Art Encounter Day’s at the College

February 24, 2025

Art truly comes to life when students learn from those who live and breathe creativity. That’s why our Encounter Days are such a highlight – giving students the chance to be inspired by incredible artists. This year, our Year 11 students had the privilege of learning from artist Melissa Clements, while Year 12 students explored textile techniques with the talented Angela Ferolla.

Year 11 Art Encounter Day with Melissa Clements

Our Year 11 ATAR Visual Arts. Students had the incredible opportunity to spend the day with renowned Western Australian artist Melissa Clements, gaining first-hand insight into the world of a full-time painter. With an impressive career, including being a finalist in the 2023 Archibald Prize and 2021 Lester Prize, Melissa shared her passion for portrait painting and the dedication it takes to succeed in the arts.

Melissa, who studied Art History and Philosophy at UWA before refining her skills at the Academy of Art in New York, guided students through the intricacies of oil painting. During the Art Encounter Day, she taught the fundamentals of colour mixing and traditional portrait techniques, providing students with essential skills for their upcoming project, ‘Running with Scissors’.

Student Reflection

“I found the Art Encounter Day a very enjoyable and insightful experience. Being able to paint consecutively for longer than one period was very useful to all of us. Having Melissa’s guidance throughout was beyond helpful. Melissa Clements is a true inspiration to be so accomplished in the art world at such a young age. She showed us that there are many possible and valuable career opportunities in the arts. Not only did she teach us about her artistic style and give us guidance on techniques, but she also encouraged each of us to explore, develop, and follow our passions. I’m very grateful to have participated in this fun learning opportunity, I gained a lot from Melissa’s workshop and thoroughly enjoyed painting with her.” Eve, Year 11 Visual Arts Student

Year 12 Design Encounter Day with Angela Ferolla

Our Year 12 Visual Art students had the privilege of meeting the talented textile artist Angela Ferolla. With a wealth of experience, Angela teaches and exhibits at the Fremantle Arts Centre, has designed costumes for the Western Australian Ballet Company, and contributes to the costume department at John Curtin College of the Arts.

Specialising in screen printing, she shared her expertise and techniques, offering students valuable insights into the art of textile design.

Student Reflection

“I really enjoyed the Encounter Day and found it very useful. We experimented with different screen-printing techniques and colour mixing, which helped improve our skills. The four-hour session was rewarding as we created multiple designs and tested various methods. Angela shared practical tips and tricks that will be helpful in the future. Overall, it was a great experience, and I’ll definitely apply what I learned.” Giorgia, Year 12 Visual Arts Student

Thank you to Melissa Clements and Angela Ferolla for sharing their expertise, passion, and creativity with our students! Experiences like this reflect our commitment to excellence, empowering young women to pursue their passions with confidence. We cannot wait to see how our students bring their artistic visions to life!

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Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.