Introducing Year 12 student Hannah and Visual Arts teacher Mrs Goodwin
Year 12 Visual Arts students produce a Major Work, known as a Body of Work (BoW), as part of their HSC course. This is achieved through an ongoing collaboration between the student and their teacher, who brings expertise and experience to guide students throughout the year-long process. We spoke to Year 12 Visual Arts student Hannah and her teacher, Mrs Donna Goodwin, about developing a BoW and the different roles of the teacher and the student.
FROM THE TEACHER…
What is the process for guiding students as they start their Major Work?
Our programs are designed from Year 7 to guide students on a creative journey, helping them produce their best possible work by Year 12 as a result of their accumulated experience. We assess each student based on their strengths and how they develop concepts, and then provide guidance according to their level of ability.
At the start of Year 12 we have a conversation with students about what their interests are and what they would like to do. We also talk about their strengths in terms of their material practice, and we marry the concept with the material practice. From there, they practice and record everything in their process diary.
How do you offer guidance in a way that empowers the student to make confident creative decisions?
It’s really important to have a good rapport with the student. You have to believe in them and let them know that you do. Then, we continue guiding their work and encouraging them, celebrating their learning and how they can bring a major work together.
FROM THE STUDENT…
Can you tell us about the creative process for your HSC Major Work?
Initially the teachers discussed with each of us what our creative process was going to look like, and I struggled for a while to come up with a concept. I knew I wanted to do portraits of people, but I didn’t know how I was going to frame it. I was exploring the concept of the seven stages of grief, but after the first assessment task, we received written feedback and I had a discussion with Mrs Goodwin and Mrs Gardner about how I could reframe my concept to be more nuanced. My major work then became a series of five paintings titled ‘I have something to tell you…,’ investigating people’s reactions to finding out news.
Throughout the year, there has been constant feedback during our practical lessons. Mrs Goodwin and Mrs Gardner have been straightforward in providing feedback—what works, what doesn’t, what isn’t worth spending time on, and what needs to be changed.
What’s one challenging aspect of the process?
With things that are creative by nature, it’s impossible to apply every single piece of feedback. Art is subjective, and sometimes the art teachers have differing views, or I really like an element and they don’t. There are times when you think ‘This is not what I wanted to hear’. Sometimes, I have to walk away and take a break, then come back and consider whether the feedback could actually be beneficial. But the process is both necessary and rewarding!