We didn’t venture out this New Year’s Eve because our Bernese Mountain Dogs, Henry (left) and Lexxy hate the Fireworks. I’m looking forward to a year of sharing, teaching and learning in Visual Arts, my school’s 20th Birthday reunion, blogging, Social Networking and a 12Km trip around Australia.

Looking for ideas in different blogs I discovered St Martin’s Computer Lab blog and liked their onetruemedia presentation. I tried making one  using a fireworks theme( for New Year) and some stirring music. I’m hoping it works.

Student Artwork 2008

I am pleased that so many people are visiting our Visual Arts blog and am also pleased that holiday time gives me the chance to visit other blogs and leave comments for the students and teachers.Taylors Lakes is a north western suburb of Melbourne, Australia. The once-farming area was built as a suburb approximately 30 years ago. The school opened in February 1989 so we are just about to celebrate its 20th Birthday. Our lakes are man made and are small but attractive.They are named after our native water birds Ibis, Spoonbill and Herron.

It’s forecast to be 26C or around 80F here for Christmas Day. I’m enjoying a rest from school but each year I think my Christmas Tree is a work of Art so this year I thought I’d share it. Thankyou to you  for visiting our blog  and Season’s Greetings to you and your family.

It’s Graduation night for our Grade 6 students and they are very excited. I grouted the Rat Mosaic  at home on my day off yesterday and, as usual, it was transformed. Customers who visited our home today ( my husband runs our Loudspeaker business from home) loved the finished mosaic. It will be unveiled and presented to the school Principal, Peter Reading tonight at the end of the Graduation ceremony. Its designer, 6AN student Nicholas Lidis should be very proud. I know I am. I intend to post some step by step grouting instructions for the students who have not completed their individual  mosaic works. It was tricky juggling the camera and working with the grout but it was all worth when I saw the end result.

For ages I have been wanting to add a slideshow to our Blog.Today I’ve  found  a way to do this. I hope it works. Click on View all Images. I’ve only added a few  this time as an experiment.

Friday the 12th of December was the last day of Art classes for our school year in Melbourne, Australia.

One of our enthusiastic and talented Grade 2AK students brought along a pastel drawing she had done at a Brimbank City Council run Art Class so I am happy to publish it.

Congratulations Candy.

Today will be the last day of Art lessons for many of our Grade 6 students. They have worked hard to complete their  individual mosaics but we didn’t realise what a complex task it is and could have allowed more sessions. Hopefully they will take home the necessary tiles and complete them at home and then put on the grout. Fortunately ready mixed grout is now available from  hardware stores like Bunnings.

In their last Art session of the school year our Preps (our first year at school- Kindergarten in other countries)  completed their Three Bears Drawings and embellished them with Collage. More are featured on the Recent Student Artwork page.

Since beginning our Blog the year seems to have gone faster than ever. I am looking forward to our 6 week Summer holidays and I am enthusiastic about the 2009 school year, knowing that we have this great avenue for sharing our work. Our school is celebrating its 20th Birthday in 2009. It will be great to catch up with past students and get some feedback about their Art Room experiences. Those  students I have contacted via Facebook are keen to reconnect with Taylors Lakes Primary School and each other via social networking. Many have become teachers themselves and many have undertaken creative pursuits such as Web and Fashion Design …… amazing young people. I am very proud to have been their Art teacher.

I enjoy playing around with this Matisse Widget. http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/MatisseArtist

I hope we will have an interactive whiteboard within the next year so we can share such activities with  our students in class.