Welcome!
I am a Teacher of Art currently living in Hong Kong. I have spent the last 5 years living and teaching in Bangkok, Thailand. This blog is to document my own work, what my students get up to and the art I see around Hong Kong, Thailand… and beyond!
HKMOA: HONG KONG MUSEUM OF ART
My first exploration into the art of Hong Kong was a visit to the Hong Kong Museum of Art. I had a good look around the whole museum which had beautiful views of Victoria Harbour. I particularly enjoyed the exhibition on Chinese calligraphy, which looked at the ways the characters have been used, developed, and applied throughout history. The variety of media was fabulous and it was interesting to see how they have been used in art, games, festivals, and in many other applications throughout time!
I also visited the Art Personalised exhibition where each room of work was curated to a certain personality type. On display was a huge range of Hong Kong artists and artisans from the traditional to the modern day - a great introduction to local art! One of my favorite exhibits from the day was Land Ho! by Anglea Yuen. Angela takes everyday objects from her childhood and arranges them to form incredible kinetic cityscapes that are fully brought to life when light is projected on them.
Angela Yuen, Land Ho! 2023 - www.angelayuen.com
AFTER IMPRESSIONISM @ THE NATIONAL GALLERY
As you can see in previous posts, I have been teaching Impressionism & Post Impressionism to my Year 7s recently, so I was very excited to visit the ‘After Impressionism: Inventing Modern Art’ exhibition at the National Gallery in London this summer. As I wandered around the walls were full of colour, texture and movement and I only wished I could have brought my students to visit from Thailand. They LOVED studying Impressionism & Post Impressionism and this would have been the perfect trip for them! It was fantastic to see some these paintings up close, the layers of colour, brushstrokes and vivid hues were a sight to behold!
A WORLD IN COMMON: CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN PHOTOGRAPHY @ TATE MODERN
During my visit to London, I got to see the fantastic ‘A World in Common: Contemporary African Photography’ exhibition at the TATE modern. The range of subject matter and use of experimental photography techniques was inspiring. I loved the ‘In Praise of Still Boys’ video (linked below) by Julianknxx, the full version in the exhibition was visually captivating with a beautiful soundtrack. Below are some images of the highlights from my visit.
In Praise Of Still Boys, Julianknxx, 2021 - Julianknxx Instagram
BREATHING STORIES INTO MATERIALS @ ARNOLFINI GALLERY
‘Celebrating material and making, these artists use the storytelling power of textiles to connect with past traditions, find commonalities between cultures, time and place, and to ‘breathe stories into materials’.’ - Esna Su
Whilst visiting family in Bristol, UK we strolled upon the Arnolfini gallery and went in for a look at their current textiles-focused exhibition curated by textile artist Alice Kettle. There were beautiful pieces on display with some fascinating and culturally important stories accompanying the artworks. I really enjoyed the varied and interesting use of textiles; the textures, layering and ‘drawing’ techniques - I will try having a go at some of these in the future!
MIXED MEDIA & NATURAL FORMS
Year 8 - Further development of the Year 8 Natural Forms project. Students studied American artist Robert Kushner looking at his layering, colour blocking and compositional techniques. Students produced A3 sized artworks combining Kushner’s style and incorporating their natural forms taken from either their own photographs, drawings or paintings from throughout the project. Students were given the freedom to compose, choose materials and the colour palettes of their work. They thoroughly enjoyed designing their backgrounds, making sure to tear, cut, glue and paint with a refined quality whilst also considering how their organic objects would sit within the spaces on the page. Their seedpods, flowers and mushrooms were added using a combination of Indian ink, acrylic, gold paint, watercolour and pen.
POP ART BATIK - THAI STYLE
Year 9 - A mix of Thai consumer culture and the very traditional Thai art of Batik. Students looked at Andy Warhol and the impact of Pop Art in art history as well as how frequently we see Pop Art in TV, advertising, art and fashion today. We also discussed the history of mass-consumerism, its effects, relevance and impact on current society. I love this combination of traditional techniques, using a more natural media (historically done with wax and natural dyes - we used color inks) and the more bright, brash, plastic attention grabbing branding of the popular products seen and consumed every day in Thailand.
Students first experimented with batik to create a range of backgrounds using a 3 layered wax technique to add depth to their designs. They collected and photographed their own objects, simplifying the image and editing them into a stencil ready for cutting out of thin acetate. The two were combined by carefully stenciling on their object using black paint using repetition inspired by Andy Warhol. This was such a fun, quick project for the end of the year and the students enjoyed talking about and taking inspiration from the products they love and consume everyday.
OIL PAINTING IN PROGRESS
Year 10 - Some incredible oil paintings from my Year 10s, all using their own imagery as their visual stimuli. Each student chose an oil painting artist to work in the style of, such as Cristina Troufa, Samantha French or Lauren Pretorius testing out and developing their skills, learning through understanding an artist’s process. This was a timed outcome, to help prepare students for working within an extended timeframe, much like they will do in their art exam. They worked for a whole day on these and gained a lot of valuable insight in how to prepare and set up for an art exam. They enjoyed the time and space to focus on one piece, working quietly and developing their oil painting skills.
NATURAL FORMS - EXPERIMENTAL MARK MAKING & INK
Year 8 - Below is a selection of some A3 Indian ink studies of natural forms, students used their own photographs (see post here) to sketch from to create these dramatic, large scale artworks.
