Don Binney paintings

Taonga is our theme for the year, and luckily for us we have many treasures around, just waiting for us to take notice of them!  We wanted to create canvas paintings in the style of Don Binney, who spent time growing up in Parnell.  We walked down to the end of St Stephens Ave, and looked over the beautiful Waitemata Harbour.  We chose our own viewpoint to sketch the land, sea and sky.  It was awkward carrying our canvases down the road, but Mrs Franklin-Smith came with us, which was helpful!

Once back in the class, we painted the sky and the sea, blending the colours on the canvas, and creating texture for the sea. 

 

 

When that was dry, we painted in the land. 

Finally, we drew our native birds with chalk, and then painted them into the landscape.  We had made careful observational drawings of these birds from photos, so most of them are easy to recognise.  Black lines with vivid completed the Don Binney look. 

The Arts Focus exhibition was amazing, with the work looking very professional indeed.  I am certain they will become a taonga for the children to keep.

Here are the artists and their work: