Building strong foundations in art (From Times Series)
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Building strong foundations in art
9:56am Friday 25th May 2012 in Exhibitions
By Melanie Dakin
Silvia Bereczova's costume designs will be on show at the West Herts College summer exhibition
Creative students at West Herts College have been putting the finishing touches to their artworks for this year's summer exhibition. The displays showcase several departments within the college including photography, fashion, textiles, art and design, fine art and illustration, graphic design, printmaking, 3D design, interactive media and ceramics.
Art and design student Connor Williams, 17, from Bushey is in his second year at the college having completed the BTEC level one diploma and now studying level 2.
"It's enabled me to get a better understanding of the different areas of art and design," he says of the course. "I'll be showing three or four works - one ceramic, a bag from the textile design project we did on Victorian London and a 3D design project."
I ask Connor which element of the course he has found most stimulating?
"The most challenging so far has been sculpting and learning the techniques of pottery. I designed a koi carp to go in Kew Gardens after a trip there to see what it was like. We drew the scenery and took pictures and then made up the ceramic piece which will first be painted and then glazed."
In her first year of a National Diploma in fashion and clothing, 16-year-old Sydney Clark from Hemel Hempstead says the range of topics they cover in the college is inspiring. Sydney plans to go on to study styling or design at the London College of Fashion.
"We've made 1950s circular skirts, monochrome T-shirts and pop art inspired bodices, which was a really interesting project. I chose a newsprint design."
Some of the artwork will be available to buy in a charity sale, including cards and bookmarks that have been made as a fundraiser for the Peace Hospice. This year the work of the Foundation Diploma in Art students moves to an empty shop in Charter Place and this work will be exhibited throughout June.
The exhibition at West Herts College, Watford campus, Hempstead Road, Watford runs May 30 and 31 from 10am-8pm and Friday, June 1 from 10am-4pm.
Details: 01923 812000.
