Connecting with Country through art
Students at St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School’s Drouin Campus celebrated Indigenous Literacy Day through creativity, storytelling and a growing appreciation for Country.
Gathering in the Art Space, students explored “My Walk Through the Seasons on Ngaanyatjarra Country” by First Nations artist and storyteller Daisy Tjuparntarri Ward. The book prompted students to consider Country as a teacher and reflect on the changing seasons and natural world around them.
Students then headed outdoors to collect eucalyptus leaves from the school grounds, using each leaf as a unique canvas. The activity encouraged personalised learning, as each student responded to the natural shapes, lines, veins and textures of their chosen leaf with acrylic paint pens, creating an individual design inspired by the world around them.
The finished leaves were brought together to create a collaborative whole-school artwork, with each student contributing a small but distinctive piece to the larger work.
The artwork celebrates creativity, connection, storytelling and the natural environment, and will soon have a special place within the Drouin Campus for students, families and visitors to enjoy.