Australian Artist Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1976

Pro Hart was born in Broken Hill in He grew up on a sheep station and started drawing at a young age. During this time he started taking formal art classes to formalise his technique. As his popularity grew, he started to travel the world and met kings, queens, prime ministers and a lot of his painting are in international collections. Pro Hart also made carpet ads for television. He continued to use any medium for his artwork so he was able to achieve the desired outcome. On March 28 th 2006, Pro Hart died in Broken Hill. What do you think artists do? What is a medium? What sort of mediums can be in art?

Etching is a medium when an artist uses a metal plate which has been covered with a waxy substance. The artist draws their image through the wax till they have reached the metal. The metal plate then is put in an acid bath which will dissolve the exposed lines. The wax is cleaned off and ink is put into the drawn lines, and then the plate is wiped clean. The plate is then covered with paper and put through a press, which forces the paper into the lines, which results in the raised characteristics of the etching. What colours can you see in the painting? What types of lines did he use? Ant Trail: Etching print

Colour etching: starts the same way as an etching, but the artist adds colour to make the insects stand out. What different colours can be seen in this picture? Are there a lot of straight lines? Are there some curved lines? Can you describe some of the grasshoppers lines? What words can you think of to describe this painting? Grasshopper: Colour etching print.

Gouache painting is similar to watercolour but has been modified to make it opaque (see through). Because the paint has more pigments in there, this makes the paint heavier and has more reflective qualities. If the painting was here, could we see through it? How bright do you think this painting is? What bright colours were used to make this painting? What is this artists name? Dragonfly: Gouache on paper print.

Silk-screening, is where an artist cuts an image out of material and attaches it to a tight stretched mesh. Paint is forced through the mesh onto a piece of paper. The uncovered areas of the mesh will allow the paint through whereas the covered areas will not. If the art work has more than one colour, a separate screen is required for each colour. What colours have been used for this painting? What type of lines did Pro Hart use? What else can you see in the painting? Two Faces: Silkscreen print.

Drawing: the children will sit up at the tables to draw their picture. The children will get their own paper off the art trolley. The teacher will give a child a box of fine tipped black markers for them to hand out to each child. The children will sit down and draw their animal picture. When finished the children will place their picture in the basket for the next day. The children can go and wash their hands, and read quietly until all the children have finished. When finished the assistant can wipe down the tables, and the educator can sit on the mat with the children and discuss what they had done. Setting up art activity one.

Wet chalk/charcoal drawing: the second lesson plan is for colouring in their drawing. The educator can have enough wet chalk ready for all the children. This can be done by soaking chalk in a bit of water. The educator has the children sitting on the mat and explain that they are going to colour in the picture they drew yesterday. The educator can send the children off to the tables and then hand out their pictures to them. The children can sit and colour in their pictures and take as long as they like. When the children have finished colouring in they should go and wash their hand to get rid of the chalk dust. Then they can go and read or do some puzzles quietly. When all children have finished, the assistant can clean the tables and pack away the chalk. The educator can sit with the children on the mat and discuss what they had done with their drawings. The educator can also discuss with the children where they would like to display their drawings. Set up art activity two.

Plasticine: the third activity is a 3D model. The educator can have plasticine out on the table for the children to mould their animals. The educator can have the children sitting on the mat, explain to the group that they are making animals with the plasticine. The educator can hand their pictures back out to the children so they can remember what they had drawn. The children can go and find their own spot at the tables, and start to mould their animals. The children can take as long as they wish. The educator should be taking photos to add into their program throughout the last 3 days. When the children are finished they should move their moulds onto a shelf where pieces of paper with their names. The children then should wash their hands to remove the plasticine. They then should go and play quietly with the blocks until all children are finished. When all children are finished, and have packed away the blocks, the educator can ask them to sit on the mat. The educator can discuss with the children about the three activities over the last three days. What was their favourite part? Which painting from the artist did they like the most? Where at home are they going to put their animal they had made? Set up art activity three.

Conclusion: Questions to ask the children: What is your favourite Pro Hart artwork that was shown? Is this still your favourite Pro Hart artwork after you have finished all the art activities? Show the artworks one by one, and ask for their comments this time, and see if they have changed since when they were first shown. Which art activity did you like doing the most? Why did you like this one the most?