Up Close is the 2026 Exhibition theme for our ongoing partnership with the Victorian Artists Society. This year, students were invited to look more closely at the inanimate objects that surround them, finding interest, beauty and meaning in everyday forms that can often go unnoticed.

Students participated in an intensive full-day oil painting workshop led by Kingswood College Art teachers alongside VAS artist Ray Wilson VAS FVAS. Beginning with observational studies of still-life objects, students explored composition, form, light, tone and texture before translating their observations into oil paint. Ray introduced students to a range of techniques, including building an initial wash, working with cold wax and applying paint with a palette knife, encouraging experimentation with texture, layering and depicting the effects of light.

Working exclusively in oils, students then drew upon their workshop experiences to independently develop their own composition to the theme Up Close. Each student selected inanimate objects from their surroundings and considered how cropping, magnification and close observation could transform the familiar into something visually engaging. The resulting body of work celebrates the diversity found within everyday objects, with students using composition, colour, light, texture and detail to create highly individual interpretations of the theme.

This exhibition brings together works from our Year 7 – 12 SEEK Art students and Year 12 VCE Art Creative Practice students, highlighting their creativity, technical development and growing confidence as artists. The College is proud to continue its valued partnership with the Victorian Artists Society, providing students with opportunities to work alongside practising artists, experience professional exhibition processes and deepen their understanding of the visual arts industry.