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September 15th 2023
On Wednesday 13 September the Art Department were absolutely thrilled to have Ian Murphy, the renowned British Fine Art Artist, join us for a mixed media and drawing workshop.
The girls worked all day in the beautiful surroundings of St Anne’s courtyard, embracing the outdoors and all that goes with it. They took full advantage of the day and the pupils worked at pace throughout.
Nothing could have prepared everyone for seeing Ian Murphy's magnificent work up close. His work is primarily inspired by architecture and eroded landscapes; he has a passion for mixed media and experimentation which is very visible in his impressive portfolio of work. Allowing the pupils to see and touch his artwork and sketchbooks was such a privilege, one that Ian Murphy sees as an invaluable way to motivate pupils for the challenges that lie ahead. The girls were invited to observe, first hand, the techniques and processes they were going to learn throughout the workshop.
Through demonstration and experimentation, the Year Groups individually achieved powerful responses to his work. All were fully engaged with the processes and enjoyed the element of surprise from the uniqueness of each and every piece created. Each pupil created up to four pieces of work, exploring many new and exciting surface techniques as well as expert pen drawing skills. The Year Groups worked from images of the School's Old House, as well as the artist's own images. Certainly each and every girl came away with a wealth of new skills and a knowledge of new processes.
It was a very busy day (and a messy one!) but extremely valuable for everyone. Pupils from Years 10 to Upper Sixth participated, here is what a couple of them had to say...
It was a wonderful opportunity to learn from and speak to Ian Murphy on Wednesday. I enjoyed watching how Mr Murphy created his work, and I now have a greater understanding of how his pieces are composed. Learning new techniques and working outside my comfort zone has enabled me to have an insight into the methods he uses, which will be especially helpful when creating my own interpretations of his art in my A level coursework.
- Arilyn (L6MAC)
Having Ian Murphy come into school was a significant opportunity. With my GCSEs approaching I found the skills we were taught on Wednesday really added to my ability in Art. Overall I really enjoyed this day and I am thankful we had the chance to meet a world-renowned artist.
- Florence (11A)
