Visual Arts Focus
Commemorating Anzac Day
Term two began for our student artists by honouring the Aboriginal soldiers who served in the Australian army in the First World War.
We examined Vincent Namatjira’s series of portraits titled ‘The Unknown Soldier’. The paintings are not portraits of specific individual soldiers, instead they are pieced together from different fragments of Vincent’s research. One is even based on a self-portrait as he tried to understand the mindset of the Indigenous men who volunteered for WW1.
They are indeed a tribute to the contribution of Indigenous soldiers and the eternal cultural contact that Aboriginal people hold to always look after and protect Country.
Each student took inspiration from Vincent’s work to draw their own version of the unknown soldier. They chose to use pencils, pastels or markers to give their work colour. Some decided to leave them black and white.
The portraits were cut out by the Grade 6 Art Committee and assembled on fabric panels which had been printed in a camouflaged pattern by the Foundation students.
They now have the privilege to be suspended next to our Honour Roll in the Old Hall.
This is our personal tribute and appreciation to all those Aboriginal soldiers who sacrificed their lives to defend Australia. We will remember them.
Drawing the unknown soldier
Portraits of soldiers cut and assembled
Vincent Namatjira’s series of portraits titled ‘The Unknown Soldier’
Camouflage pattern - created by Foundation students
Camouflage pattern on fabric panels
Drawing the unknown soldier
Portraits of soldiers cut and assembled
Vincent Namatjira’s series of portraits titled ‘The Unknown Soldier’
Camouflage pattern - created by Foundation students
Camouflage pattern on fabric panels
Gum Trees
Gum trees have been our focus as we channel Albert Namatjira’s approach to his landscapes. He simply walked outside, sat down and painted what he saw… which of course were gum trees, mostly ghost gums!
Accordingly, our student artists did the same – they took their journals and pencil and sat in front of a gum tree.
A ghost gum with its vivid white bark was even spied near the Langridge St fence line.
Whilst drawing, students looked for lines to form the trunk and branches and shapes in the bunches of leaves.
These sketches will be the basis for work utilising their paintings from term one.
A blast from the past...
Check these photos from 2016 of students drawing the gum tree in Kaan's Winya. Our garden has really grown!
2016 - Drawing the gum tree in Kaan’s Winya
Gum Tree in Kaan’s Winya in 2016 with Bunjil’s nest intact
10 years ago… just look at Kaans Winya then!
2016 - with Bunjil’s nest intact
2016 - Drawing the gum tree in Kaan’s Winya
Gum Tree in Kaan’s Winya in 2016 with Bunjil’s nest intact
10 years ago… just look at Kaans Winya then!
2016 - with Bunjil’s nest intact
Designing the ART FOR ALL 2026 T-shirt
Once again, the Grade 6 students were invited to be part of the design team for the ART FOR ALL 2026 T-shirt.
Graphic Designer, Claire McNamee shared her experiences and introduced the design principles and brief for this year’s t-shirt. Our Grade 6 artists thought about colours, layout and images related to both Arthur and Vincent Namatjira. Having two artists to consider is quite a challenge! A vote was also taken for the colour of the t-shirt.
Claire will develop their suggestions and designs to create a few examples for the ART FOR ALL Committee to decide on which will be our 2026 preference.
Keep an eye out for the order forms for the t-shirts – they are coming soon!
ART FOR ALL t-shirts across the years!
Learning about design
ART FOR ALL t-shirts across the years!
Learning about design
Marjie Tkatchenko
Visual Arts Teacher