Thurs July 3rd, 2025
A day in support of Year 10 mock exams to build confidence in new techniques, bring existing sketchbook skills to life, explore the work of contemporay artists and gather creative flow for ideas in their exam pieces.
1) Explore the work of contemporary artists;
Rachel Jones, massive oil pastel abstract paintings of teeth, mouths and landscapes.
Dulwich Picture Gallery
SMIIILLLLEEEE
Sophie Barber, using really really thick layers of oil paint, she creates paintings of things she likes from nature, social media and other artist’s work with captions describing the painting.
Alison Jaques
Hastings Contemporary
Christina Quarles, a mix of digitally and traditional painted paintings, with unusually stretched and fragmented people with lots of patterns and weird perspectives going on.
Flo Brooks, working with acrylic paint on shaped wooden panels or on found fabric, they make paintings about modern life, collaging together different places, times and people, they’re not historical representations of ‘real life’ but more dream-like scenes.
Emma Cousins, bendy, fleshy, paintings of people based on words and sayings. Exploring the space between reality and fantasy, felt experience and communication.
Actions:
+ Explore and discuss the work of the above artists and any other artist’s whose work you like.
Techniques:
+ Draw the main focus point of your final exam piece (e.g hand, flower, person) using scraps of paper onto a piece of paper.
+ Paint over it using water colours, explore different ways to use the brush and the colours, focus on texture rather than trying to recreate a picture.
+ use acrylic paint to add bold shapes over the top of the water colour and the collage.
+ use oil pastels to to add a final layer, think about outlines and textures.
Repeat this series of steps 3 times.
1st time, 30 mins,
2nd time, 15mins,
3rd time, 5 mins,