Inside King's-Edgehill School
Before our world got turned upside down, our KES Grade 12 IB Visual Arts students were scheduled to unveil their masterpieces at our Annual IB Art show on April 2, 2020. It is always a highlight of the School year. Nineteen students were to present the projects that they have been working on for the last two years. Their creations are examined and therefore are an important part of the IB Diploma. We admire not only their skills and creativity but also their courage in sharing their work with us. Please join us in congratulating our 2020 Visual Arts students on their hard work and their achievements.
We will be highlighting our very talented IB Visual Art students each week in our Newsletter. I introduce Mya Snarr:
We will be highlighting our very talented IB Visual Art students each week in our Newsletter. I introduce Mya Snarr:
Mya Snarr's IB Curatorial Rational – HL
I have always had a love for the ocean, the calmness and freedom it brings to my life. The way the waves move and smash down on one another, and how the colour of the sea is never the same on any day. This exhibition aims to show part of who I am, to allow others to experience my memories. Each piece has a connection to me through a memory, and those who understand the piece will hopefully feel the emotions and memories I have put into them. The concepts of my exhibition are psychology and the environment around me. The environment around me being where I have grown up and created my happiest memories. Psychology being how as an individual sometimes speaking isn’t all the therapy you need. The art pieces show the significant places in my life and the role they have played. Majority of my pieces are made to make you feel calm, to feel like you're near the ocean and can hear the waves crashing into each other. They are made to make you happy, to make you wish you were in the painting gliding over the waves with the sun beating down on your skin.
Some were made as a therapy tool for myself, a way to let the parts of myself I keep a secret out. Those pieces I made to create a hole in your stomach, to make you feel the emotions I had while working on them. They are made to make you wonder, wonder about what the meaning is behind the art you see. They keep you guessing if you got the right message and the feelings they portray. For my exhibition, I used mixed media: from clay sculptures to oil painting. The use of different materials allows me to express new ideas and test new styles of art. While working oils I released the build up of paint and texture and allowed the work to come to life. Oils then created my main focus for my exhibition, it made palette knife my main form of painting. Although working with oils was amazing it also created challenges. I learned you had to have a plan before you begin as the drying process was not an easy task. The mixing of colours if not completely dried caused many issues in my oil paintings. My paintings all used pallet knife and texture to add the involvement of real life and still work. I was influenced by Sorolla an impressionist, Hayley Lever and Vincent van Gogh both post-impressionists. The use of the colours, texture and the focus on the light in their paintings were what caught my attention when looking at their art works.
I was also able to use clay which was an amazing experience as it allowed for your memory of touch to play a large role unlike painting. I learned how to transfer photos and work with ink which I realized I enjoyed doing. Having the ability to manipulate photos to create new pieces using transfer was one of my favourite art techniques.
My childhood played a large role in how I create art and the meaning behind my pieces. My most traumatic and emotional memories have been the main influences on my ideas in art. By using my experiences to influence my art it allows for a truthful representation of who I am and the memories I have.
Our exhibition had to be cancelled because of the virus. I had planned to display my work by order of the memories and based on colours in the pieces. Since my exhibition was about allowing others to experience my memories through my work it was placed so the colours flowed and allowed visual appeal. This is what draws you towards the work. It was done so you could begin to see the messages in my work and memories that came with it. Connection of colour allowed for the connecton of memories to form a story allowing you to be a part of the art. The presentation is made so you feel butterflies while still understanding the importance of why I chose to share my memories and emotions the way I have.
Picture 1: Bay Day (March 1, 2019)
Pallet Knife, Oil Paint on Stretched Canvas
30x40 inches (77 cm x 100 cm)
A photo was taken by my mother while I was sailing. It was an amazing summer day with the sun shining and waves rolling by one after another. I used the photo my mother took as the start line as a reference for this painting. You will see the bright yellow buoy which is the pin and the large sailboat which is the race committee. This painting was a mix of palette knife and paint brush. The sky, trees and sails were done with the paint brush and the water was done with a palette knife. This was my first oil painting and it was done when I was in Grade 11. (my first year in IB art)
Picture 2: A Blossom to a Flower (January 23, 2019)
White Clay
Dimensions H. 46 cm x W. 30 cm (three sculptures)
These three sculptures are a series, with colour that represents emotions. I made this piece during a time in my life when I felt I wanted to hide, when I wanted to be alone and grow for myself. She begins in one flower as if she was hiding. The second one is her opening up and the last one is her embracing who she truly is. The colours blue and green were chosen because of their meaning. Blue representing trust and green the colour of growth and health. All young women growing up feel lost at some time and want to hide, that is what I was trying to capture. These are three separate freestanding sculptures.
Picture 3: Reflection You Sea (October 4, 2019)
Palette Knife, Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
Dimensions: 91 cm x100 cm
No one looks the same to each other. This piece was done to be a form of a portrait after my main self-portrait was finished. I didn’t like my self portrait of how I saw myself as it was a venerable piece, so I chose to create another portrait. A portrait that’s a combination of reflections. The reflections come from other people’s eyes and how they see you, how you see yourself in their eyes. The cluster of colours are meant to be the personality traits that people use to define me.
Picture 4: Stuck In Your Head (October 21, 2019)
Photo Transfers, Water Colours, Ink on paper
Dimensions 46cm x 76 cm
This piece is all about memories, and the brain represents the place where it's all stored while the shape and photos show who the person is. For me sailing and the coast are my happy places, its where all my good memories have been formed. I wanted to make a drawing to show where I can let go and be free. All the photos are from St. Margaret’s Bay as well as Peggy's and Polly’s Coves, places where I have grown up and learned to sail. The graffiti borders the memories just like a wall that it's painted on. (I took all of the photographs)
Picture 5: Somewhere is not too far (February 26, 2019)
Palette Knife, Oil Paint on Stretched Canvas
Dimensions 76 cm x 100 cm
Inspired by a photo online of cabins on the seaside, I chose to create a representation of the photo. When I originally saw the photo and the buildings, it reminded me of fishing cabins at Peggy’s Cove. The bright colours have been worn down by the sun and are showing their age. I made the sky and water to have a lot of texture with a palette knife and then the grass and buildings were done with a paintbrush for contrast. I was inspired by the impressionist.
Picture 6: Trapped Inside
Pencil on paper
Dimensions 46 cm x 61 cm
This drawing is made to represent what I keep hidden. The feelings that I had to keep inside and how they were affecting me. I started the pieces as therapy to let everything out. You should have the feeling of what it is like to keep yourself trapped inside your own head. The drawing shows that what is inside can only stay there for so long until it begins to break and pull you down. This sketch isn’t complete due to Covid-19. It was at school which was closed because of the virus.
