Art

‘He who works with his hands is a labourer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.’

Saint Francis of Assisi

Art & Design Skills Progression 2021-2022

St. Joseph's has recently implemented a new and exciting art and design skills progression plan based on the National Curriculum. In the final school half-term, the school will be looking at the subject of Form and using various materials and mediums to produce sculpted artworks.

Yoshitomo Nara - Japanese artist

Skiddaw Class have been looking at the work of Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara as part of our whole-school Topic of Japan. Nara creates artworks using a number of mediums, including sculpture, pencil and paint. His most common motifs are mischievous girls and friendly dogs. The class made painted artworks in his style as well as clay models of either the friendly dog, or of Totoro from the Studio Ghibli movie.

Yuko Higuchi - Japanese artist

Yuko Higuchi produces vibrant anthropomorphic illustrations of cats, foxes, fish, toadstools and trees. Her work has been used by fashion labels such as Gucci to advertise their products. The images are part kawaii (cute) and part unsettling! Skiddaw had a go at producing artworks in her style using drawing and collage techniques.

Hokusai - Japanese artist

Yayoi Kusama - Japanese artist

Jean-Michel Basquiat - American painter

Frida Kahlo - Mexican painter

Pablo Picasso - Spanish artist

Art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design.

Our intent

A high-quality art and design education provides an opportunity to engage, inspire and challenge children, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design.  We want all our children to be able to think critically and develop an increasingly confident understanding of art and design   Our children should know how art and design reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

The implementation

We follow the National Curriculum for art and design and all classes have timetabled art & design lessons. We have an approach that enables children to collect works of art in their sketch books so they can build up a collection of work over time. Children will draw, sculpt and paint, sharing their ideas, experience and imagination. They will have the opportunity to develop a wide range of art and design techniques. Children will learn about the works of a range of artists, craft makers and designers. They will develop their skills, including their control and use of materials. They will achieve this through experimentation alongside developing an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design.  Much of their work will link in with other subjects, specifically topic work, where they will learn about great artists, architects and designers.

The teaching of art and design will be enriched with visits to places of architectural interest and, where possible, local and national art galleries. We also make good use of virtual resources such as online galleries.  Children’s art and design work will be prominently displayed in the school.  They will also learn how to use technology (programs) to support their art and design ideas.

Impact

We believe that every child should have an opportunity to express their creativity and be given the chance to develop their knowledge and grow their talents.  We aim for the children to be ready to engage in more sophisticated art and design work at secondary school.   Teachers use assessment for learning strategies as well as engaging in conferencing activities.  At the end of each unit of work children from year 1 to year 6 are assessed for their progress and understanding in art & design lessons, by the teacher, and this is tracked over time.

“Every child is an artist.

The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” 

Pablo Picasso