From Sunday 2 February to Tuesday 4 February 2014, 43 Year 11 Visual Arts students and Mr Thompson, Mr Pawley and Ms Chapman travelled to the Bundanon Trust, property of the late Australian artists Arthur Boyd in the Shoalhaven River area.

“The camp is planned as an introduction to the Senior Visual Arts program, structured along the line of an intensive university level course where students undergo a series of lectures and masterclasses in various art making techniques. In the lectures Visual Arts Teacher, Mr Pawley introduced the notion that all artworks are forms of representations as well as many of the significant concepts covered in the HSC course”, said Rowan Smith (11/PR). “I no longer value art by how realistically it represents its subject”, he added.

The days are spent on the inspiring property of The Boyds, all 1,100 hectares of it. Boys visited Arthur Boyd’s original studio and homestead and worked within the conditions of the landscape to create sculptures. They were able to further develop their skills through drawing and painting workshops continuing to engage in representing the landscape.

“In the rural area, there was so much around to work with. So many different landscapes and intricate natural objects to find. I really appreciated the level of diversity in the area that enabled us to explore so many different ideas. Because of the diversity, every one of us could create something completely different and unique”, said Ashan Karunagaran (11/KL).

From their experiences boys were then asked to select aspects of their impressions to represent in their own artworks. Unsurprisingly the American Institute of Architecture Gold Medalist and Pritzker Prize winner, Glen Murcutt’s accommodation was a highlight for the boys.

“I appreciated the peacefulness that the buildings allowed us to enjoy and work in. It gave us the chance to always be in the environment and observe it from multiple perspectives no matter where we were in the buildings”, said Mackenzie Connell (11/FL).

Year 11 students are spending all of Term 1 developing the ideas through a range of mark making techniques that will eventually be compiled into a book that they will submit.

As teachers we find this intensive time away incredibly helpful for the boys success in the Preliminary and Higher School Certificate Visual Arts course. The content they are able to absorb and then employ is unique to the teaching and learning at Newington College and provides a critical platform for their future achievements in the course.

Thank you to Head of Visual Arts, Mr Andrew Thompson for his organisation and leadership in this camp.