This booklet celebrates the remarkable creativity, imagination, and talent demonstrated by our middle school students throughout the year in Art and Textiles. It offers a glimpse into the diverse range of work produced, showcasing not only technical skills but also the individuality, courage, and originality that make each student’s creative journey unique. We wanted to share these achievements with parents and families, recognising the dedication and enthusiasm our students bring to their work. In a world increasingly shaped by AI and digital technology, the ability to think creatively, express personal ideas, embrace different perspectives, and take artistic risks has never been more valuable. The artworks within these pages reflect a vibrant community of young people who celebrate diversity, challenge themselves fearlessly, and communicate their stories through the power of creative expression.
THIRDS NATURAL FORMS LINO PRINT
After developing compositional ideas through experimenting with a combination of photography, collage and drawing, the students went on to create their lino prints based on their own interpretations of the theme of natural forms.
THIRDS FAUVISM
Students were introduced to the Fauvist movement in art and, drawing on this influence, selected a theatre production for which they designed and painted a backdrop in the Fauvist style. Using acrylic paint, they focused on expressive, bold brushstrokes and the use of vivid, highly saturated colour palettes to convey energy and atmosphere.
THIRDS NATURAL FORMS LINO
Inspired by the work of artists such as Yellena James and Anna Sebestova, the 3rds studied natural forms and developed their understanding of negative space to design their own linoprint. Experimenting in pairs with colour, gradient and collaborative printing, they mastered the medium.
THIRDS NATURAL FORMS WEAVE
The thirds weave project is based on the study of natural forms ,looking specifically at fruit and vegetables . This project looks at shape, form , colour , texture, and design through a variety of techniques. The final piece of weaving demonstrates these ideas including the use of recycled materials.
THIRDS TEXTILES NATURAL FORMS LANDSCAPES
Students explored the work of Max Ernst, with particular focus on his use of texture and the frottage technique. They created collaged landscapes incorporating frottage from natural forms, which were then transferred onto fabric and enhanced using sewing machine techniques following induction.
L4 PORTRAITURE STRUCTURES ENVIRONMENTS
L4 ENVIRONMENTS MIXED MEDIA
Students explored working in a range of media after being inspired by the artist Anslem Kiefer. Working in materials that include cardboard, lino, wood and clay allowed individual students to explore mark making and to reconsider what materials can be used in Art work. Focussing on organic forms allowed students to look carefully at textures and mark making. Different tasks were given different timings so some work is more experimental and others is more refined.
L4 PORTRAITS - GREAT WOMEN
This project was inspired by a series of ink drawings by Marlene Dumas called “Great Men series”. Students were asked to choose a number of “Great Women” that they wanted to celebrate. The woman did not need to be famous but could be a family member or friend – but had to be great! Students looked at a number of different female artists using their techniques to record their ‘Great Women’. This meant students explored a range of different materials and skills through the Portraiture theme.
L4 PORTRAITS - GERMAN EXPRESSIONISTS LINO
L4s studied portraiture, looking at the work of the German Expressionists and Alice Neel. They used linoprinting to create their own striking, graphic self-portraits, and explored oil pastels and acrylic paints, focusing on exaggerating facial features and using autonomous colours.
L4 STRUCTURES - KALEIDOSCOPIC PAINTINGS
Inspired by the kaleidoscopic artworks of Christopher Marley and Damien Hirst, students created a vibrant symmetrical composition using repeated insect imagery, bold colour, and radial balance. They explored pattern, repetition, and reflection to design a circular artwork that mimics the effect of a kaleidoscope.
L4 ENVIRONMENTS - INDOOR OUTDOOR
Students were exploring the theme of environments, looking at how they can combine indoor and outdoor environments together in a piece of clay. Students went through a range of preliminary research activities including drawing their bedroom in the style of Pierre Bonnard. Student explored a range of artists including Dexter Dalwood, David Hockney and Edward Hopper to create a striking clay slab as their final piece.
L4 TEXTILES ESSENCE OF THE CITY
Students created their own unique map of London during this term. They started off by gathering images of different London maps and thought about how they could create personal interpretations of this. Students began by illustrating their maps. The maps were then heat transferred onto fabric which students then embellished with machine and hand embroidery.
L4 PORTRAITS - LINO PRINT
After developing compositional ideas through experimenting with a combination of photography, collage and drawing, the students went on to create their lino prints based on their own interpretations of the theme of portraiture.
L4 PORTRAITS PRINT & STITCH
This project is based on learning a variety of different drawing and painting techniques, combining different disciplines together at times , culminating in a Lino print of a portrait inspired by German Expressionist prints, as its final outcome.
L4 ENVIRONMENTS - COLOUR
TEXTURE PAINTINGS
Students were asked to photograph their local environment , to choose a suitable composition, and to create an abstract colour acrylic painting using a grid structure, inspired by Chuck Close. Their second landscape composition was to discover the joy of using the impasto technique, palette knife only! Giving them the freedom of mark making and the use of texture.
EXPLORATION NATURAL FORMS ENVIRONMENTS
DESIGNER MAKER
U4 DESIGNER MAKER - CERAMIC PLATES
Inspired by the ceramic illustrations and decorative surface designs of Catherine Kehoe, Irene Meneconi and Rachel Walker, students explored the role of the designer-maker by creating functional ceramic plates that combine artistic expression with practical design. Using delicate linework, layered colour, and stylised imagery of animals and plants, they experimented with composition, texture, and pattern to transform everyday objects into unique decorative pieces. Through this process, students developed an understanding of how designers and makers balance creativity, craftsmanship, and function in contemporary art and design.
U4 EXPLORATION - MIXED MEDIA
U4s began their projects exploring the sculptural series ‘Personals’ by Richard Deacon, experimenting with clay and abstract drawings techniques. They then researched sculptor Tania Kovats, and used inspiration from natural forms to make their own sculpted response to her work.
U4 EXPLORATION - MIXED MEDIA
U4s explored natural forms, transforming their observational drawings of bones, dried flowers and shells, into a collaborative paper sculptures. Their final pieces used the work of Ashley Blanton as a reference, and combined experimental brushwork with sculptural elements and monoprinting.
U4 EXPLORATION - MIXED MEDIA
U4s explored natural forms, transforming their observational drawings of bones, dried flowers and shells, into a collaborative paper sculptures. Their final pieces used the work of Ashley Blanton as a reference, and combined experimental brushwork with sculptural elements and monoprinting.
U4 TEXTILES - BUGS & INSECTS
For their first project in Upper Four students explored how bugs and insects have influenced artists and designers. Students explored a range of skills including machine embroidery, print and pattern making. Students then created two outcomes. The first outcome being a three-dimensional head piece where students hand drew and printed each of the insect motifs. For the 2nd outcome, students upcycled a dress found in the charity. They worked in groups of three and designed and printed a bespoke fabric inspired by patterns on insect wings. This made-up part of the dress design. Students considered how else they could incorporate the theme of bugs and insects into their garment.
U4 NATURAL FORMS MIXED MEDIA
SCULPTURE
The experimental sculptures produced for this project are inspired by the organic forms and material explorations found in the work of Sophie Munns and Peter Randall-Page. Drawing on their approaches to texture, structure, and the relationship between natural and constructed forms, the sculptures also incorporate influences from contemporary mixed-media sculpture. Through experimentation with materials, processes, and surface treatments, the work investigates form, tactility, and the expressive potential of three-dimensional making.
