Bush studio HPGE | Stage 2–3 Creative Arts

Program activities

Activities may change to suit student needs, available materials, participant numbers, timing, weather conditions and facilitator requirements.

Nature and contemporary art

Students acknowledge Country and consider how artists respond to places, natural materials and environmental ideas. They work collaboratively to construct temporary artworks using found natural materials, drawing inspiration from the ephemeral practice of Andy Goldsworthy.

Bushland observation and photography

Students walk through Field of Mars Reserve and closely observe visible and less obvious features of the bushland. They investigate form, line, colour, texture, pattern, scale, light and space in plants, rocks, water, leaf litter and other natural surfaces.

Using Field of Mars EEC iPads, students photograph details and compositions that can be used as references or incorporated into later artworks. They experiment with viewpoint, framing, focus and scale to present familiar natural features in new ways.

Texture, colour and mark making

Students use sketching, etching, frottage and watercolour to record bushland textures, forms and colours. They explore ways different tools, pressures, marks and materials can produce contrasting visual effects.

Students apply elements and principles of design when selecting colours, arranging forms and developing compositions. They experiment freely before identifying techniques and observations they want to develop further.

Mixed-media artwork and gallery walk

Students combine selected drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, clay, photographic or natural-material techniques to create a resolved artwork inspired by Field of Mars Reserve. They refine their work by considering balance, contrast, scale, texture, colour and the relationship between different materials.

Students display their completed artworks during a gallery walk. They describe their artistic intentions, explain material and compositional choices, and respond constructively to the work of other students.

This program is supported by the NSW DoE Arts Unit.

Timetable

Time	Activities
9.15	Arrival
9.30–10.00	Nature and contemporary art
10.00–10.15	Recess
10.15–11.00	Bushland observation and photography
11.00–12.00	Texture, colour and mark making
12.00–12.30	Lunch
12.30–2.00	Mixed-media artwork
2.00–2.15	Gallery walk
2.15	Student collection and departure

The timetable may be adjusted according to participant numbers, available materials, environmental conditions and the needs of participating students.

Syllabus outcomes and content

Students will learn to

• closely observe natural environments and identify visual qualities including line, form, colour, texture, pattern, scale and space
• investigate ways artists represent nature, place and environmental ideas
• develop artistic ideas from direct observation, photography and experimentation
• use drawing, photography, painting, printmaking, collage, clay and mixed-media processes
• make intentional choices about materials, techniques, colour and composition
• develop, review and refine artworks to strengthen the communication of ideas
• describe artistic intentions and respond to artworks using visual arts vocabulary.

The program supports the Creative Arts K–6 Syllabus (2024) through visual arts making, observation, experimentation, representation, composition, material practice and the interpretation of artworks.

Creative Arts K–6 Syllabus (2024) – Stage 2

Visual Arts

Outcome

• CA2-VIS-01 – Makes artworks using art forms to represent subject matter and ideas, and describes ways artists convey ideas about their world to audiences through artworks

Content addressed

Making: Artists represent their world through subject matter and ideas in artworks

• Represent subject matter and ideas in artworks, making choices based on own interpretations of the world
• Use drawing materials and techniques to create effects with texture and tone to represent subject matter and ideas
• Explore digital tools to make or manipulate still or moving images, text and/or sounds
• Explore balance, scale and proportion in compositions to represent subject matter and ideas

Creative Arts K–6 Syllabus (2024) – Stage 3

Visual Arts

Outcome

• CA3-VIS-01 – Makes artworks in intentional ways to represent ideas about their world, and explains ways artists are influenced by contexts and how artworks are interpreted by audiences

Content addressed

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
• Use drawing materials and techniques to create artistic effects to represent subject matter or ideas in intentional ways
• 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
• Apply understandings of materials, digital technologies and processes to represent intended ideas in artworks
• Explore artistic conventions and ways to represent subject matter and ideas in compositions

Creative Arts K–6 Syllabus (2024) © NSW Education Standards Authority for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2024

Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary

analyse, compose, contrast, create, evaluate, experiment, explore, interpret, observe, refine, represent, resolve, audience, collage, composition, contemporary art, ephemeral art, etching, form, frottage, mixed media, pattern, printmaking, scale, subject matter, texture, tone, viewpoint, visual conventions

Program costs, eligibility and booking

Cost

$60 per student – GST free

Program costs are processed through each student’s home school.

Program costs may change. If program costs change after you book, you will be charged at the original cost.

Eligibility

This program is available to Stage 2 and Stage 3 students enrolled in NSW Department of Education schools.

Schools should select students who demonstrate strong interest or potential in visual arts, close observation, drawing, painting, printmaking, mixed media, composition or creative experimentation. Selection should consider curiosity and potential, not only prior achievement.

Dates and booking

Bush studio is offered on selected HPGE program dates. Check available dates and remaining places before selecting students.

View HPGE program dates and remaining places

Cancellations

Less than 4 weeks notice – full cost (excluding HPGE programs in Term 1, Weeks 3–5)

Weather or fire danger cancellation – $0

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Student numbers, supervision and support

Student numbers

A school may nominate up to twelve students for each HPGE program day.

Places are limited and subject to the remaining program capacity.

Supervision

Classroom teachers are not required to attend but are welcome.

Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre teachers supervise students throughout the program. Schools must provide a teacher or school learning support officer when a student requires additional assistance to participate safely and successfully.

Student information

Schools must provide accurate medical, allergy, medication, emergency contact, collection and support information for every participating student.

Student details must be confirmed at least seven working school days before the program. Changes can be made using the edit-submission link provided with the booking confirmation.

Support and adjustments

Notify Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre before the program about any mobility, sensory, communication, behavioural, medical or learning support requirements. Staff can discuss reasonable adjustments and suitable participation options.

What to bring, arrival and transport

Students should bring

School sports uniform, art smock, backpack, medication, low-waste food, water bottle, sunscreen, raincoat, hat and sturdy shoes.

Arrival and departure

Students should be dropped off by 9.15 am and collected at 2.15 pm.

A teacher, parent or responsible adult must supervise students until they have been received by Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre staff.

Transport and parking

Schools and families are responsible for transport to and from Field of Mars Reserve.

Cars must park in the main car park beside Pittwater Road. Students and accompanying adults then walk along the access road to the centre.

View Field of Mars Reserve location and access information

Risk management, weather and cancellations

Risk management

The program includes indoor artmaking, outdoor observations in bushland, walking near natural vegetation and creeks, collecting or arranging fallen natural materials and using iPads, artmaking tools and a range of art materials.

Schools should review the Field of Mars Reserve risk management information when planning student participation and transport.

Students who are unwell should not attend.

View the Field of Mars Reserve risk management plan⁠

View Field of Mars Reserve location and access information

⁠Weather

The program may be modified, postponed or cancelled because of predicted extreme temperatures, bush fire danger, heavy rainfall, high winds or dust storms.

Field activities may continue in light rain when conditions are safe. Students must bring a waterproof raincoat.

Families may be directed to the Westminster Road entrance when flooding prevents access through the main entrance.

View Westminster Road entrance information