Visual Art

The Visual arts programme at Hampton equips students with new skills in visual communication so that as they grow, so does their ability to tell us about themselves and the world around them. Taking into account students’ physical, emotional and artistic growth, the programme begins with basic art skills and gradually moves towards more challenging ones, whilst continually allowing for differentiation. We build rich, rewarding and age-appropriate art experiences in order for children to achieve success.

At Hampton, we believe that the art making process is more important than the final product and everyone’s artwork is worthy of recognition. Whilst we appreciate the many students whom excel at art, to focus solely on this denies that we can all make visual artworks for our personal expression.

Hampton has a large, light filled, purpose built art room complete with a new kiln for firing clay work. The Arts have access to a variety of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) including a class bank of iPads which support student learning. Students can develop and demonstrate their understanding of concepts and content in The Arts and celebrate their achievements within their digital portfolios on “Seesaw”. This application provides an excellent platform for communicating reflections and feedback between students, teachers and families.

Learning in Visual Arts involves students making and responding to artworks, drawing on the world as a source of ideas. Students engage with and develop knowledge of visual arts, skills, techniques and processes, and use materials as they explore a range of forms, styles and contexts.

Each week, every class has a session of hands-on art making. We model with clay, papier-mâché, plaster, plasticine, wire and fabric, paint using acrylics, watercolor and spray paint, print with ink and draw using markers, pastels, chalk and pencils. Where possible, we make use of recycled materials for construction artworks to reduce our impact on the environment.

When creating art, students are encouraged to think about colour, texture, shape and scale. They might discover how colour can be used to represent feelings or can be used to make an element stand out or recede. Even in primary school, considering design, or the organisation of elements, is an important part of expressing ideas. For example, a younger child might choose to draw their family with one person much larger than the others because that person is the most important to them.

New projects often begin with discussing and responding to the work of a relevant artist, for example the First Nations painter, Ginger Riley. Students might identify the techniques he used and find out why he always chose to paint the place where he grew up. Students consider how cultures and societies, especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories, shape visual arts practice and how artists and viewers contribute to a creative society.

There are always beautiful displays of student work to showcase throughout the school year including special celebrations such as NAIDOC and Reconciliation Weeks, Harmony and ANZAC Day.  Biannually we hold our school Art Trail which is a wonderful community event exhibiting the artworks of every student. We participate in a variety of community competitions and programs such as the Artists in School Residency with the Bayside Council. Students also have the opportunity to enrich their appreciation of art with periodical guided tours to galleries which may include the NGV or Ian Potter Centre. An optional afterschool program is also offered to interested students by an external provider, Art Smart.