Art Program at Spring Run School
Art and Ceramics Program 2006/07
Philosophy:
Our art and ceramics program is founded on supporting and encouraging calm, focused creative activity as a means of integrating thought, feeling, sensing, and intuition.
Spontaneous expression in art allows a natural healing process to occur. This healing process is inherent in allowing oneself to become curious, playful and imaginative (without right or wrong judgement making).
This allows our students to safely and actively explore conscious self expression, while employing a wide range of materials, mediums, and techniques.
Creative art naturally leads to a flowing, happy state of mind, which can extend concentration, and an appreciation of beauty in it’s many forms, shapes, colors, patterns, and qualities.
Focus on Individuality / Art Therapy:
Here, art is approached as a means to release one from conditions and circumstances that may prevent personal development.
Art is a refuge, a safe place to be, where a student is encouraged to express him or herself without preconceptions, or expectations.
The individual needs of a student are very important, and each is supported to allow growth and development to happen naturally, and at it’s own rate.
The teacher is responsible for recognizing where the students strengths are, reinforcing them, while addressing where lacks can be overcome and negatives dissolved.
Each individual is totally unique, and the Art and ceramics program is designed to fulfil the natural desire of each person to be truly innovative and creative, and to feel satisfaction, and positive self image.
The therapeutic approach to art, enables a process to happen which overcomes obstacles, and promotes a positive state of being.
Artistic Fields of Exploration:
Artistic Fields of Exploration:
The Spring Run School Art program is continually expanding it’s range of materials and techniques for students’ use.
Recently, a complete pottery and ceramics program has been installed, complete with a large kiln, potters wheels, clay working tools, and a full set of color glazes.
Students enjoy the hands-on process of working with clay, making vases, jugs, plates, pots, slab pottery, sculptures, and imaginative objects.
The last stage is decorating the work with color glazes and multi- colored patterns prior to the glaze firing which produces beautiful items to be used in the home, as gifts, or even to sell.
Students also have access to a range of other materials: Acrylics, watercolors on W/C paper, graphite, charcoal, pastels, colored pencils, pen and ink, block printing, balsa and wood work, multimedia materials, plaster of paris, paper mache,sewing supplies, and sculpture tools for carving soap stone and alabaster.
The art and ceramics teacher is a professional multimedia artist, as well as an art teacher.
This enables students to be shown directly the skills and means involved in creating an artwork from beginning to end.
The art room at Spring Run School is a lively place, where students, and staff members are able to playfully create, share ideas, and work co-operatively together.