totem poles being made by senior students at Bulleen Heights School

beginning the Essendon North Pre-school mural

A windy day to begin, but luckily I escaped the hail.
Putting up this wonderful tree full of birds and creepy crawlies in the grass and branches.

Year 9 unplugged at Marian - mosaic workshop

Oh dear we packed up in such a hurry that most of the mosaics were wrapped up and on their way home when I took photographs so we have only a few of the ones made.
well done girls, you did very well. what a lovely day!

Gallipoli Bollard at Glen Katherine Primary School

These photos are taken from the two days installation of the Gallipoli Bollard at Glen Katherine Primary School. It is yet to be grouted ( waiting for a sunny day). Each class has written a statement about Anzac Day and what it means to them. These statements have been placed around the base of the Bollard. 

This artwork has been devised as an ongoing educational tool which teachers can use as a starting point when talking about Australia's involvement at Gallipoli and in other wars. It contains cameos which depict different aspects of the first world war, which include references to Gallipoli, some of the roles of men and women in the first world war, the involvement of Indigenous Australians in the war, the impact on families when their loved ones were injured or died. 

The bollard design also includes Flanders poppies and also native Australian flowers, which are also the School's competitive House names. Also included in the wreaths around the cameos are two native species of the area, the Eltham butterfly and the sugarglider.

The bollard is at the front of the school and a Gallipoli Oak Tree will be planted nearby. It is hoped that this artwork will serve as a permanent memory site for reflecting about those who have lost their lives at Gallipoli and in other wars.

New artworks for a Gallipoli Memory Site - Glen Katherine Primary School

This project will be a ceramic mural on a cylinder (150cm high/ 35cm wide) to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of  Gallipoli. The memory site will act as a place to remember the history of Gallipoli but also as a place for evoking memories and sharing stories and learning.

For example whilst I was painting these pictures in the classroom, children would come up to me to have a look and inevitably tell me a story which connected them to the artwork.

'My father was in the war'. (most likely referring to a recent war)
"Our grandfather's brothers died in the war, there were three of them who died in one family.'
'My brother watched the Gallipoli movie last night. He was allowed to stay up late and watch it.'

The mural will include imagery which links to the ANZAC story as well as the broader story of Australians in the 1st World War. The cameos of paintings will be surrounded by wreaths of poppies and wildflowers native to Eltham (which are also the school house emblems).

Each class in the school will also have the opportunity to write a statement which will go around the base of the artwork.
Below : The tiles have been made so that they are ready to write onto.


below: An example from another mural, of how they look when they are in the artwork.




Below is a sketch of the plan for the artwork.

Below: photographs of artwork made from clay for the cylinder.
please note, these pictures are painted onto wet clay with ceramic paints and their correct colours will not show until they are fired. So don't be alarmed at the mauve flags, it turns dark blue.