Children from Grades 1 and 2 studied the work of Australian painter and printmaker Margaret Preston who is renowned for her “Modernist” images of Australian native flowers.

We looked at the native gum blossoms that were in flower near the art studio. Once inside, we looked for the interesting shapes and colours that are found in a vase of Australian native flowers.

Children worked collaboratively to make their class vase of flowers. They used pastel, food dye wash and Zart Supergloss to make the vibrant coloured papers.  Students then studied Australian native flowers individually, drew them and cut them out carefully, then pasted them onto a black background.  
The flowers were then cut out again leaving a black contour outline so as they appeared to have been printed from a lino or wood block like Margaret Prestons’.

Suzanne Reid
Art Teacher
Cheltenham East Primary School
Suitable for level 2