Year 12 student, Isabella Hantas, is one of 11 BSSC Visual Art students who successfully applied for the 2020 Margaret Standen Bursary.
The bursary honours much-admired art teacher, Margaret Standen, whose untimely death in 2017 was a tragic loss, not only for her family, but for the many staff and students who were inspired by her. Her husband, Peter, generously established the bursary in her honour, and all Year 12 students studying Studio Arts or Art General at BSSC are eligible to apply.
“I’m beyond grateful to be accepted for the Standen Bursary,” Isabella said. “It’s given me an opportunity to purchase materials of a quality I wouldn’t have been capable of acquiring otherwise.”
Isabella used the bursary to purchase high quality Prismacolor pencils, specialty paper for sketching and drawing, and pencil extenders.
“Having access to such quality materials has definitely enhanced the progression of my work in both Studio art and Art General,” she said. “Using quality materials also means they’ll last the entire year!”
Like many of us, Isabella found the change to remote learning difficult to adjust to at first, but acknowledges there are pros and cons to every situation.
“I thoroughly enjoy working in a personalised and quiet environment, where I can work at my own pace,” she said.
Her advice to others who might be struggling with motivation and maintaining a routine during this time of enforced isolation is to ‘pace yourself’.
“All you can do is just work at your own pace and you’ll get there eventually.”