Young artists shine in the spotlight

THE Grosvenor Girls’ Grade 12 visual arts learners showcased their masterpieces recently displayed at an exhibit placed at the school.

Art teacher, Candice Hodgkin expressed her delight and pride at the learners’ work which showed both creativity and attention to detail. “I joined the school in Term 2, taking over from the previous teacher. It was quite an adjustment as we have different teaching styles but through one-on-one coaching with the learners to help bring out their strengths, it has really paid off. We ended up having a very strong exhibition and the moderator was very impressed with their work and all the learners’ marks went up. This has given them a boost towards their final results. I’m very proud of the girls,” she said.

A total of 14 learners showcased their work for the school to enjoy. Two learners, Hannah Schmuhl and Hannah Sueltz shared on their journeys and love for art.

“I’ve been doing art for as long as I can remember. The reason I came to this school was because of the art classes and I realised how taking art as a subject here could improve my art skills. I love everything about art. You can manipulate it to express your emotions, the situations you’re in and the world around you. I work with all mediums in all my artworks to bring a sense of uniqueness. I’m inspired by my aunt who also dabbles in art. She motivates me to be better and to improve myself as a young artist,” said Sueltz who wants to pursue studies in animation after high school.

Schmuhl chose art as a subject in Grade 10 after she discovered a passion for it when she began to explore different art forms in Grade 8.

“I had never drawn before that but once I did I began to improve and fall in love with it. I tend to do very emotive, harsh and serious pieces. I’m not very vocal about the things happening in my life, so art is a way to express myself. It’s a form of therapy. I love drawing portraits and people too. I look up Diane Victor, a South African artist and printmaker, because she holds so much meaning to her artworks. I’m also inspired by my aunt who is a painter in the UK, although my medium of choice is graphite pencils. I’m still weighing my options when it comes to plans after school but I’d love to study graphic design.”