem, self-confidence and give pupils a sense of ambition and hope for a fulfilling future.
Over the course of a 4-year curriculum, Oakfield pupils learn a range of skills and knowledge including:
- The language skills and essential knowledge to be able to discuss and analyse art – their own work and that of other artists.
- How to work with a wide range of mediums, for example: paint, print-making, clay and mod-roc; collage, photography and more.
- To have a bank of knowledge of a range of artists and movements across time and place. Within each project or unit, pupils will learn about an artist and are then encouraged to explore their own creativity based on the medium or meaning of the work of that artist. At Oakfield, pupils are free to experiment and take risks with their ideas.
- We are always working to improve the curriculum by working with other subjects. Next academic year, Computing and art will work together on a photography unit. Science and art will come together to enhance pupils’ knowledge of colour theory. Art and drama collaborate regularly with set design.
- Alongside an exciting and varied curriculum, pupils are given opportunities to enter local and national art competitions, such as the Black Swan Young Open and the Frome Town Hall Christmas card competition.
- The art department runs clubs for our ambitious young artists, including a KS3 specialist art club and a lunchtime comic club.
- Frome is a thriving creative hub, with many artists and other creatives choosing to live here. This is wonderful for the Academy, as we have been able to invite local artists to the Academy, for a range of purposes: to create lanterns for the Frome Lantern Parade; artwork for the local ‘Window Wanderland’ event; or, creating collaborative murals to brighten up the school.
- We are lucky to have Hauser & Wirth commercial gallery nearby; this well-known international organisation celebrates and supports local schools: we aim to hold regular trips to enhance pupils’ knowledge of contemporary art, and to help them better understand that there are many career opportunities in art & design.
Art & Design Documents
Oakfield Academy celebrates effort and ambition in art. This week's artwork was produced in art lessons, at home and at our Specialist Art club:
2023/2024
One Love Drama Production
Well done to members of the art club, who created a vibrant, imaginative set to support the recent 'One Love' drama production. Next year, there will be an art/ set design club - more information to follow. Thank you to:
Patrick Puletson 6A - font
Imogen Speddings 7O - heart
Rose Scott 7O - mushroom
Bea Baylis 7A - giant mushroom
One Love production
Year 7 Gaudi Project
Year 7 - Gaudi project
This term, year 7 pupils have been learning about the Spanish architect, Antoni Gaudi. They began the project by creating a beautiful research page, containing facts about Gaudi's life, as well as reflecting his love of organic forms by including collage and observed natural objects. I was impressed by pupils' thoughtful application of colour and shape, and their creative use of wax resist technique. The next step of the project is to create a clay piece
inspired by Gaudi's architectural features, focusing on shape, form and colour.
Imogen Speddings 7O, Amber Hunter-Evans 7O, Ivy Sledge 7O, Ethel Downes 7N, Minty Mitchard 7N, Jess Curtis 7S, Tasha Ping 7C, Jacob Cowler 7N &
Rosie Milkins 7A
Gaudi
Year 8 Printmaking - Linocuts
This term, year 8 worked on printmaking techniques. Pupils began by experimenting with mark-making into poly-tiles, producing simple, single-colour monoprints. After this, they created a range of linocut designs inspired by the work of Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein. Linoprint is a challenging printmaking method; I was impressed by pupils' perseverance and determination to complete the various stages involved in the process, as well as their interesting experiments with colour. Please enjoy the work of the following pupils:
Linocuts
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Year 5 Observational drawings
This term, year 5 pupils have been focusing on observational drawing: they have been taught to study an object carefully and draw what they see. Pupils applied their prior knowledge of mark-making techniques to create interesting and beautiful drawings. Ms Thomas and Ms Higgins selected the following pupils' observations of peppers as examples that demonstrate effort and ambition in art. Well done to:
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Logan Ladd 5C, Alice Humphreys 5N,Joseph Prochazka 5C,Lexi-May Joyce 5N, & Chase Parker 5N
observational drawings
Ambitious Artists Year 5
Oakfield Artists of the Week - Year 5
This week, we are celebrating ambitious artists in year 5. Pupils have been mark-making on clay to create these beautifully designed 'Hamsa' hands (Hamsa, or 'khamsa', means 'five' in Arabic). Thank you to the following pupils for sharing their excellent examples:
Max Baily 5S/FLG, Miles Harper 5S, Lacey Jean Stelcel 5A, Archie Campbell-Brooks 5A, Ramesa Khan 5A, Marcella Saye 5R, Ottilie Timms 5R, Ocean Bowker-Ghey 5R, Hannah Murphy-Gay 5S
A special mention to Aiden Kennedy 6R, who produced a wonderful piece of independent work, based on the Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama:
Ambitious Artists Year 5
Window Wonderland Feb 24
Frome 'Window Wanderland' is a fun community festival, where anyone in Frome can make a display in their windows for the public to view throughout the coming weekend (Friday 1 – 3 March 2024). Please visit the Window Wanderland website to access the map so you can plan your route and take part in the walk.
https://www.windowwanderland.com/event/frome-2024/
At Oakfield, our Wanderland windows celebrate our upcoming play, ‘Macbeth’, which is taking place on 20 March. Congratulations to year 6, who all took part to create a collaborative piece at the front of the school - please check out the drama studio windows, as well as the windows further along the block.
