PS S5.3 Brushed By Nature Teacher Resource

Brushed by Nature is a richly layered and holistic teacher resource designed to guide educators through a creative exploration of artistic practice, connection to Country, and place. Aligned with the NSW Stage 5 Visual Arts syllabus, it complements the corresponding student workbook and provides a structured, scaffolded approach to teaching contemporary mark-making techniques through brush construction, ink painting, and experimental composition.

This unit is inspired by the work of Lorna Crane, a contemporary Australian artist whose practice explores material storytelling, place, and the natural world. Students are invited to reflect on their own connections to landscape and culture, engage with Aboriginal ways of knowing, and consider how creativity can respond meaningfully to place.

Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR) Framework:

• I Do: Explicit teacher instruction on natural mark-making, sustainable material use, and the work of Lorna Crane. Includes guided discussions on Aboriginal connection to Country.

• We Do: Collaborative artmaking tasks, such as constructing brushes from found natural materials and responding to art practices together.

• You Do: Independent practical work where students create their own brushes, ink paintings, experimental collages, and reflective writing that explores their relationship with place.

Art History & Criticism:

• Investigate the practice of Lorna Crane.

• Explore Aboriginal art practices connected to Country and materials.

• Understand the role of process and intention in contemporary mark-making.

Critical & Creative Thinking:

• Use the Artworld Concepts (Artist, Artwork, Audience, World) to analyse the impact of site, place, and sustainability on artistic choices.

Cross-Curricular Connections:

• Integration of Aboriginal perspectives, Country, and sustainable practices.

• Literacy development through reflective writing, artist statements, and critical responses to artworks.

Integrated Learning Strategies:

• Super 6 literacy strategies to support deep understanding of key concepts and vocabulary.

• Multi-modal learning: combining text, visual demonstration, hands-on exploration, and reflection.

• Differentiation and scaffolding to support a range of abilities and learning styles.

• Encouragement of collaboration and critique in a respectful, inclusive classroom environment.

Brushed by Nature invites students to explore who they are, where they come from, and how they relate to the world around them through intentional, tactile, and meaningful creative practice.