October 2013: Saturday Art Attack class, Term 4

I was quite busy at the Penrith Regional Gallery this month: I went to a lovely talk by artist David Hockney’s brother, John, who lives in the Blue Mountains and lent some of his extensive collection to an intimate exhibition named “Love, David”. My friend Helen and I had a lovely time. The Snapshot photography exhibition was on, and the Lewers Learning Centre “Scissors, paper, rock (the boat)” exhibition was gaining more audience, but no school booked a workshop so I didn’t work during the week this term.

My intimate group of 7 students grew into a versatile group of 13 students! The age range was huge (5 years old, that haven’t started year K yet, to 12 years olds about to finish primary school... Makes sense as the class was advertised for 6-10 years old...) The first lesson we did as a tour of the gallery and outdoors drawing, using a view finder and coloured pencils. Went very well.

The next lesson we looked at the boats in the exhibition and made clay boats in dioramas (similar to the ones made in the school holidays workshop, but with a lot more planning and details). Each had their own theme.

I was called into the gallery to stand in for Amanda, the Art Box tutor, as her house in Faulconbridge was under fire threat. I did a drawing lesson. The kids used view finders to draw outdoors and to select a section in a painting, and created little booklets.