Specialist Learning - Visual Arts
Term Four Indigenous Art Focus
Throughout Term Four, students across the junior and senior levels will engage in an Indigenous art focus. Students will explore Aboriginal symbols and their meanings, the colours traditionally used, and a range of artistic techniques. Through these learning experiences, students will respectfully explore and apply selected techniques to create their own original artworks.
Prep
In Prep, students will explore a selection of Indigenous symbols and their meanings. They will practise drawing these symbols in sand trays before experimenting with painting them using colours inspired by those traditionally used in Indigenous Australian artworks.
As a class, students will create a bunting display featuring some of the symbols they have explored and learned about throughout the unit.
We will then move on to an artist study about Claude Monet, where we initially learn about ‘en plein air’ which is a French expression that translates to ‘in the open air’. This took our students outdoors to enjoy nature around them.
Year 1/2
In Years 1 and 2, students will learn more about the significance and uses of bush medicine. They will explore the artwork of Indigenous artist Rosemary Petyarre, including her Bush Medicine artworks.
Students will examine the patterns, colours and designs within these artworks and use them as inspiration to develop their own artistic designs. They will then create original artworks that respectfully connect to the ideas, patterns and visual elements they have explored.
We will then move on to an artist study about Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.
Year 5/6
Students will explore the stories and consider how written texts and visual art can work together to communicate ideas, stories and cultural knowledge. They will then learn about zines—small, self-published booklets or magazines—and design and create their own.
Each student’s zine will include either a short story inspired by the themes and ideas explored in texts such as Stradbroke Dreaming connected to the Indigenous artworks and artistic techniques studied throughout the unit.
We will then move on to an artist study about Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.
Chris Namor
Visual Arts Teacher Prep, 1/2 and 5/6
Please note 3/4 Visual Arts was shared by Ms Beck last term