A Bit About Me
Karla-Louise Kirwan is a final year undergraduate student of the BA Fine Art and Education with a speciality in Paint in the National College of Art and Design. She has experienced a variety of different education settings such as montessori, special educational needs, primary and post-primary schools, varying from DEIS, ETB ,single-gender and mixed gender schools.
Karla-Louise’s studio practice revolves around the themes of emigration, personal and social growth and change, with a key interest in using recycled surfaces for her work. Her paint practice heavily influences her teaching practice, Karla-Louise bringing aspects of the studio into the classroom and encourages her students to foster a sense of pride and ownership in their artwork.
Final year studio layout
Mapping Dublin in studio - acrylic paint, wool, newspaper, watercolour
Creating homemade coloured gesso -TY 23/24
Work Experience
Loreto College River Valley, Swords
October 2024 - December 2024
Ardgillan Community College, Balbriggan
February 2024 - May 2024
St.Joseph's Secondary School, Rush
April 2023- May 2023
Our Lady Immaculate Senior Primary School, Darndale
April 2022- May 2022
During her tenure at Loreto College, Karla-Louise taught a diverse range of Fine Art and Design projects to students in 1st, 2nd, and 5th years. Her lessons were strategically designed to develop students' artistic skills while aligning with national learning priorities.
At Ardgillan Community College, Karla-Louise taught 1st, 2nd, and 5th-year students, while also working with Transition Year groups on community-focused initiatives in the local area. In addition to her classroom teaching, she actively engaged the school community by leading portfolio development classes
During her time at St. Joseph's Secondary School, Karla-Louise co-taught 1st-year students, facilitating the completion of a unit centered on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a particular focus on promoting healthy eating and wellbeing. In addition to classroom teaching, she led a lunchtime portfolio mentoring group
At Our Lady's Immaculate SNS, Karla-Louise delivered a variety of visual art lessons in line with the primary school curriculum. She introduced students to a range of artistic techniques, including fabric and fibre, clay, printmaking, and drawing, fostering creativity and skill development across multiple mediums.
References
Darren Byrne
Deputy Principal at St.Joseph's Secondary School Rush
"Karla-Louise is a pleasure to work with and her attitude is infectious. Her willingness to involve herself in copious amounts of extra curricular activities has had her a firm favourite among our staff..."
Nuala Ni Mhurchu
Principal of Ardgillan Community College
"Karla-Louise has proven herself to be a talented, committed and dedicated teacher. Karla Louise is solid, dependable and reliable. She will be an asset to any school.."
Dr. Isobelle Mullaney
School Placement Director ,
School of Education, NCAD
Reference available upon request