I had the pleasure of working with Ngahere, Wai Māori, Moutere and Kūkūwai this term.

Our learners first artworks were in ink and colour pencil and their ideas were sparked by illustrations from vintage books, cards and magazines. Learners built imaginative pictures around their chosen illustrations. It was great to see individual thought and style clearly demonstrated in their artworks.

Moutere and Kūkūwai learnt about Tāniko, a method of Māori weaving used to adorn clothing. We saw examples of muka, the traditional material used to make Tāniko, extracted from harakeke leaves and dyed with natural materials. And we explored the differences between Tāniko designs before making our own artwork inspired by these patterns. We were mindful of symmetry and parallel lines, and it was a puzzle to recreate our design in cardboard but the effort was worth it! The prints we made with our cardboard plates were loads of fun!

Ngahere and Wai Māori studied art made with a needle and thread. We saw artworks portraying a moment in time, showcasing cultural patterns and some which were purely an expression of creativity. We then practiced threading our needle, knotting our wool and sewing a simple running stitch in various colours to make a bookmark to use while reading at home.

Our OrmPS 10 year celebration artwork is almost complete! It was a wonderful experience which everyone in our kura shared, we look forward to the unveiling our new bead sculpture in the new year.

Ka pai ō koutou mahi OrmPS artists!

Mā te wā

Ms Frater