One recent sunny June afternoon, the pupils in Years 3 and 4 were delighted to have the chance to share their artistic successes from this year with their friends and families. Highlights from Year 4 children included their stunning colourful prints inspired by the designs of William Morris, a Hammersmith resident in the Victorian era. Much of our art celebrated recent royal events. Year 4 children created big stamps, complete with frilled border, featuring the head of our new King, Charles 111. Year 3 had a different artistic interpretation to mark our new king’s accession. They each filled their silhouette of the king with all manner of creative patterns, including iconic British motifs. Our late Queen was not forgotten. Last September, to mark the death of the Queen, Junior School children created poems, drew pictures and painted portraits to record their feelings and remember the monarch. Programme designs from the recent Junior School production of Hagbane’s Doom reminded the children of their dramatic success. The Fair was also a chance to highlight the different techniques and mediums the pupils have explored this year. On display were the Impressionist watercolour still lives painted by Year 3 children and the delicate, beautifully folded paper leaves and flowers, made during the popular Origami Enrichment activity. The sweet felt glove puppets made in Sewing Enrichment also made an appearance. High fashion met modern art with Year Three’s take on the designs of Kusama for Louis Vuitton. The children made collage pictures featuring the artist’s bright smiling faces and dotted fish! Equally appealing were the sensitive robots, drawn by Year 3 pupils after their visit to the inspiring exhibition of Matt Dixon’s sweetly sensitive robot art at Pitzhanger Manor in the spring. And presiding over this section was Alex’s huge 3-D robot, made as Year 4 Art task. Back by popular demand, Year 3 children created amazing fruit and vegetable animals – the pineapple owls, lemon mice and whale made of courgette, floating in its own tank, rivalled even last year’s cauliflower poodle!  Year 4 children stepped up to the challenge of combining art, science and gardening skills, growing cress heads in their own decorated containers – motifs featured Pokemon and The Minions!

This year our art also had an interactive, live theme. Sebastian in Year 4 was our talented Artist in Residence, drawing life-like sketches of his friends and teachers. Meanwhile, huge thanks to Mrs Chandhok and Ms Guo, two mothers of Year 4 pupils, whose creative talent enabled them to replicate famous art images onto the children’s arms, using face paint. Monet’s Waterlillies was the most popular motif! It was definitely an Arts Fair to celebrate and remember.

Mrs Wolley – Art Co-Ordinator for Junior School