Skills and confidence for design students
Graduating student Suzy Hall with some of her artwork. “I didn’t really start to make progress till I stopped trying to make the hills green and the sky blue.” Photo: Neil Wilson.
Graduating students at the Golden Bay Workcentre mounted a diverse and interesting exhibition of art last week.
The exhibition signified course completion for students on the Workcentre's mixed media and design course, and some of their work was for sale.
Suzy Hall was one of the graduating students. She said that the course had been "transformational".
"I couldn't have asked for better tutors to help me see what I had to see to make progress. I had to find a new way of seeing," she said. "I'm such a satisfied customer, I'm going back to do next year's course."
The course included modules in harakeke weaving, pottery, painting, drawing, and watercolours. The tutors were Sarah Hornibrooke, Paul de Jager, Melanie Walker and Karen Brosnan respectively.
Sarah and Paul spoke highly of the progress the students make in the course of the five modules.
"People often arrive without having given themselves the permission to put something of themselves out there in public," said Paul. "That changes as they make their own progress and the group evolves its own dynamic, along with the tutors. When they're finished here they often go on to other educational opportunities or into jobs they might not have had the confidence to attempt."
Workcentre manager Alli Gardener said that once again staff had been impressed with the output and the personal growth evident at the exhibition. The Workcentre itself selects one piece of work to buy and this year a painting by Lisa Condell was chosen.
"Next year's courses will be even more special," said Alli. "We've secured NZQA ratification so students will be able to complete the certificate in Foundation Studies in Visual Arts at level 3 and the certificate in Art, Craft and Studio Design at level 2."
Neil Wilson
