Exhibition: Suicide. Don’t hide it. Talk about it

Caity with her painting

Catherine, Caity, with Mrs Sinclair, Headteacher OLHS and Mr McAvoy Art Advisor NLC

Catherine with her collage

Catherine, Caity, with Mrs Sinclair, Headteacher OLHS and Mr McAvoy Art Advisor NLC

Two pupils from OLHS participated in an artists workshop where they created a poster about teenage suicide. Caity and Catherine’s work is featured in an exhibition of the work created by secondary school pupils in North Lanarkshire at the Summerlee Industrial Museum in Coatbridge. There are on average 61 suicides per year in North Lanarkshire- a very shocking fact and being about to talk to someone or see an artwork might make a difference and save someone’s life. The pupils received a £ 30 voucher for HMV and their artwork looked beautiful mounted and framed – well done girls!

Official OLHS Christmas card 2009 & card pack images

Winner of the Christmas Card Competition 2009

Card Pack

Card Pack

Card Pack

Card Pack

The S1 Christmas card Competition was won by David Martin of 1p2-well done David! Every S1 pupil produced a design and David’s was picked by the Headteacher Mrs Sinclair and the school’s Senior Management Team as being the best entry and worthy to represent the school in it’s official holiday greeting Christmas card. The judges also picked 4 other designs they thought worthy of recognition and these will be put together to create a card pack that pupils, parents and OLHS staff can purchase for some original cards this year. Watch this space because they will be on sale shortly, funds for these card packs will be donated to SCIAF- so please support this good cause and purchase a pack or two! I would like to thank all the S1 pupils who worked so hard on their designs, even if yours wasn’t chosen as a winning entry I hope you enjoyed the creation of the cards because that is the most important part, the learning and growing as young artists- well done all of you ….and I still will need help selling the cards so speak to me if you are interested in helping!

Posters for social change: developing ideas

Racism

Global Warming

Child Abuse

Sectarianism

Global Warming

Domestic Abuse

Rainforest Deforestation

Ageism

Iraq War

Terrorism

Global Warming

These are a few of the ideas pupils are working on for their artwork on social change. They have now spent 2 classes in the library resource centre looking into the issues they feel strongly about and want to change to make the world a better place. The next step is to get on with their final design and create it!-good luck guys & keep up the enthusiasm

Some of the weird and wonderful things art teachers are asked to do…

I was asked today by a friend and lecturer Tracey Cannon at Clydebank College to help judge a hair and makeup show by students learning to be hairstylists. What a great afternoon and judging the show was very difficult as all the designs were amazing and based on a carnival theme. Students worked in groups of 3 to 4 and had to design the costumes, hair and makeup as well as do an introduction and dance to show off their creations. There was definitely a carnival atmosphere in the room with friends and family of the stylists there to support them. The overall winners were the circus carnival team and the best hair and makeup went to a student who did a lollipop carnival design.

S1 card design finalists

Ok here they are-we’ve finally finished and these are the ones that I have chosen to go down to the headteacher and SMT for judging from my classes- 1p2. 1p4 & 1p8. I’ve added a frame and some lettering-hope you like them! Everyone worked so hard on their design and working with photoshop was great, hopefully you can see a future use for this software in other art and design projects you will do in the near future-well done first year!

The wacky printing Highers

Teaching those grumpy, enthusiastic and sometimes hardworking Higher pupils is always a challenge but today it was a pleasure! They were quietly industrious and got on well with their foam cut prints. Mixing far too much ink and washing it all down the drain-hoping I wouldn’t see because I was too busy tidying up after them so they kept their prints free of too many finger prints. They all need to go back and improve their investigation drawings-big time, so hopefully this weekend -with all the rain- will give them a break in their busy social lives to get on and create a great drawing. I would like to know what they think of the course so far…….

Creating art for social change

S3 and S2 pupils have just started to create posters where they decide on a topic in society that is important to them personally and create a poster that will educate, inform and hopefully improve the world! This links in with a forth coming exhibition on Art for Social Change at the School of Visual Arts Museum in New York City. We have only spent one period discussing our ideas and looking at some contemporary poster designs, but already I am impressed with the pupils enthusiasm.  The boys in particular were great and I thank them for all their thoughts that they brought into the discussions- come on girls get your thoughts out there as well! We only had time after I went on and on for too long (sorry) to just quickly brainstorm some topics and then start a mind map. I have now asked everyone to leave a comment with their idea for a topic and a quick description for how it could look in poster format on this blog. I’ve booked the library next week so they can all do some more research and be better informed themselves. For those of you who don’t have a clue what to do yet- have a look at the comments they might help you to get some ideas going! Any questions? ask and I will reply

S1 Photoshop compared to the real thing

S1 pupils are still busy working on their card designs in both coloured pencil and photoshop. I only allowed the pupils who completed their homework task to work on the computers- so quite a few were caught out! I think both formats are looking good and in another week or 2 they have to be finished for the judging and printing to commence so bring it on guys & work well to make this years official OLHS Christmas card the best yet.

Hairy Maclary those puppets are lookin’ good!

S2 pupils got a shot at felting wool this week for their puppets. Although S2 pupils only come to the Art Department once a week we still try to give them a good variety of projects so they get an idea of what art and design is all about. The puppet lesson is not just about pupils designing puppets, it also encompasses fashion and textile design as the next step is to design and create their costumes. The puppets now look so much better with their colourful hair- things can only get better!

Awesome I’m on Google!

Cool! I’ve finally made it on to Google! Typed in “lorenasteinert’s blog” and “Ms Steinert’s” site and I am so there already! Can’t wait to see if more people/pupils find my/their artwork and info on the web now! I am thrilled with all the comments I’m getting from my classes- they are the best and I am so happy they are leaving comments! Still haven’t had a cheeky one yet- bit disappointing that!