Art
We have designed a diverse, skills-based curriculum to ensure that students have opportunities to progress using a variety of mediums and techniques throughout their time at Riversides School.
Students will study an array of artists from the likes of Picasso, Van Gogh and Sarah Biffin to artists who are alive today, including Kenturah Davis and Jack Kabangu.
There will be a focus on the seven elements of art through the entire curriculum and students will progress in skills including drawing, painting, sculpture, collage, photography and textiles.
Autumn 1
P1 started the year by using their drawing skills to answer the question: Who is your hero?
Students started by considering who their heroes are and by representing them through sketching, symbols and collage.
Students were then introduced to artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and his theme of crowns in his work. Students also were able to practice their oil pastel skills in preparation for their final art piece in which the students used oil pastel and paint to create layers in a self-portrait. They were encouraged to add symbols and doodles to represent what we couldn’t see from their self-portrait.
Autumn 1
To begin the year, P2 released their inner monsters to explore a variety of mediums.
Students first explored work by Linzi Henry – an artist known for her urban-scapes using primarily colouring pencils. Students then practiced using colouring pencils to create different shades of a colour, before using these skills to create a monster collage.
Next students had a go at ‘blobbing’ ink to create monsters, before being set the challenge of using paint without a paint brush.
Students then expanded their work by using recycled materials, pumpkins and clay to create even more menacing monsters!
Autumn 1
To begin the year, primary 3 focused on line drawing.
They explored work by David Hockney and had a go at evaluating some of his famous pieces.
They then moved on to exploring different mediums such as fine line pens and charcoal.
For their final piece, students created pen drawings of masks, linking to our topic of Ancient Egypt.
Autumn 2
This half term P1 investigated boats in preparation to design and create their own floating boat.They began by conducting experiments to find out which materials were waterproof and whether materials would sink or float in water. The students make predictions, conducted the experiment and then recorded their answer.
Students then learnt about the different features of a boat and their functions before using recycled materials to create their own boat. They then tested them to see if they would float – and they all did!
Autumn 2
P3 began their year in design by investigating levers and sliders before making their own.
They began by identifying levers and sliders in the environment around them and gaining an understanding of how they move.
They then designed their own to make from paper, based on the theme of animals.
Autumn 2
P3 started their first Design and Technology module by designing and making a mobile phone case.
They began by evaluating existing phone cases; asking whether they were functional and appealingand then identifying who they might be aimed at and the qualities of a good phone case.
Students then were given three case studies to find the perfect phone case for.
Students were then invited to design their own phone case using felt and had time over a few lessons to make them, giving them an opportunity to work on their stitching skills, overcome any difficulties and then evaluate their final phone cases.
Students were then able to keep their cases, or gift them as a Christmas present.
Autumn 1
To begin the year, year 7 looked to answer the question: What is a line?
They began experimenting by drawing lines to represent music, exploring different marks they could make and creating shapes using string.
They then explored the work of Dame Zaha Hadid, a pioneering architect who pushed the boundaries of what her buildings could be. This led them to continuous line drawings: they used the landscape outside, the windows and a sheet of clear plastic to create their own continuous line drawings.
Next, they looked at Christa Rijenveld, an illustrator who is best known for her line drawings of mountains. Taking inspiration from Rijenveld, students had a go at creating their own mountain drawings using lines to fill the space.
Finally, students used all the skills and techniques they learnt throughout Autumn 1 to create their final piece: a landscape drawn from one continuous line.
Throughout Autumn 1 the students were also introduced to annotating and evaluating both their own work and art by other artists.
Autumn 2
In Autumn 2, year 7 investigated: What does it mean to be an individual?
They began by creating mood boards to answer the question, who am I?
They then moved onto to explore the work of AI WeiWei, a contemporary, Chinese artist. Students evaluated his installation ‘Sunflower Seeds’ – made from 100,000,000 hand-crafted porcelain sunflower seeds. The students then had a go at replicating these seeds by carving into thick paint.
After experimenting with bars of soap and different tools, the students then moved onto designing and carving a piece of soap to express their individuality.
The term finished by looking at some of the sculptures created by Anthony Gormley and having a go at creating their own person-based sculpture using clay.
Throughout Autumn 2 the students built upon annotating and evaluating both their own work and art by other artists.
Autumn 1
To begin the year, year 8 looks to answer the question: How do artists use paint?
