Creative sparks fly at Mandama

STUDENTS at a Grovedale primary school picked up spray cans and stencils last week during a hands-on workshop led by local artist Leah Grant.

Year 6 students at Mandama Primary School took part in the session, creating their own stencil artworks while learning the basics of spray-paint technique.

Grant, who completed a mural at the school late last year, guided the 26 students through simple skills such as controlling spray distance, layering stencils and experimenting with different materials.

“They were straight into it,” Grant said. “I did a safety demo and taught them a few different techniques, like how to write their names and how important the distance between the surface is.

“I brought lots of stencils with me, but we also had leaves and bits of nature that they could use to mask off areas.”

She said the students’ curiosity made the session especially enjoyable.

“The best part is their questions,” Grant said. “We talked about legal and illegal spray paint and we talked about Pam the bird, of course – they’d all seen that!”

Grant said workshops like this gave students the chance to experiment with new materials while also seeing what life as a working artist looks like.

“The first thing I want them to do is just experiment with a new material and have fun,” she said.

“I loved the experience of coming into the school as an artist and I would love more artists to go to schools, because it shows kids that it’s a viable and sustainable career option.”

Grant said meeting practising artists could also help students better appreciate the value of the arts.

Visual arts teacher Lydia Woolfe said the workshop had left a strong impression on the class.

“They absolutely loved it – they’re still talking about it today…and asked when [Leah] was coming back,” Woolfe said.

“She was just absolutely brilliant with the kids and we’d be happy to have her back anytime.”

Woolfe said making it easier for schools to connect with local artists would help bring more creative workshops into classrooms.

“If there was somewhere where we could find local artists and what they’re about and what they would bring to a school or community, that would be really helpful,” she said.