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Art and Design Classes (New)
​I am delighted to announce that I plan to launch Art and Design workshops and masterclasses, starting in October 2024.
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There will be a variety of exciting opportunities, designed for either:
- senior school pupils (Nat 5/ H/ AH)
- juniors school pupils (P6 - S2)
- adults
- senior school pupils and adults
Aim:
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The aim of these Art and Design classes is to allow you to find you creative voice.
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I fundamentally and wholeheartedly believe that everyone has a creative voice - it just needs to be realised and explored.
Creative, explorative spaces will be provided and support you to develop both creatively and conceptually.
Throughout my career I have catered for all ability levels, so am experienced in catering for those with no artistic experience, to artists who wish to take their practice to the next level.
I want people to enjoy Art and Design, to find a creative practice and outlet suited to them.
Workshops and masterclasses:
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Within these workshops and masterclasses, you can expect to hone media handling skills and develop your personal style further.
My teaching philosophy encourages you to develop your individual creative voice within a supportive guided journey.
Finding your creative voice in turn develops confidence in creative decision making.
My utmost priority is to offer a relaxed, creative and enjoyable environment, as this is most conducive to creative, high quality learning.
Run as independent workshops, masterclasses, and outdoor events, these are ideal for senior pupils sitting Nat 5, Higher, or Advanced Higher. They allow students to creatively explore media in a different setting to school. [Please note that these classes are taught entirely separately to students' SQA courses, which is led by their school teacher.]
The workshops and masterclasses can be used:
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- to develop media handling skills and individual styles
(equipping students to take their art and design work to the next level for SQA courses)
- for adults to realise or develop their creative potential
- as mindful activities, creating art and design work to promote positive health and wellbeing
- to build portfolios, which can be used to apply for Art and Design courses in further education.
My context and experience:
I am an experienced, qualified Art and Design teacher with a PGDE in Art and Design education.
I have taught across state and independent sectors, at primary and secondary levels since 2009, and have a full PVG in place.
My proven track record includes all pupils achieving A grades across National 5, Higher (bar one B), and Advanced Higher levels each year, in both state and independent schools since 2013.
A significant number of pupils achieved 95%-100% in their portfolios at all levels, including Advanced Higher.
My pupils’ Advanced Higher portfolios in my first year presenting this level to SQA, (Fife school), were highlighted as exceptional to the SQA markers by the current Advanced Higher team leader.
I vouch these achievements were a direct result of building positive, professional relationships with students, which allowed them to achieve their potential and beyond. It has been my privilege and inspiration to hear their creative ideas throughout.
I have flourished every single year teaching these courses, and enjoyed the endless creative possibilities students provide.
A good number of my pupils successfully gained entry to Scottish Art and Design university courses. Several pupils' portfolios have been selected to feature in the best of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design’s portfolio selection, chosen out of hundreds of entries from national and international submissions.
Work as a professional artist
Since 2020 I have been working on a series of portraits entitled: ‘Portraits and Tales from a Hospital Bed.’ This features NHS healthcare staff and can be found on my website: www.gillyartist.com or Instagram page @gillyartist. Part of the collection featuring NHS Tayside staff resides permanently at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee.
Creating the collection led to working with BBC Scotland film directors for a short documentary, which involved working with the BBC broadcasting team, learning about shoots and filming behind the scenes.
BBC Radio Scotland presenters and other local radio stations shared the story's inspiration, which taught me about presenting my artwork to a wider field of people.
STV News broadcast the work twice, which allowed me further experience filming and presenting my work in shoots.
Since 2022, I have been head-hunted for several art painting commissions. The most recent is an exciting opportunity working with The Beatson Cancer Hospital, Glasgow. Currently, I am working on a series of oil paintings to be displayed on The Beatson hospital walls, following a patient and staff consultation process. I intend for the paintings to provide escapism when viewed, conveying natural landscape scenes from each season. I hope people can enjoy an immersive experience, as if they were in the landscapes, to experience the therapeutic power art can provide.
If you'd like to read more information about my work as an artist, please find this at: https://www.gillyartist.com/about
Dates and times of workshops and masterclasses
Please find the planned workshops and masterclasses listed below:
Coming soon!
Please email gillysartstories@gmail.com to hear about these classes before they are published!