Art with Bianca
A big thank you to the Lalor East PS community for welcoming me into the Art room this term, it has been an absolute pleasure getting to know everyone! I wanted to take this opportunity to share what we have been working on.
Prep and P/1
The Prep and P/1 classes have been focusing on the key art elements of colour, line, shape, and texture. We've been using picture books as imaginative prompts to spark creative thinking and artistic responses. For example, we created self-portraits inspired by Ella Kazoo Will Not Brush Her Hair by Lee Fox and Cathy Wilcox. We explored emotions through art using the books Happy by Mies van Hout and Ugly Fish by Kara LaReau and Scott Magoon.
Here are some self portraits inspired by Ella Kazoo, we imagined what it would be like to have hair like Ella!
We also responded to the Dreamtime story of the Rainbow Serpent by listening to the story, examining different visual representations, and decorating our own spiral snakes.
In addition, we’ve enjoyed several ‘Art Play’ sessions, rotating through various stations to explore different materials and creative processes. These activities support the development of early art skills, encourage self-expression, and help build confidence in art-making. Popular choices have included play dough, sensory sand, and watercolour painting.
Grade 1/2 Classes - Shape
This term, the focus for Grade 1/2 was the visual art element of shape — and we had a lot of fun exploring this topic!
We began by creating our own unique Name Monsters, using the shape our written name makes to form the basis of these imaginative characters.
We also explored the question: What could a dot be? This sparked lots of creative interpretations and playful artwork! We also experimented with the Japanese art technique Hirameki, where random shapes or marks are transformed into imaginative drawings. Another art session we tore coloured paper into organic, irregular shapes and used them as starting points to create some very clever artworks!
Our major assessment piece for the term was a vibrant, expressive bird collage inspired by Australian artist Pete Cromer. Using colourful paper shapes and collage techniques, students designed bold and joyful bird artworks that showcased their understanding of shape and creativity.
Senior School Classes – Grades 3-6 – Personal Shields
This term, senior students (Grades 3–6) focused on a major assessment task: designing a personal shield. This project encouraged students to reflect on their identity and represent it visually through traditional and personal symbols. These symbols expressed their interests, values, strengths, aspirations, and cultural connections.
The students have done an outstanding job, and it’s been fantastic to see how proud they are of their finished work. Their creativity and thoughtfulness really shine through in each unique shield!
Congratulations to all students on the fabulous work they’ve created in Art this term. Wishing everyone a happy and safe holiday!
Bianca Vecchio
Visual Art Specialist