At St. Marks, our art program encourages students to develop their sense of identity through creative expression, whether it's through painting, drawing, or crafting. For beginners, we focus on the fundamental elements of art, such as lines, shapes, colors, shades, and gradients, helping students build a strong foundation in visual language. Our approach guides them in selecting techniques while integrating art theory into their work. For example, students study a real image—like an apple—and identify the lines and colors needed to replicate it, drawing inspiration from both professional artwork and real-life objects to infuse originality into their own creations.

As students progress, they explore more advanced topics, using realistic colors to illustrate various themes such as landscapes, underwater worlds, the solar system, and cultural diversity. Each month offers a new artistic theme, giving students the chance to grow and refine their techniques. Our Happy School Arts Contest, sponsored by UNESCO, further motivates students to push their creative boundaries.

We also encourage participation in art competitions, including an international competition with cultural organizations. Notably, in 2015, Andrea Parreno and Yoonjee Lee, two of our talented high school students, had their artwork shortlisted in the top 30 of UNESCO’s Asia-Pacific art contest, on the theme of “What Makes a Happy School?”. Their pieces were showcased alongside entries from across the Asia-Pacific region at a special event held at The Commons in Thonglor, Sukhumvit.

In addition to regular art classes, we offer the Creative Arts ECA for primary students. This extracurricular activity allows students to apply their artistic skills to a variety of hands-on projects, such as transforming recycled materials into paper bags, creating mixed-media works, designing cards for cultural festivals, painting portraits of their classmates from shadows, and experimenting with many other exciting projects.

Through these activities, we aim to inspire creativity, build confidence, and provide students with a meaningful way to express themselves.