In my time at MacKillop, I had done five consecutive years of Visual Arts since Year 8. This was always a personal choice rather than focusing on it as some sort of prerequisite. If I was asked what I wanted to do after school when I was choosing my electives - I wouldn't have had a clue, so choosing a subject I wanted to do as a passion and hone my skill in was a no-brainer. Doing Visual Arts as a subject in both Secondary and University is just something I was always comfortable with since it really is as independent as you can make it. Another amazing part of this type of course is that anything is possible. You can create anything if you put your mind to it. There's no real rules or regulations in art so that's why I enjoy creating pieces that myself and other people can admire.
For those thinking of selecting Senior Visual Arts - just go for it. Once you're doing the course, experiment with everything and try to do exercises in your freetime. You like painting? Try bringing some paint and brushes to the beach or anywhere with a nice view and paint what you see. More of a drawer? Put some props or objects on a table in front of you and sketch it. You can do this realistically or even stylised/cartoony - it's whatever you want to dabble with, doesn't have to just be what you're comfortable with. Same goes for portraiture - find a photo, draw it however you want. Want to try sculpting? Sketch up a bunch of thumbnail sketches with the most random ideas you can think of - they can be anything from extravagant to super simplistic. These will help you get ready to create some fun sculptures once you get the supplies. Gravitating towards photography? Dabble with it. Try photographing subjects that are similar in colour, location, usage, etc. This will help you get a basic grasp around creating a cohesive series. All of these exercises aren't stressful at all and they're really helpful in refining skill and learning new ways of creating works in various mediums. Above all, Visual Arts is about time management but there's no point in forcing yourself to create something you may not even like or enjoy making. Don't let yourself get overwhelmed and work on projects you think that you'll actually like and set aside enough time to finish it - don't cram.
For me, Senior Visual Arts has helped me understand how to work on a project as a body of work rather than a singular piece with little thought provided. My own HSC body of work had changed around five times before I had completed it, so it's easy to forget that you don't have to have your idea set in stone in this senior course. Experimentation was important to me in my senior class and is still a foundational support of my tertiary studies so it's always good to just keep experimenting with your ideas. Senior Visual Arts primarily helped me learn how to manage my time and work ethic when it came to larger projects. Even as of now, I've completed a number of smaller works within my first year at university and also managing my time for things outside of class. Whilst you don’t have to be someone who has an artistic background, you have to be open to learning continuously throughout the entirety of the course and communicate with your teachers - they’re there to help you hone in your practical and theory skills.