A small group of artists from various grades and support, teaching, and leadership roles across the school gathered this morning in the Secondary Visual Arts room. Their mission was to create nine captivating pieces of multimedia, abstract art that would contribute to the overall look and theme of this year's Reflections yearbook. Fresh off the exhilaration of last week's WOW event, the artists channeled their thoughts and emotions about the theme #ChooseJoy into layers of shape, colour, and pattern.
To maintain the collaborative flow, an alarm sounded every 15 minutes, signalling time to pass the artwork to the next contributor. The collaboration was expertly facilitated by Miss Rowe, the Visual Arts teacher, and carried out by Frankie R (Y2), Thomas J (Y3), Austin P (5B), Peh S (8B), Sienna S (9A), Sophie M (12A), Mr Usher, Mrs McCrostie, and Miss Rowe.
Perhaps the most challenging thing for most participants was simply getting started. Artist's block can hinder or even halt the creative process. Like writer’s block, it strikes when someone feels overwhelmed by the blank canvas before them, unsure of where to make the first mark or which colour and medium to use. Thankfully, Miss Rowe had already added spray-paint marks to each page, making the initial step a little easier. And so it was Frankie, the youngest of the group, who bravely picked up her chosen medium first, a pink crayon, and began making ovals and squares on the page.
As each 15-minute interval concluded, the pages were passed clockwise, allowing the next person at the table to contribute their artistic touch. Eventually, every participant contributed, signed their name on the back of each piece, and left them in Miss Rowe's safe hands.
"A full range of values is needed in a picture to create depth and complexity,” pointed out Miss Rowe. The interplay of layers - cool and warm, light and dark - complement each other in the finished artwork. The same concept applies to our #ChooseJoy theme: the profound joy we experience from receiving Jesus' love and saving grace is revealed through the sacrifice He made.
"I love adding colour in whatever way feels right in the moment. A fusion of colours doesn't have to be logical; it only needs to evoke a feeling. The combination of lines, shapes, and colours was a joyous process in itself and embodies the essence of joy," remarked Sophie M from Year 12.
Soon, you will behold these remarkable artworks in the foyer of the main administration building and selected sections will grace the pages of the 2023 Reflections magazine. Our heartfelt appreciation goes out to everyone involved in bringing this project to life.
