The Shelter, 2026, Size: 60cm x 40cm, Material: Digital-manipulated photograph using Lightroom, printed onto PP synthetic paper with a matte finish, mounted on PVC foam board. Intention: During a stressful semester, I passed this brick archway daily. I transformed it into a high-contrast black-and-white image with heavy grain, removing warmth to turn a familiar shelter into a cold, isolating space. Deep shadows and rough textures reflect how anxiety followed me, showing that spaces meant for safety can become cages that trap us.
One of the key differences I have noticed between A-level Art and IB Visual Arts is the students’ starting points.
A-level Art often follows naturally from GCSE or IGCSE Art, with students already having developed practical skills, confidence and an understanding of the creative process. In IB Visual Arts, however, students may begin the course with little or no previous art experience.
This can feel daunting for both the student and the teacher. How do you guide someone from limited technical ability towards a meaningful exhibition and the grades they need for university?
Over the past two years, I have increasingly focused on accessible media that allow students to communicate ideas without relying heavily on traditional drawing skills. Printmaking can provide a clear and supportive process, but photography has become especially valuable within my teaching.
Photography can communicate identity, emotion, memory and personal experience in a direct and powerful way. It helps students understand that successful art is not simply about producing something conventionally beautiful. It is about intention, experimentation and meaningful expression.
I am proud to share photographs from a student who began IB Visual Arts with no previous art experience and completed the course with a grade 5 and a deeply personal photography-based exhibition.
Their success came through trust, careful guidance, consistent effort and a willingness to follow the creative journey.
IB Visual Arts can be challenging, but it can also give students permission to become artists—even when they do not yet see themselves that way.