They begin by experimenting to see what types of marks they can make by using different tools and mediums, before exploring the work of disabled artist Sarah Biffin. Biffin was born without any arms and went on to become a successful miniature artist. The students experiment making marks with paint without being able to use their hands.
Students then move onto replicating the texture of a feather using paint – feathers appear in some of Biffin’s most famous works. Students gain an understanding of how hard it is to replicate the texture of a feather when able to use their arms, considering the fact that Biffin had to use her mouth to control the paint brush.
Students then explore the work of African finger painter Jack Kabangu, experimenting making marks using their fingers before completing an abstract self-portrait in the style of Kabangu.
Finally, students are introduced to the work of Russell Powell, a hand-print painter. Powell creates his art by using his hand as a canvas for painting intricate portraits before printing them onto paper. Students have the opportunity to create their own hand-printed portrait – for those not wishing to get messy, they can make a Styrofoam hand to complete the print.
Throughout year 8 students are encouraged to continue to develop their skills in evaluation and annotation.
Autumn 2
In Autumn 2, year 8 explored the question: Who was Pablo Picasso?
This formed part of a module on sculpture, using Picasso’s lesser-known skill as a sculptor for inspiration.
Students started by designing and making an abstract face from cardboard – using the shapes and colour in Picasso’s cubism style.
Students were then introduced to some of Picasso’s abstract 3D artwork. They had a o at evaluating these with their thoughts before designing their own which they then spent the rest of the term making out of recycled materials and mod-roc.
Throughout Autumn 2 the students built upon annotating and evaluating both their own work and art by other artists.
Autumn 1
To begin the year, year 9 looks to answer the question: What can a portrait say about us?
They begin by investigating some famous portraits to see what they can tell about the subject from the painting, before having a go at drawing their own portrait from feeling their face – no mirrors allowed!
Students then move to look at how text can be used within a portrait to offer more information. Students are introduced to mixed media artist Kenturah Davis whose work features a combination of text and mark making to create self-portraits, often on a large scale.
The students investigate text and how to create it from different mediums before finally spending time across multiple lessons creating a portrait broken down into squares and complemented with text.
Throughout year 9 students are encouraged to continue to develop their skills in evaluation and annotation.
Autumn 2
In Autumn 2, year 9 were asked the question: What is print making?
They were introduced to some of the techniques in printmaking and looked at some of these methods in practice by artist Delita Martin.
We incorporated the Mexican festival ‘All Souls’ Day’, or ‘Day of the Dead’. Students looked at sugar skull art by Thaneeya McArdle before designing their own sugar skull.
After experimenting with carving and printing with Styrofoam, the students then used their sugar skull designs to create final prints.
Throughout Autumn 2 the students built upon annotating and evaluating both their own work and art by other artists.
Autumn 1
To begin the year, year 10 looks to answer the question: How does nature inspire us?
They begin by exploring the work of Sculptor Joan Danziger, best known for her large sculptures of beetles and hybrid human animals.
The students explored some of Danziger’s work before designing and creating their own beetle, made out of mod-roc.
After being sculptors and creating the beetles, the students move on to look at carving; beginning by evaluating the work of Dame Barabara Hepworth and exploring how nature inspired her larger-than-life sculptures.
The students then observe and record their findings of shells through sketching and annotating, before designing their own sculpture inspired by nature. This leads to their final project – carving their sculpture out of soap.
Throughout year 10 students are encouraged to continue to develop their skills in evaluation and annotation.
Autumn 2
In Autumn 2, year 10 turned their hand to technology and were asked the question: What is digital art?
Students began by using the school laptops to research different programs available to create digital art through ‘painting’ and ‘drawing’ online.
Students were then introduced to Andy Warhol where they had a look and evaluated some of his digital art before trying to replicate a piece of this art online.
To finish the term students explored the history of stop-motion, famous examples and how they could replicate something similar. Students worked collaboratively using paper and split pins and a camera to create their own 12 frame (3 second) stop motion animation.
Throughout Autumn 2 the students built upon annotating and evaluating both their own work and art by other artists.
Autumnal art week
Our first art week of the year focussed on art within nature.
The week started with trips to Worcester Woods where students had the opportunity to take part in some photography, bark rubbing, sketching and collecting natural resources that they would use throughout the week.
Throughout the week students also enjoyed making animals out of conkers, using cyanotype paper to create prints of leaves and other found resources and classes also took part in a big art attack made out of natural materials.