We are very proud of our fabulous Art space. We have lots of natural light in our open plan room. There is a comfy-carpeted area where we chat about ideas and what happens next with a project. We might Google an artist and project work on our interactive white board or watch various artists in action on YouTube. We have loads of room in which to spread ourselves about. Sometimes we work in small groups on tables or at easels. When there’s a still life activity, the

room is transformed into a totally different working space.

At the other end of the room there is a Pottery area with a kiln. Ceramics tends to be a summer term project for the whole school, since hopefully there’s some good drying weather. We learn how to build pots in various different ways, we’ve made imaginary towns, cartoon characters, animals, to mention just a few, as well as tile painting and there’s always free choice time.

We have the facility to do Silk and glass painting, batik and have two proper printing presses. During the spring term we usually do some form of printing whether it be lino, polystyrene, wood or card relief and mono printing.

As well as all these activities the mainstay of our many options is drawing and painting. We love it. Most projects start with some form of 2D work. It might be large charcoal or pastel. Smaller pencil work, pen and ink, felt pens, watercolour pencils. Or we may move on to a vast array of paints, including oils and acrylics. Sometimes we do a collage to inspire a piece of work, which might end up as a mixed media piece involving papier-mache.

On a beautiful warm day there is nothing nicer than sitting outside drawing the stunning grounds.

Alayne Parsley, Head of Art