A few months ago an opportunity arose for art students at SKSS
that doesn’t come up very often. We were given the chance to volunteer our time
and work on a mural that would be going up in the hallway once completed. Interested students talked to the artist in
residence at our school, Chris Bose. At first, Lauren
Mark and I were hesitant about the project but soon grew to be very
dedicated towards the process. We split up the 5 panels between the group of
students that had volunteered, and got started right away. Lauren and I were
immediately drawn towards a panel that had a sketch of a balancing rock on it
with some trees and the outline for a sunset. As we started to mix the colours
in large amounts we realized how different this would be from our regular class
painting assignments. A few of the
challenges we faced during the whole process were: textures of student painting styles, mixing the right amount of paint, and creating a connected
colour palette. Over time, Lauren and I
ended up taking on more commitment to painting than we had originally planned. In
fact, by the end of the project we had assisted and guided the completion of
all five panels. The last few weeks were
spent fussing over little details and making sure everything was to our liking,
before we finally decided that we were finished. Lauren and I had an awesome
time working together and combining our ideas to create something that we are
both very proud of. I am so glad that I took advantage of this experience and
was able to learn so much and spend time doing something I love. The many hours
spent during class, lunches, and after school were all worth it in end when I
get to see our art lighting up the hallway every day.
Written By: Kate Mey, Grade 9
A Special Thank you!
Local Kamloops artist Chris Bose recently completed an artist in residency at South Kamloops
Secondary School. This project was made possible through ArtStarts unique program: Artists in Schools. We are thankful for this opportunity and enjoyed working with Chris
in the classroom! Chris shares his vibrant and
friendly personality through active art making, risk taking in creative processes, and many conversations about contemporary
artistic culture. Perhaps most
importantly, he shares specifically about his diverse processes, image development,
and current art making: poetry, music, graffiti, art teaching, travelling, painting,
exhibiting, collaborations, sketchbook explorations, stenciling, mentoring, and
many crazy art adventures! However, what is most meaningful
about Chris’ passion for the arts is his underlying connection to Aboriginal
culture and how this voice is embedded throughout his work. It was a pleasure to learn from your creative
nature, Chris! Thank you for making time to connect with local student artists!
