share our amazing stories to your network

A Day of Art & Inspiration

ATAR students with artist Sid Pattni

Art Encounter Days give our Visual Art and Design students an opportunity to work with, and learn from, professional and highly acclaimed Western Australian artists and designers. There are two such days held each year. The second of this year’s Encounter Days was held last weekend.

Over the time these workshops have been running, students have worked with portrait and still life oil painters, jewellers, printmakers, illustrators, ceramicists and photographers. These workshops are a great source of inspiration for the students as they get to explore new styles, and new techniques and complete practical work. 

Mural artist Hayley Smith oversees a student's artwork

The ATAR Visual Art students were engaged in a session with Lester Prize finalist artist Sid Pattni. Here they produced a multi-layered work using a transfer print, acrylic paint, stitching, cutting into the work and then restitching. This work met the current theme of ‘The Upset’ and challenged their comfort zones of perfectionism.

ACCESS Design and Visual Art students commenced a large-scale painting while working with mural artist Hayley Smith, using shape, colour and alternating forms as a focus. Here they modernised the traditional use of Australian natives and botanicals. 

The day was a huge success, with many new skills learned and ideas developed, which will undoubtedly inspire the girls into the future.

Combating The Attention Span Crisis In Our Students – Jennifer Oaten

It is no secret that attention spans have been steadily declining, especially among younger generations growing up immersed in digital technology. The average person’s attention span when using a digital device has plummeted from around two and a half minutes back in 2004 to just 47 seconds on average today – a dramatic 66% decrease over the past two decades.

Read More »
Scroll to Top