Nature's Canvas - Art Overnight Program

Stage 4, 5 and 6 Students

Nature's Canvas Overnight Experience for Art Teachers and their classes

Overview

Nature's Canvas Art Class Overnight Experience is a visual arts program for students in Years 7-12, especially those considering further studies in visual arts.

Students along with their teacher, can work with art teacher Tullia Cilia to engage to engage and inspire students in their art practice. Gibberagong EEC teachers facilitate the bushwalk, canoeing and can put you in contact with an Artist in Residence.

Individual schools are welcome to create their own art camp and focus on bodies of work which prepares students for their major submissions.

This is a wonderful immersive art experience which encourages students’ wellbeing, emotional connection with the environment and supports the diverse range of artistic talent.

Excursion Information

Learning experience

Introductory drawing challenges

The day commences with the students participating in a series of icebreaking drawing activities and warm-up sketches. These drawings will provide a strong base for the artworks that students will produce as the day progresses. Students will be required to assemble an art kit for their bush walk and begin the construction of an artist book.

Bush walk

During the walk, the students will explore parts of the park and different viewpoints to inspire their artworks. This will also provide them with an opportunity to consider what they value aesthetically in this area. There will be the opportunity to take photographs and record sketches to use later in their artist’s book.

Cultural sites visit

The students will visit and learn about important cultural and historical sites, including an Aboriginal engraving site to learn about the cultural value of the landscape and landforms to the traditional owners of the area.

Field sketch

The students will visit a lookout with views over the landscape. There they will be required to immerse themselves in nature and complete an artistic sketch to identify the landforms and describe the landscape that shapes this area.

Nature's Canvas art activities

The students will return to the studio to use a range of mixed media to create experimental artworks inspired by their immersion in nature. Students will use aspects of the natural world as a source of ideas, concepts and subject matter for their artmaking.

Mini art exhibition of student artworks in progress

Students will set up a mini exhibition of their artworks in progress for their parents and carers. Students will identify the intention, audience and context for their mini exhibition and display of artworks.

Overnight program

Sample Time Table

Day 1

9.00am	Welcome to Gibberagong Acknowledgement of Country Orientation/setup room/unpack
9.30am	Art kit assembly Preliminary artist book construction
10.00am	Bushwalk and art immersion
10.30am	Morning Tea (from home)
10.50am	Bushwalk and art immersion cont.
12.30pm	Lunch (from home)
1.10pm	Bush studio activities
4.00pm	Afternoon Tea (Supplied by GEEC)
4.30pm	Personal time Embodied mark making
6.00pm	Free time and dinner preparation
6.30pm	Dinner
7.30pm	Night Activity
9.00pm	Bedtime

Sample Time Table

Day 2

7.00am	Sit spot wellbeing activity
8.00am	Breakfast and pack up gear
9.00am	Canoe ChallengeLT 9.30am 0.49m Or Visiting Teacher led art activity
10.30am	Morning Tea
10.50am	Visiting teacher led art activity Sample: Sculptural abstraction workshop
12.30pm	Lunch
1.10pm	Visting teacher led art activity Sample: Monoprinting Collate artists’ book and mini exhibition / artist statement
2.00pm	Camp Close

Teacher information

Overnight excursion information

Excursion Location	The Gibberagong Building at Bobbin Head
Eligibility	Year 7/8, Year 9/10 , Year 11/12 students.
Transport	Schools are required to organise transport for students to and from the location.
Cost Including Specialist Art Teacher	2025 DoE schools Accommodation $50 per student /night (GST Free) minimum charge $350 (GST Free) Catering $50 per student / night (GST Free) Art Supplies $20 per student (GST Free) National Park Entry $3.30 per student /night (GST free) Optional: If you requre an additional teacher to stay overnight $750 (GST free) Optional: Artist In Residence prices start from $750 (GST free) to approx $928 (GST free) per day. Refer to the National Association for the Visual Arts: The Code of Visual Arts 2025 Non-gov schools Accommodation $75 per student /night (GST Free). Minimum fee $750 (GST Free) Catering $75 per student / night (+ GST) Art Supplies $30 per student (GST Free) National Park Entry $3.30 per student (GST Free) Optional: If you requre an additional teacher to stay overnight $750 (GST free) Optional: Artist In Residence prices start from $750 (+ GST) to approx $928 (+ GST) per day. Refer to the National Association for the Visual Arts: The Code of Visual Arts
Availability	Tullia is available for teaching on Thursday's. Alternatively your school is welcome to facilite the art program for your students and a GEEC teacher will escort your bush walk and immersive experience at Bobbin Head.
What to bring	An information package will be sent to the nominated teacher.
Teacher Support	If you would like additional support with a GEEC teacher please contact the centre.
More Information	Email: gibberagon-e.school@det.nsw.edu.au Phone: 9457 8245

Artists' in residence

2023 artist in residence, Patrick Shirvington, is an accomplished children’s book illustrator and artist. Shirvington’s work investigates his relationship to the natural world through drawing, believing the practice of drawing is fundamental to the cognitive process and to opening doors to the unseen. Working with a variety of mediums, his artmaking looks at the natural world surrounding us, firstly bringing attention to the picture surface, followed by a deeper revelation. The Arts Unit.

2023 and 2024 artist in residence Sia Cox. Sia is a fun and outgoing artist. Mixed media and texture is her speciality and embraces all things natural to create, sculpt and be immersed in the artistic process. Sia says "... there is no right or wrong way to produce a body of work which is meangful and courageous".

2024 artist in residence, Emily Besser, an engaging and inspiring artist who sources inspiration from the natural and built environments. Emily "... approaches each work with no expectation of a particular outcome." Using a number of different techiques Emily inspires students to be true to themselves and express themeselves through their art in an honest and meaningful way.