Olivia Britz, Fifth Form
Art was the main reason that I chose to come to Canford as opposed to any other school as I was immediately attracted to the relaxing atmosphere and the huge variety of work up on the walls. However, this excitement was quickly followed by a huge doubt in myself; thinking that I would never create pieces like theirs! It was after two quick years of fast learning and enhancing my abilities to paint, draw and experiment with different media, that I began my third year with much enthusiasm and interest in the subject that before Canford, was already very high. I had been especially taken with taking care over pages in my book, and creating pieces that I felt were pleasing to the eye.
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So, the end of my second year came and I found myself collecting essential resources for my very first project. It was not only interesting for me, as I was also intrigued by what my class mates had come up with. It seemed that the art departments influence, help and constant availability made everyone’s projects all that more do-able! I still have further to go in my third year. So far, I have looked at artists like Paul Thomas and Anselm Kiefer, both of which have influenced my pieces greatly. I enjoy creating pieces that have a certain amount of depth and I do this by layering images and techniques and colours. Over time my work has progressed as my ability to visualise and investigate has increased.
Livvy Button, Lower Sixth
Art has always been my favourite subject since prep school. When I first came to Canford I was amazed at the diversity of the art produced here. Anything seemed to be possible, from sculpture to printing, from sewing to film and even the occasional painting.
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I am now in my AS year which consists of one coursework unit and then a smaller exam unit. This year we have double the amount of lessons we had for GCSE, which in itself has made Art more enjoyable, as we have more time to really develop our projects. We have also been given more independence and freedom to explore new processes. My work this year has become more textiles based. My initial ideas came from freezing my already dead goldfish, and working from images as he melted out the ice. My final piece is layers of hanging net with multiple fish on each layer, all created out of different processes, which included sewing, spray paint and sequins.
The general atmosphere in the Art School is a great one to work in. It is lively and productive and the staff are always showering us with ideas. I am at the stage now where I am deciding whether to pursue my art to a higher level and maybe do an Art Foundation course.
Jamie Lilley, Lower Sixth
I really enjoyed art at prep school and when I came to Canford I was not sure what to expect. Very soon I realised that I would be able to continue to enjoy the subject and expand on all that I had already achieved. The staff gave me support and boosted my confidence making it an easy decision to choose Art GCSE. In the preliminary stages of the fourth form I developed the key drawing and mark making skills that I needed, (including using baby oil and graphite powder!). I picked up good and bad habits of how to create/layout a double page in my book, as well as the fundamentals for the development of my pieces.
Confidence became a real factor and I was encouraged to explore many aspects of art, from sculpture in glass, metal and wood, to different resources which I would never have linked to sculpture such as silicon and copydex.
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At the start of my GCSE exam book I found it hard to document all the techniques I used in my sculptures. Slowly I managed to give my resource work the same exciting feel as my other work. In the 5th form I really enjoyed my art, creating pieces which were visually pleasing and used subject matter which interested me. I used ideas from visiting artists e.g. Faye Phimister, as well as researching other contemporary artists. For my final exam piece at the end of the 5th form I created a glass box sculpture engraving the panes of glass to produce a feeling of depth and to represent the label on a baked bean can.
Since I have finished my GCSE course I feel I have developed a rich bank of techniques and ideas to take me through to the AS level and have generated a greater understanding of different forms of art. I am now more engaged in what makes a piece of art exciting and what goes into creating a personal and successful piece.
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