Who Is That?? Portraits Like Picasso

Last week we experimented with the challenging concept of continuous line, in which the entire drawing is completed without lifting the pen from the page. This week we're taking that one step further to blind continuous line! 

Picasso 'Light Drawing', 1949

Photo by Gjon Mili 1949 for LIFE Magazine.

We begin with a discussion about realistic, abstract and semi-abstract drawing, while viewing some examples of Pablo Picasso's fabulous 'Light Drawings' (1949) which he executed with an electric light in a darkened room, photographed by artist Gjon Mili for LIFE magazine.

Kaleidoscope Owls

"A line is just a dot that went for a walk." Paul Klee

This week we're taking a walk with a continuous line owl drawing, then adding a different colour to each shape created. The concept and the execution is more challenging than we expected, and takes a bit of patience, but the beautiful free-flowing line and jewel kaleidoscope colours that result are well worth the effort!

Libby

Art Adventures In Space

Have you ever visited the Hubble Telescope website? The images are just amazing!!

This year Hubble celebrates 25 years of 'Unveiling the Universe'. We thought we'd join in the celebrations by creating our own Space-artscapes with a creative twist....

After looking at pictures of galaxies, nebulas, novas and star clusters from the Hubble website, we imagined what we might see if we ever have the chance to view the far reaches of the universe 'close up'. Planets, rockets, meteors.... Then we thought about what other objects might we see... what 'space junk' might careless space explorers before us have left behind? We let our imaginations run wild....  

Please enjoy our Hubble Telescope inspired Space Adventures!

Olivia

Koinobori

This week on May 5, families throughout Japan celebrate Kodomo no hi, Japanese Children's Day.

This special day celebrates children, and honours their mothers. Families hang Koinobori (Koi kites) outside their homes to symbolise their children growing strong and healthy.

As artists we've taken inspiration from the traditional Koinobori, to create our own lively, colourful versions using layers of crayon resist on watercolour paper, coloured paper and streamers.

They are gorgeous!

Thursday

Beautiful Banyans for Earth Day

The Banyan tree is the national tree of India. It is a variety of fig, similar to our Moreton Bay Fig, starting life a small seed in the canopy of a 'host' tree which it uses for support as it sends out roots towards the ground. Gradually, the host tree dies leaving the Banyan to continue it's growth. As each branch spreads out it sends down more roots to provide nutrients and support.

The Banyan can live for hundreds of years, and reach an amazing size as it continues to spread.

The canopies of some of the largest Banyan trees in India cover areas of 4 and 5 acres!

Earth Day is celebrated worldwide each year on April 22. On this day people around the world hold events to show their support for environmental protection. To celebrate we've taken the Indian Banyan tree as inspiration for our art this week.

Our Banyans are completed in ink and oil pastel. Children are encouraged to select analogous (side by side) colours to blend into the negative spaces between the branches and roots of our trees.

Our Earth Day Banyan Trees are truly beautiful!

Talia

Positively Speaking

Self-talk - all those 'conversations' we have with ourselves throughout our day - is a very powerful thing!

Whether positive or negative, self-talk influences how we see ourselves, how we present ourselves to others, how we think, feel and behave. If our self-talk is predominantly negative, it can sabotage our best efforts to succeed, but when our positive self-talk outweighs the negative we can achieve almost anything!

This week we've made conscious efforts to tell each other, and ourselves, how great we really are!

Grace