Visual Arts - Highlights of 2013

At Olinda Primary School we create and present art by exploring painting, drawing, threads and textiles, construction and modelling. Art is a valuable part of a learning process which contributes to the development of the individual’s creativity, recreational skills and the ability to express and communicate their ideas.
Children at Olinda Primary School have the opportunity to engage with the Visual Arts in numerous ways.

Term 1
Each Child created an ‘Eric Carle’ inspired illustration following the artist’s original process of layering painted tissue paper and then arranging it in the desired way. Each child was amazed by how their work was so like that of the numerous Carle illustrations in stories such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Grouchy Ladybug, The Very Quiet Cricket and The Very Busy Spider which we read as part of our Mini-beasts Unit.

Term 2
To stretch and challenge our amazing artists, we decided to create Block Prints with foam and inks. Through discussions about positive and negative space, complimentary colours and mirror images the children grew in their understanding of printmaking. Children worked individually on this project. As you can see from the example of Taleah’s work above, all children experienced success!

Term 3
We had a very busy Term 3 in Visual Arts which included a visit to the National Gallery of Victoria’s exhibition ‘Monet’s Garden’ as part of our French Language Program at Olinda. Our whole school experienced and enjoyed this trip into the city.

As a reflection on the excursion the children worked collaboratively to create an ‘Impressionistic Installation’ of ‘Monet’s Garden’ in the entry to the school. Working in groups they used Monet’s artistic approaches. Come and see – it is fabulous!! The children also created a stunning imitation mosaic stained glass windows just like the ‘Great Hall’ in the gallery!

The children also worked very hard on a sculpture called ‘Place, Passion, Play’ which saw clay being used. Here an understanding of three dimensional forms and the idea of abstract expression was experienced by many of the children for the first time. After reading ‘My Place’ by Nadia Wheatley and other Indigenous stories as part of our History Unit, children reflected on their place, their passions and what they love to play. These three pieces will combine in a form of a totem. We are still in process of glazing and firing - more pictures to come.

Term 4
We will be glazing and firing our sculptures; experiencing colour wheel activities and creating three indigenous inspired dot painted panels in groups that reflect our school community – further investigating the history of the first Australians. To top it all off we will design and create the amazing props required for our End of Year Performances!!! The Inaugural Olinda Art Show will highlight each student’s work, enabling them to have commentary on their work and be proud of their progress. At Olinda each child progresses on their individual trajectory, all achieve success and all are inspired to be lifelong learners!