![\"CAS](\"http:\/\/cas.fountainheadschools.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/CAS-VA.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nVisual Arts used to be something I loved to do as a kid. However, for a long time, I had become disconnected from the field as I was caught up in a never ending stream of assignments and examinations.<\/p>\n
CAS in Grade 11 and 12 gave me the opportunity to formally take up VA – something that had been restricted for too long to the end pages of my notebooks. This formal training enabled me to greatly develop my fine motor skills, as I dabbled in various art forms – ranging from wood-cut printing to fashion design. Before these two years of VA classes, I always thought of myself as someone who had a lot of ideas about art, but lacked the skills to make them a reality. Through systematic exploration of various art techniques – such as using photo-ink colours, polishing and carving wood, and painting on thin muslin cloth, I was able to use my skills to express these ideas.<\/p>\n
Another learning that VA has given me is that of perseverance and patience. Because I was committed to making each of my art pieces the best versions of themselves, I was forced to go against my impatient, ineffectual attitude towards work to attain the desired perfection. Moreover, the weekly VA classes that I religiously attended for two years provided me with a much-needed breather from the humdrum of everyday life: in the VA room, sitting quietly and painting away tiny pastel flowers, the problems of the mundane don’t seem to matter all that much.<\/p>\n
That is not to say that art completely disconnected me from the real world and its problems. As someone who cares deeply about humanitarian causes, I tried to incorporate messages about the world into my art. For instance, after the Paris attacks in Nov 2015, I made a woodcut print depicting the Eiffel Tower caught in Van Gogh-esque swirls to pay homage to the victims and their families. Speaking of great artists, I was also forced to consider the ethical implications and the thin line between ‘being influenced’ and ‘copying’ as I explored artwork by artists ranging from Dali to Mondrian. More locally, I had to be careful that I wasn’t subconsciously but unethically borrowing ideas from my exceptionally talented peers \ud83d\ude1b<\/p>\n
In all, I think this was a really positive experience for me in terms of development of new skills, commitment and perseverance and ethical implications.<\/p>\n