Initial experimentations with Indian ink. Here, the students were getting used to the values, lines and textures that can be produced using this media in preperation for further Indian ink studies.
After commencing their Natural Forms project with black and white photography, students were then tasked with exploring these same objects through different drawing and painting media. Quick timed sketches, double colour pencil, long paintbrush and thick and thin pen studies allowed the students to really see and understand these objects by using an engaging range of experimental recording techniques. Below, there are also some snapshots of the students work in their sketchbooks. They produced some beautiful pages full of intricate drawings with well-considered layout and thoughtful presentation. Click on images to enlarge and see in detail!
METAMORPHISM
Year 9 - As part of their Surrealism project, Year 9s have produced some outstanding dry point etchings. On the theme of ‘metamorphism’ and inspired by illustrator Redmer Hokestra and artist Salvador Dali, students developed their own creature / object combinations using digital manipulation and ink drawing. Using acrylic sheets, the students carefully scratched out their etching with a variety of lines to create textures, and layers to create darker tones in their work. During the printing process students worked hard to perfect the process and amended their printing plates to create a more dynamic print if needed. Some students also played around with backgrounds as can be seen here in the puffer balloon. Final outcomes included a monoprinted self-portrait which students had to incorporate alongside their etching outcomes to create personal and characterful surreal artwork. Below you can see the stages of the project, work in progress, as well as some of the outcomes - enjoy!
BLOSSFELDT INSPIRED PHOTOGRAPHY
Year 8 - To begin their Natural Forms project, Year 8 have been introduced to the striking photography of Karl Blossfeldt. Provided with a fascinating array of natural objects, students developed their photography and digital editing skills by being challenged to capture the dramatic details, textures and shapes of these objects on camera. Students also learned how to set up a a simple, yet effective, photographic ‘studio’ - stand (easel), black / white / grey paper, and a lamp. The students got a lot out of this task, they worked in small groups or pairs helping each other out with compositions, background decisions as well as lighting strength and angles. Students will use these objects and photos throughout their project, below is a selection of their photographs, which they edited into black & white with some cropped and contrast adjusted for impact!
RECORDING - PERSONAL PROJECTS
Year 10 - A snapshot of some of the most recent drawing & painting studies from my Year 10 students. Initial artworks derived from their own photography to kick start their coursework projects. Enjoy!
CERAMIC FISH
Year 8 - Year 8 have come to the end of their Under the Sea project and have completed their incredible ceramic fish! The students designed their own fish based on visual research from a visit to the local aquarium. Throughout this project, they learned skills in 3D design, clay techniques as well as the glazing process. They had such fun bringing their designs to life!
LIKE AN IMPRESSIONIST
Year 7 - As a conclusion to our Colour & Impressionism project Year 7 students were given the challenge to produce a timed painting (2 hours). By using their own primary image and working in the style of their chosen Impressionist artist they worked hard to apply all the knowledge and skills they had learned during the past few months… take a look below at some of the colourful results!
GRAPHITE STUDIES
Year 10 - A stunning selection of Year 10 A5 graphite studies. Students drew from their own imagery to practice their skills in applying value and texture to their drawings. Amazing work!
ARTIST STUDIES
Year 10 - In preparation for their upcoming landscape paintings, my Year 10s have been studying the techniques and style of a famous artist they have chosen as their inspiration. Below is a selection of students who chose either Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, or Franklin Carmichael. These pastiches were a great way for the students to develop an understanding of their artists’ style - colours / shapes / forms / lines / brushstrokes - so when it comes to their own landscapes they are equipped with the technical skills needed to bring their landscapes to life.
TEAM WORK IMPRESSIONISM
Year 7 - Year 7s working together to create either a famous Impressionist or Post-Impressionist painting. Each student started with their own small section, then worked as a four joining their pieces together. Next, the whole image will be connected and students will all work together to make sure the lines, textures, colors, and shapes flow from one square to the next! They have worked excellently together, taking on different responsibilities within their small groups and sharing colour mixes between them to make sure the artwork blends together seamlessly!
CERAMIC FISH: WORK IN PROGRESS
Year 8 - The Year 8s have been working hard on their ceramic fish! These are a few shots of work in progress, almost ready to be dried out before going into the kiln. Wish them luck! Afterwards, the students will be able to apply glaze to finish off their pieces.
SURREAL VIEWS
Year 9 - After studying 1 point perspective and applying this to a circular worms eve view of buildings, the Year 9s were challenged to then develop their work further by incorporating a surreal aspect. They came up with some interesting ideas based on dreams, nightmares, thoughts on society and global issues!
CORAL IN PAPER
Year 8 - As part of their ‘Under the Sea’ project, students were given a homework challenge to further develop their sculptural skills. Using only paper, they were tasked to create a small section of a coral reef using a variety of paper manipulation techniques. The results were fantastic, some students had really gone to town creating multilayered colourful coralscapes with such intricate detail. I was so pleased to see the huge array of shapes and forms they had managed to create by cutting, twisting, folding, curling, and layering paper!
A HANDMADE CHRISTMAS
I had to share these incredible Christmas cards made by one of our Art Technicians, Doaw. Me and the rest of the art department were so thrilled to receive these beautiful hand-cut layered artworks that captured our characters so well! Thank you, Doaw!
