The Rolleston College visual arts department is thrilled to celebrate the outstanding achievement of Jasmine McDermont and Cam Naughton. Jasmine and Cam both achieved scholarships for painting. This is a very prestigious academic award that places Jasmine and Cam in the top 3% of all level 3 learners across the country studying painting in 2023. Jasmine and Cam also achieved excellence for their portfolios.

Scholarship in visual arts is a two step process:

• Submitting a three-panel portfolio of artwork, and
• submitting a workbook of supporting evidence that explains the learner’s ideas, development, artistic influences and learning journey. This is assessed by an external expert marking panel of both secondary and tertiary visual arts educators.

“I like looking at colours, shapes, people, clothes, nature, architecture and other paintings. I like taking parts of these things and putting them onto any surface I can get my hands on. I like looking at everything.

More than anything though, I like to look at and listen to words. But not in the form of books. I like to look at sentences and musical lyrics, or even just single words. I like the meaning that these words have and the fact that the meaning of these words is different for everyone.

Because of this, text is one of the themes I explored this year." 

– Cam (excerpt from his scholarship workbook)

Cam's folio panels

Detail from Cam's workbook

“I wanted to portray evolution and change in identity. This was something I felt was relevant to me personally. I wanted to explore these ideas in a unique way that told a story of a school girl, much like myself. I was really passionate about exploring these ideas because I felt as if I am going through these concepts myself, in my own life, as a year 13 leaving school.

I wanted to explore the semi-realism style within the figures of the girl to make it more personal, realistic and more relatable to the viewer. I chose to present my ideas as a sort of story that is gradual and ends with the final form of the girl almost like a show or manga/book. Anime and manga is where I drew many of my ideas from and I wanted to present my art in a similar story-based format.”

– Jasmine (excerpt from her scholarship workbook)

Detail from Jasmine's workbook

Jasmine's folio panels

Visual arts teacher Claire Robertshaw says she is thrilled with the results, but not surprised. Both learners have proven themselves to be very committed to their own aesthetic and have shown passion and determination in creating their original and thought provoking work.

“The highlight of Cam and Jasmine’s achievement for me, as their teacher, is seeing them achieve at the highest level without having to compromise at all on who they are as individuals and as artists. They are their authentic selves and this shines through in their artwork.”

Teacher in charge of the visual arts, Rob Ferguson, is over the moon for Cam and Jasmine and their achievements.

"It’s been an absolute pleasure to have watched these learners develop into the artists they have become over the years," he said.

It’s been a goal of the visual arts eepartment to build a culture in the first seven years of Horoeka Haemata’s growth that allows visual arts learners to achieve at scholarship level.

"It’s been a real team effort to build that culture and I know Cam and Jasmine are really thankful for the work Claire, Lynden and Gemma put into the visual arts department to create a space for them to shine."  

We wish them both the very best for their future creative pathways.