Pastels and charcoal are among the messiest materials in the artist's toolbox and everyone left the mid-Januray Aratoi art programme a little more smudged than they arrived. But it was all part of the process for the kids who took part using the materials with energy and imagination.
The group explored how charcoal can be used to create everything from rich beautiful rich black areas to pale subtle shadows. They achieved some amazing results when they copied black and white portrait photography and drawings, working hard to understand how light falls on rounded forms, and working in with white chalk to show highlights. After the intense focus, they enjoyed getting outside and drawing large simple faces with pieces of charcoal attached to lengths of bamboo onto paper taped on the gallery's exterior walls. In this they were following in the footsteps of French artist Henri Matisse who worked directly onto walls for his large murals. Coloured pastels lend themselves to eye-popping effects and the kids came up with exciting abstract effects and patterns.
The April school holidays will see well known Wairarapa artists Janie Nott and Kathy Bartlett taking children on another exciting creative journey. The inspiration this time comes from a number of large scale maps on display at Aratoi for the Featherston Camp exhibition. 'We'll take children step by step through creating a fantasy world or exploring where they live in a new way, using pen, ink and dye,' says Nott, whose own paintings often feature fantastical animals and characters in exotic, vividly coloured worlds.
April Aratoi School Holiday Art Programme, 20 - 21 April, 10am-2pm. Cost: $65 for two days (includes materials). Bookings essential T: 06 370 0001.
