Art News 

Errol St Campus

From Tess Vu, Senior school Art teacher

Celebrations and good fortune

We are launching the year with our first big project focusing on Lunar New Year, exploring cultural traditions through a range of artistic techniques across Grades 3–6. 

Grade 3 & 4 - Lion Dance Resist

Students are creating a lion dance resist using oil pastels and watercolour paint. As part of the process, students have been carefully planning, experimenting, and refining the shape of their lions. They began by drawing collaboratively on the whiteboard to test ideas and proportions before sketching their final designs onto paper, ready for the next stage. Through this project, students are learning about the symbolism of the lion dance and how colour, pattern, and emphasis are used in celebrations.

Grade 5- Fortune Cookies

Students have been working with clay to create fortune cookies. They carefully shaped their forms using scoring and slip techniques before allowing them to dry. Students will paint their cookies using traditional Lunar New Year motifs and symbols, then write a meaningful message to place inside.

Grade 6- Batik Horses

We have been studying the work of Carol Law Conklin, with a focus on her batik horses. As many of our students were born in the Year of the Horse, this has been a meaningful connection. Students have been learning how to draw horses with attention to proportion and movement and will be experimenting with a batik-inspired method using crayon and ink to replicate the resist effect.

It has been a wonderful start to the year with students engaging thoughtfully in both cultural learning and creative skill development. Students have also embraced this opportunity to share their own Lunar New Year traditions and family experiences, enriching our classroom discussions and deepening our understanding of the celebration within our community.