The Art of the Matter

A year into the role, Lead Teacher of Prep Art Emily Rees (below) reflects on the lessons she enjoys creating and celebrates her pupils’ work 

Since joining Harrodian in January last year, Lead Teacher of Prep Art Emily Rees has completed her first full year working with pupils across the Prep School. She brings with her a strong creative background and a thoughtful approach to teaching Art.

As a pupil who sometimes found traditional academic learning challenging, art became the subject where she felt most confident and happy, with no right or wrong answers and simply the enjoyment of making things. After studying Art and Textile Design, Ms Rees spent ten years in the design industry, travelling widely and designing interior textiles for a wholesaler that supplied high-street brands including John Lewis, Designers Guild and Heals, as well as organisations such as the National Trust. Around ten years ago, she moved into education, initially as an Art Technician before becoming a primary Art teacher. Alongside teaching, she has also studied Art Therapy and counselling skills, which have shaped her belief in the importance of creativity for wellbeing.

In her lessons at Harrodian, Ms Rees encourages pupils to explore a wide range of materials and techniques, to experiment, and to develop confidence in their own ideas. She places particular emphasis on pupils working independently and understanding that mistakes are an important part of the creative process, and also values the role Art plays in supporting skills such as resilience, communication and problem-solving.

One of her priorities is to reflect carefully on what she teaches and how, while ensuring her lessons are varied. As she says, “I am passionate about delivering rich and culturally wide-ranging art lessons, drawing inspiration from both historic and contemporary artists from around the world – particularly important in a city as diverse as London.”

Her approach has helped pupils produce a wide range of thoughtful and engaging work, with examples from last term displayed around the School and via the gallery link below. During their autumn term art lessons in the Lower Prep, our 8s explored abstract painting and collage inspired by Alma Thomas, alongside still life observational drawing. The 9s created Lowry-inspired snowscapes and clay spirit animals influenced by Mexican alebrijes, which are currently on display in the Main School cabinets. The 10s worked on Diwali-inspired chalk patterns and observational drawings and monoprints of autumn leaves.

In the Upper Prep, the 11s produced Ancient Egyptian themed illustrated letters and detailed pen and ink drawings of British Sign Language hand gestures. The 12s explored artists such as Jenny Saville and Riso Chan, creating large-scale charcoal eye studies and expressive self-portraits, the latter of which are currently displayed on boards in the Main Hall. 

Year groups across the Prep School will be working on a wide range of projects this Spring Term, including Post-Impressionist landscapes inspired by Van Gogh, Manga-style self-portraits influenced by Osamu Tezuka, Impressionist landscapes in the style of Monet, and mixed media painting, collage and animal cut-outs inspired by Norval Morrisseau, with some pupils having the chance to experiment with techniques such as lino printing and embroidery.

Gallery links below - a selection of some of the autumn term artwork: