Art | Our Lady's SS

Subject Information

Visual Art focuses on the three strands of Art, Craft and Design. Students will explore a variety of materials and techniques to enhance their drawing skills from primary sources, both life and still life. There is a focus on the development of ideas and skills, concepts and practice. Students will use a sketchbook to aid them. New techniques and crafts will be introduced to classes including, lino printing, sculpture, batik and wire construction. Every project will supported with research of artists’ work to explore, reference and inspire the students in their own work.

Visual Art is a practical subject. The assessment of Visual Art will comprise two Classroom-Based Assessments in 2nd Years

CBA1 = From process to realisation
CBA2 = Communicate and reflect.

There is no written exam as is in other subject areas , instead students complete a project in Year 3 (Final Assessment) This project is centered around a theme which they are made aware of in early October of their 3rd Year. The project will be assessed by the State Exam Commission. Percentage allocation is 100%. There are 200 marks for the SEC final project and these are allocated as follows:

Workbook 100 marks, Artefact No.1 – 50 marks; Artefact No.2 – 50 marks.

Department Members

Ms McArdle

First year and second year consists of trying out as many art practices In Art, Craft, Design you will have the opportunity to create images and objects using a variety of tools, materials and digital media. Examples of such art practices include:

Puppetry
Embroidery
Lino Printing
Ceramics
Photography
Mask making
Clay Modelling

Leaving Certificate Art

The course is centered around Practical Work and study of the History and Appreciation of Art. Practical Work consists of Painting (imaginative and observed), Graphic Design, Craftwork (ceramics, pottery, sculpture, puppetry, printing, and textiles), Still Life and Life Drawing. Students build on the skills they have developed in the Junior Certificate course. History of Art involves study of the European and Irish Sections and general appreciation of Art and Design in the environment. The modes of assessment include:

1. A Leaving Certificate project which will commence after Christmas in sixth year (which will comprise of a choice of one of the following: an Imaginative Composition, a still life drawing or painting, or a design/Craftwork piece) and will be executed as coursework over ten weeks in Art class.

2. A written examination of Appreciation & History of Art will take place in June. At the moment (2022) this exam involves answering TWO questions, from a section of their choice but not from the same section. The three sections are: Irish Art and Architecture, European Art and Architecture and Appreciation of Art.

Many opportunities can arise from studying Art, Craft and Design for Leaving Cert. You may wish to study Art for its own sake or you may explore the potential of creating an Art portfolio and study Art & Design or a related subject at third level.

Many students have been very successful over the years and have developed careers from the skills and abilities they have developed in Art Class. Students do not have to have studied Art and Junior Cert to be able to study it for Leaving Cert. To be successful in this subject area requires:

The interest and motivation to work independently on your own ideas.

The ability and enthusiasm to collaborate with others on Group Projects

A good level of artistic ability

A willingness to experiment with new and different ways of working and thinking.

You might wish to go into a job where it is useful to have had experience of art, craft or design, or where you will need to use some of the skills developed during this course. These might include careers in advertising, marketing, design, architecture, publishing or the media.