31 Jan 2024
Illustrating nature
Creativity flourished when Prep School students were treated to a two-week illustrator-in-residence programme with Brisbane-based illustrator, Ingrid Bartkowiak, as part of this year’s Book Week celebrations.
Ingrid was nominated for the 2023 New Illustrator award by the Children’s Book Council of Australia for her illustrations in the book, Naturopolis. Over the two-week illustrator-in-residence period, she worked with boys across all Prep School year levels to create their own botanical and zoological images. She also explored the important relationship between words and pictures with the boys, helping them develop their visual literacy.
Ingrid showed our Reception and Year 1 boys how to use clay to make leaf imprints. Year 2 also used leaves to create gorgeous cyanotype prints, which are made by placing an object on a light-sensitive surface before exposure to the sun.
Years 3 and 4 students sketched animals and plants and made specimen tags with information on the back, just like the tags in the Naturopolis illustrations. Ingrid showed the boys how to use fine liner pens and watercolour paints to finish their drawings. The boys learned a lot about illustration and received firsthand instruction in developing their art techniques.
Later in the term, Ingrid returned to Churchie to paint a mural onto the glass windows in the Prep School library using artwork by our Years 5 and 6 boys.
It was wonderful to have Ingrid visit the School and help our students explore a range of visual responses to their local environment.
)
)
)
)
)