Here are some examples of pupils’ work (but they will look even better if you view them in the evening, on your Wanderland walk!). Special thanks to Thomas and Sam, who helped me put up the work, as well as working on the giant murals.
Thomas Higgins 6R
Sam Incledon 6R
Florence Andrews 6R
Isla Castle 6O
Window Wonderland
Oakfield Celebrates Ambitions Artists
'Ambition' is a core concept of Oakfield's Infinity Curriculum. Practice makes perfect in any skill; pupils who keep a sketchbook, or produce art at home, will have an advantage when they move onwards in their art education. It is a pleasure to get to see the artwork that Oakfield pupils have produced at home or in our art club. This week, I would like to celebrate the following pupils, who demonstrate ambition in art:
- Bea Baylis 7A
- Imogen Speddings 7O
- Elsabeth Harper 7O
- Scarlett Kotyrba 7N
- Ethel Downes 7N
- Louie Nicholls 8O
Ambitious Artists
Year 6 Focussing on art form : Artist Yayio Kusama
This term, year 6 pupils have been focusing on the wonderful work of the female Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama: she is famous for her vibrant sculptures and 'infinity room' installations (where the whole room or space is an immersive artwork). Within the unit, pupils have been working with the elements colour, texture and form. I look forward to showing you their clay sculptures in a few weeks' time - in the meantime, I hope you enjoy pupils' drawings, which are based on Kusama's giant flower sculptures.
Special mention to year 7 pupils: Tye Coates, Indigo Dixon and Zoja Biela-Claire.
Year 7 were given an extended homework: an 'animal/self-portrait' task to support understanding of portrait structure and proportions. Congratulations to Tye, Indigo and Zoja, who worked hard to produce high quality artwork in their own time.
Yayoi Kusama
Colour and Composition ; Georgia O'Keeffe
This term, year 8 pupils have been focusing on colour and composition: learning how to mix colours effectively and how to fill a space in a beautiful way in a work of art. To support their learning, they have been studying the work and life of the American artist, Georgia O'Keeffe. She loved natural forms and spent much of her life in the wilderness of New Mexico, painting what she saw; some of her favourite subjects were flowers, bones and landscape.
In their sketchbooks, year 8s have worked on observational paintings of animal skulls and flowers - the skills focus was on colour mixing and creating an interesting composition.
Colour and Composition
Value Depth & Luminosity
This term, year 8 pupils have been focusing on the element of ‘value’: how to create an effect of depth and luminosity in a work of art. They also worked on balanced composition: the careful placement of the subject or objects within a work of art. The pupils’ final assessed piece was an observational study of seashells. Pupils selected an effective composition, produced a line drawing in their sketchbooks, and finally, enlarged their drawings using a grid technique. Using charcoal as their medium, their final focus was on creating a ‘high value’ piece of work, through the use of a full range of tints (highlights) and shades (dark tones). I hope you enjoy these examples.
Early Graffiti & pop artist Keith Haring
Oakfield Academy celebrates effort and ambition in art. This week's year 6 pupils have been working in the style of the early graffiti and pop artist, Keith Haring. The study of known artists helps our pupils to gain inspiration, develop technical skills and understand more about the history of art.
Also included today, two pieces of art from our specialist art club:
Graffiti & pop artist Keith Haring
Lantern Making Oct 23
Frome Light the Night is led by artists Mel Day and Aliss Vaas. They have been running the Frome Lantern Parade since 2017, supported by Frome Town Council. On Thursday, Oakfield pupils from years 7 and 8 were invited to take part in one of their annual lantern workshops, at the Academy. This year’s parade theme is ‘Ice’ and our pupils made giant penguins. It was a fantastic day - pupils were creative, engaged and produced beautiful work. Please come to the centre of Frome on Friday 24 November to see our pupils represent Oakfield Academy at the parade.
For more information: https://www.discoverfrome.co.uk
Lantern Workshops
Halloween Oct 23
WhooOOOOOoooo... Happy Halloween from the Art department! These pieces were created independently at home or in the Specialist Art club.
Frankie 7O - Halloween hands , Jessica 7R - Graveyard scene, Ivy - Halloween Designs , Holly 8S - Skull, Ayla 7S - Ink and paint hand, Millie 8S - Crime scene, Alfie 7S - Halloween cats.
Art Halloween
Year 8 Pupils Oct 23
Year 8 has been focusing on 'value': how to create a sense of depth and luminosity in a work of art, and composition: how artists might consider placement of subject or objects within a work of art.
Year 8 Art Values
2022/2023
Year 7 pupils June 23
As part of activity week, local Potter Kim Burchill has been working with year 7 pupils to create ceramics for the wall of their ‘ maple quad’. Inspired by the maple tree and using its leaves as templates all pupils have created a leaf which will be used as part of a group piece of art work to be put up later once the pieces has been glazed and fired.
Clay Activites
Year 6 Pupils April 23
Year 6 pupils designing art work with artist Mel Day to be sold to raise money for for the counselling charity We Hear You (WHY) Work was exhibited at the Silk Mill in the ‘6x6 community’ exhibition.
Silk Mill Community Exhibition
We wanted to say a huge thank you to the Oakfield students, teachers and families for their involvement with the 6x6 exhibition last month! Laura Holden Manager of the Why Gallery.
Tutor group 7N created some amazing portraits around the themes; The Commonwealth Countries, British Food, British Brands, British Landmarks, the NHS, the Royal Family and their animals.
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