Located in the old coach house, our spacious, well equipped art room is a bright, creative space in which the girls are introduced to a variety of media and techniques. Alongside the core strands of painting, drawing and clay work, the girls also explore silk painting, batik, weaving, modroc and printing.
Whether it was Confucius, or not, who stated that ancient proverb: ‘I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.’ - the philosophy of art education here at Rowan Preparatory School is very much based on that of ‘doing’. In the age of digitisation, it is reassuring to see the fascination children still manifest when they explore and learn using natural materials and their own hands to make and create. Our art studio is a place where our girls are free to explore, investigate, discover, make and create; rising to every challenge presented to them. Whether it is working with paint, clay, collage or a piece of charcoal, the sense of awe and wonder continues to fill the studio.
We are all born with extraordinary powers of imagination, intelligence, feeling, intuition, spirituality, and of physical and sensory awareness. It is our aim here in the art department to unleash and fulfil this potential in our girls. As Leonardo da Vinci said, ‘Learning how to see…’ is what an artist strives for and realising that ‘everything connects to everything else.’
The teaching of Art and Design at Rowan is based on providing a firm foundation on which visual literacy and natural creativity can develop fully. It follows a skills-based approach to learning using the processes of drawing, painting, sculpture, collage, printing and textiles. Within these processes, the girls are shown how to develop their understanding of the formal elements of art; colour, line, tone, shape, pattern, texture and space. Once equipped with skills and an understanding of the formal elements, the girls have the freedom to be as creative and imaginative as they can be.
The girls attend a one-hour long art session each week. Those girls who wish to spend more time can opt to join our art club which runs once a week. There is also a Scholarship class for girls who show artistic potential and who wish to pursue their art projects in more detail.
Gallery Visits and Trips
The girls work with a variety of different media and are inspired by the work of great artists, both past and present. Throughout the year groups, the girls study and explore a wide variety of artists, art movements, different cultures and genres. Lessons are complimented by workshops and tours are arranged at major galleries, museums and cathedrals. At Rowan the girls are encouraged to consider why people create art and why it is important. The pupils look at the wealth of knowledge and ideas that have gone before us in the world of art and how they connect to contemporary pieces, including children’s work. The study of artists’ work is often an important starting point for children and broadens and stimulates their own creativity.
Collaboration is encouraged whenever possible and art projects are often cross-curricular and linked to other subjects such as history, philosophy, science, maths, drama and literature to make the subject more relevant to the girls.