Take One Picture 2024

This year all the children in the Junior School responded to ‘The Courtyard of a House in Delft’ by Pieter De Hooch, 1658, during our Take One Picture event. On Friday 18th October the pupils were involved in Art activities all day. Each year group chose the activities they wanted to do with their pupils, sometimes linking it with their termly theme and Big Question. 

Reception looked at archways around school and explored building textures by making crayon rubbings of different materials. Year 1 and 2 enjoyed a carousel of activities each focussing on different aspects of the painting. They made brickwork prints, collaged what they thought may be beyond the arch, and made clay gargoyles with local artist Annie Flitcroft. They used a variety of materials such as sugar cubes and marshmallows to attempt to build an archway. After the exploring the school grounds, Year 3 focussed on the archway, printing the textures of the painting, sponging marks to replicate the stone, cobbles and brickwork. Year Four linked the painting wThis year all the children in the Junior School responded to ‘The Courtyard of a House in Delft’ by Pieter De Hooch, 1658, during our Take One Picture event. On Friday 18th October the pupils were involved in Art activities all day. Each year group chose the activities they wanted to do with their pupils, sometimes linking it with their termly theme and Big Question. 

With their topic ‘Hidden Depths’ creating a 3D view through the arch, imagining what was hidden. Year 5 depicted the view from the archway in a shoe box, with the help of local artist Ruth Lacey. They used watercolour paints and pen. Year 6 took inspiration from the Upper Junior School site to photograph elements from the painting; they then used these elements to create a digital collage of the picture.

The pupils were engrossed in their activities all day and there was a buzz around school. Each year group had fun whist learning new skills, experimenting and challenging themselves. In Year 5 the pupils visit the National Gallery and see in person the paintings that we have studied over the years in our Take One Picture events. It is wonderful to witness their response when they find the paintings they have studied over the years throughout the gallery rooms. 

Ansh 5G said, ‘I knew it would be fun, but I did not think it would be this much fun.’ 

Pupils in 4P said, ‘We let our imaginations imagine what was hidden.’