The Arts

Art Academy Incursion

Art Academy recently had the opportunity to explore watercolour monotypes with Jonas Ropponen, the Head Printmaking and lecturer the Fine Arts Department at Monash University.  Watercolour Monotype is a unique kind of printmaking technique where you transfer an impression from a painted surface onto paper, making it a blend of printmaking and water colouring. Jonas was such a great guide and helped us throughout the artmaking process, even if things got a little messy.  Students brought in their own drawings and photos to place under a plastic sheet which they painted over with watercolour mixed with detergent.  Over lunch, we waited for our pieces to dry before printing them on dampened paper on the press.  I’ve personally never tried this technique before as I’ve only attempted printing with ink, so it was a little daunting at first.  But I was really impressed by my final piece and I'm so happy with how it turned out.  It’s quite a calming and easy process that anyone can do, I’d recommend you all to come down to Open Studio sometime and give it a go.

Sam T - Visual Arts Captain

The students approached the workshop with enthusiasm, curiosity and a willingness to experiment, listening carefully to Jonas' guidance throughout the day.  Their preparation was outstanding, with each student bringing thoughtful drawings and photographs that translated beautifully into watercolour monotypes.  The resulting prints are a wonderful reflection of their creativity and the unique qualities of this fascinating printmaking process.  

If you would like to see these beautiful works, we warmly invite you to visit the Annual Visual Art Exhibition, opening on Tuesday, 10 November at 6.00 pm and continuing until Thursday, 12 November.  We hope you can join us to celebrate the creativity and achievements of all of our Visual Arts students.

Ms Lorelle Evans

Visual Arts Learning Leader