We embarked on an inspiring arts trip to Konark to immerse ourselves in its rich cultural heritage and stunning architecture. The iconic Sun Temple, with its intricate stone carvings, served as a backdrop for our creative exploration. This journey was a unique opportunity to connect with history and draw inspiration from the artistic brilliance of ancient India.

LO1: Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth

Visual arts for me is very important. I have liked this subject for a long time. My passion towards this subject has increased since I was in PYP. My interest has now become a career choice that I wish to pursue in the future. I have been developing my art skills so that it will help me in my future career. I am very interested in fine arts which can become my career someday. As a fine art student, sketching and drawing is not the only thing needed, you also need to interact with people and know about the history of art and history of Indian architecture, places, people etc, if you want to pursue this career in india. India has great colleges for fine arts which will help me further. 

 LO7 – Recognise and consider the ethics of choices and actions.

For arts portfolio building it is essential to include your explorations as well as your skills. This trip I went on helped me accomplish them. I visited different temples near Konark and understood their history, significance and architecture styles. During the trip, we explored places, interacted with people, visited local towns, met artists and also did live sketching of the place.

LO2 – Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills. 

This trip helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses, I learned that my skills are good but can be polished more which I came to know while sketching live. I needed to improve my observation skills. Sketching was a challenge and can be improved with live sketching, observation and practice. I was excellent when it came to interacting with people and handling the budget for the trip. I developed confidence, listening skills, time management, observation and sketching skills. I have visited such places before this and also had researched about the places i visited. This helped me ask questions and gain more knowledge. My interest in Indian temples and mythology has significantly increased. It is important for me to overcome these challenges now so that it doesn’t hamper my future or create hurdles for me when it comes to my work. 

 LO3 – Initiate and plan a CAS experience.

This plan was a part of art classes I take outside school. I am not really an organized person but while planning this trip I learnt budget handling, social skills, etc. This leaning will help me in the future when I plan my own trips. The skills I came across while sketching will also benefit me and will be important for my portfolio building for the colleges I target in the future. 

 LO4 – Show perseverance and commitment in CAS experience.

On the trip, we interacted with local artists who lived in small towns. We asked them about their work and the reason why they started it. I got to know the whole story and also tried to promote their work on social media. We also got their personal details which can help us to call them here or send them to different places to conduct workshops, this will help them get a good platform to showcase their work.

Our arts trip to Konark left us with a profound appreciation for India’s artistic legacy. We learned about the intricate techniques used in stone carving and the symbolism behind the Sun Temple’s design. This experience deepened our understanding of cultural heritage, inspiring us to incorporate these lessons into our own creative practices and projects.