Year 5 enjoyed a fascinating workshop with The Courtauld, exploring colour, mark-making and self-portraiture through a range of creative activities.
Pupils discovered how artists created paints before the Industrial Revolution before experimenting with colour relationships in a Bauhaus-inspired exercise, exploring how warm, cool, light and dark colours can affect the mood of an artwork.
They explored Sense of Self works created in response to Van Gogh’s self-portrait, alongside new commissions by contemporary artist Rachel Jones. Inspired by these artists, pupils created their own oil pastel self-portraits, experimenting with light and shadow before exchanging and transforming their work with a partner.
The session finished with still-life paintings inspired by artist Wayne Thiebaud and his idea that “every age has its own still life”. It was a brilliant opportunity for Year 5 to experiment with new techniques and explore how artists use colour and materials to express ideas.
