Royal National Park Environmental Education Centre

Telephone02 9542 1951

Emailroyalnatpk-e.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Artists in nature

Creative Arts K-6 (2006 & 2024) – Visual Arts

Program overview

Students will gain a deeper understanding of how to create interesting and engaging artworks using nature as their guide. Using the Elements and Principles of Art, students will develop a rich source of ideas to create and appreciate both art and nature.  

Learning experiences

Print making

Students print leaves and other natural materials onto various surfaces. They experiment with other techniques such as leaf rubbings. Each student creates and takes home a canvas bag. If time permits, students work in small groups or individually to create ephemeral art inspired by artists such as Andy Goldsworthy.

Nature photography on bushwalk

Students are inspired by a presentation showing outstanding photos taken by primary school students. They learn some photography theory as well as tips to take quality photos on iPads. In small groups, students spend time on the Bungoona Path taking photos applying their new knowledge. Back in the classroom they reflect on their favourite images. Along the trail students will also observe elements of art and principles of design in nature.

Recommended excursion site

Key syllabus outcomes

Students:

  • investigate subject matter in an attempt to represent likenesses of things in the world (CA-VAS3.1)
  • make artworks for different audiences assembling materials in a variety of ways (CA-VAS3.2)
  • acknowledge that audiences respond in different ways to artworks and that there are different opinions about the value of artworks (CA-VAS3.3)
  • communicate about the ways in which subject matter is represented in artworks (CA-VAS3.4)

Visual Arts

Making: Artists represent their world in intentional ways through their artmaking practice

  • Represent ideas or perspectives of their world and intentions in own artmaking practice

  • Create intentional effects with awareness of the relationships between colours and tones, to represent subject matter or ideas in realistic, imaginative or symbolic ways

  • Use painting materials, techniques and processes to explore ways to apply paint in combination with mixed media materials

  • Use printmaking materials, techniques and processes to explore ways to make single or multiple prints

  • Explore artistic conventions and ways to represent subject matter and ideas in compositions