A ‘Colour’-ful Junior Art Exhibition 

What better way to celebrate the hotly-anticipated Junior School Art Exhibition than with theme ‘Colour’? Families were invited to explore wonderful works of colour-themed art produced by Years 1-6 in response to their research and exploration of renowned artists and artistic styles. 

Read about the inspiration behind each Year’s projects and see the gallery of exceptional works of art captured at the event. 

Year 6 explore the works of Sonia Delaunay 

Year 6 have been exploring the work of Ukrainian-born French artist and designer Sonia Delaunay. The girls practised using compasses to make exciting compositions inspired by the work of Delaunay, who is known for her bold use of colourful geometric patterns. Each made a watercolour exploring the use of colour and simultaneous contrast. The careful, precise control of colour and translucency of paint proved challenging but resulted in some wonderful artworks. In addition, the girls made a series of monoprints, also on display.  

Year 5 create Warhol-esque prints & drawings  

Pop art supremo Andy Warhol and his revolutionary use of colour informed Year 5’s Colour project. Pupils worked from direct observational drawings of cross-sections through fruit and vegetables and developed responses including drawings, mono and block prints.  

Year 4 inspired by Tower of London installation 

Inspired by the stunning ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ installation at The Tower of London in November 2014, Year 4 used clay to create flowers, spray-painting them in a variety of colours to create a sea of colourful beauty. 

‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ was a public art installation created in the moat of the Tower of London. It commemorated the centenary of the outbreak of World War I and consisted of 888,246 ceramic red poppies, each intended to represent one British or Colonial serviceman killed in the War. The ceramic artist was Paul Cummins, with conceptual design by the stage designer Tom Piper. The work’s title was taken from the first line of a poem by an unknown soldier. 

Year 3 uncover themes by artist Paul Klee 

Swiss-born German artist Paul Klee and his highly individual style, influenced by movements including expressionism, cubism, and surrealism, created the backdrop for Year 3’s Colour themed project. Pupils produced two pieces: a line monoprint exploring undersea themes; and a watercolour painting using cool colours grouped together. The watercolours have been displayed interlinked to form an architectural panorama. 

Year 2 learn about symbolism of Kente cloth 

‘Kente’ refers to a Ghanaian textile made of hand-woven strips of silk and cotton, featuring complex patterns and beautiful colours. For their Art project, Year 2 learnt about the symbolism behind the use of specific colours and symbols in Kente designs, and used it to create their own prints on paper and cloth, developing both individual designs and a collaborative work on larger cloth created by the whole class.  

Year 1 focus on the works of sculptor Tony Cragg 

Year 1 have been working with clay for their Art project on colour. We looked at the work of the sculptor Tony Cragg who created spectrum-themed installations of plastic waste. Pupils were encouraged to make a piece of fruit or vegetable that represented the three primary and three secondary colours. They had to paint their fruit and vegetables and display them as fake food, stuck to a plate. Some of the girls further extended their work by producing decorative rainbow borders to their plates and rainbow cutlery.