By Dongyun Kwon
Healesville High School students showcased their artwork at the Lilydale and Yarra Valley Show for the first time.
Fifteen students entered the show with their watercolour, acrylic, woodwork, needle felting and basket weaving artwork.
Healesville High School had its own art show ‘Art Factory’ in October, and the Lilydale and Yarra Valley Show gave them another opportunity to showcase their work to wider audiences.
Healesville High School visual art and design teacher Richelle Hoogenraad said she was very excited for the students.
“It’s important that they have a wider audience to present their artwork and it also validates that their artwork is really good,” she said.
“This year we did arts and crafts and we are going to build up for all different categories next year including photography,” she said.
Students made their artwork during school hours.
To make the ceramics, they used the hand-building method of a double pinch pot vessel.
“They let the clay dry out and underglaze before it goes for the first firing,” Ms Hoogenraad said.
“They put the glaze on and it goes in for their second firing.”
Students used wool roving and a dry needle for needle felting.
“They poked the wool until it felts and then they sculpt that wool into a little creature,” Ms Hoogenraad said.
“Students also did a monochromatic acrylic painting and two of our students entered their portraits in for that as well.”
Different colours of ribbons were given to the first, second and third place winners for each category; blue for first place, red for second place and green for third place.
Certificates were given to the rest of the participants as encouragement.
Healesville High School Year 9 student Lyndsay Mackenzie said she won two ribbons, a blue ribbon for her duck and a red ribbon for her basket.
“I made my duck to give to my niece and a basket,” she said.
“I had to make a felted animal as an assignment so I chose a duck because I thought it might be the easiest thing, and it turned out super cute and I love it.
“Although it took ages to do, my friends and I were just enjoying our time.”
Mackenzie said she learnt a lot through the whole process.
“I learnt that pretty much all art should be celebrated, even if it’s not the personal best like my basket, it could still win some awards,” she said.
“I also learnt that even if something feels incomplete to me it doesn’t mean that it’s not worth it.
“I wanted to make my basket a bigger one, but I ran out of things and ended up making a small basket, but now it’s like a coaster that I can put stuff on including my duck.”
Year 7 student Abby Galt made a sculpture of her dog ’Dusty’ and won a blue ribbon.
She said she learnt the importance of persistence without giving up.
Year 7 student Ivor Kingwilll made a wombat and won an encouragement certificate.
“It was quite difficult to get all sorts right and I was not sure what I was doing,” Kingwill said.
“But, it just all came together in the end.”
Year 7 student Noah Wandin received an encouragement certificate for her pig pot sculpture.
