Arts
Senior Art trip
At the end of Term Two students had a fantastic day at Christchurch Art Gallery exploring new artists and artworks that will provide inspiration for their portfolios. They also enjoyed a thought provoking tour and workshop focussed on the exhibition ‘Die Cuts and Derivations’ with its huge artwork by Peter Robinson.
New clubs that have started!
We have kick-started Term Three with three lunchtime art clubs, Pottery, Drawing and Photography. Such a fun (and warm!) way for students of all year levels to spend their lunchtimes. Weekly challenges will be set, and lots of tips and tricks shared. New members are welcome anytime: please see Mrs Aindow or Mr Conway
Save the Date!
Our Annual Senior Art Exhibition will be in Week 3, Term 4. We can’t wait to celebrate our students' hard work and creativity with the whole community.
The Annual Talent Show will be held on Thursday the 24th of August at Ellesmere College. This year we will be competing against talented teams from Darfied, Rolleston and Lincoln in the finals. Thank you to Angelica Laumanu for organising and preparing our entries for their big moment.
New in 2024
We have three new and exciting subject choices for Year 11 Art in 2024. These units will explore spray paint stencil art, woodblock carving and printing, sculpture, expressive drawing, experimental painting, and digital art through a range of computer softwares. Creativity is going to become increasingly important as AI becomes more embedded in modern life, so we look forward to encouraging and fostering imagination and creativity within our new courses.
Featured Student Artist: Lucy McMillan
Who is your favourite artist?
One of my favourite photography artists is Matt Emmett. I like his work because of the consistent usage of warm colours and the wide, balanced composition of his work. He focuses on abandoned buildings and the beauty behind their decaying, overgrown structures. I am taking inspiration from Emmett for my portfolio board this year, including his attention to detail in the decaying buildings.
What is your current work about?
My current work is an exploration of an old, decaying house from the 1900’s. I wanted to show the journey of the house and the weathering it has gone through, as well as make the viewer think about what it might have been like; who lived there? What memories were made there? Etc… Most of my work so far has been focused on shadow/light in the house, reflections and mirrors, and the decaying structure and key aspects of the house, including a crumbling fireplace, broken windows and forgotten objects.
What have you enjoyed most about taking Art at EC?
I have really enjoyed the creative freedom we have been given, along with structure and help when we need it. This year we were given the choice of creating our portfolio boards on whatever theme we choose, and have been given a structure of photography techniques and artists to help guide us within our theme. Our teacher is very helpful and encouraging, which has helped us grow and expand as artists.
What advice would you give students who are thinking about choosing art as a subject?
Don’t overthink what you’re capturing. It’s always good to have a plan of what you’re wanting to go for, but if it doesn’t work out, just play with what you’ve got and see what looks best for you in the moment.
In the frame
See below some images of recent works from our featured Artist Lucy McMillan.
And remember that you can see more of what our students are producing in the Arts by following our Instagram account @ellesmerecollegearts