The Year 5 students embarked on an inspiring journey through the “Epoch Echoes” project in partnership with the Perth Festival in 2024. Over the week, students engaged in enriching sessions, gaining insights into local fauna and flora and then bringing their artistic expressions to life by painting native animals and plants on a magnificent three-panel artwork. This stunning piece will soon grace the walls of the school’s undercover area, serving as a lasting testament to the students’ creativity and connection to the environment as they grow older. Below is a list of each student’s chosen animal or plant, alongside some of the student’s reflections on participating in this memorable event with our esteemed artist-in-residence, Angela Rossen.
Angela Rossen, an accomplished artist and biodiversity educator, brings a unique blend of artistry and scientific inquiry to her work. Reflecting on her approach, she shares: “As an artist and biodiversity educator, I am deeply involved in exploring nature through collaboration with scientists, which enriches my perspective. By weaving together art and science, I create engaging opportunities for children, their families, and communities to discover nature’s wonders. Through biodiversity workshops, field events, and festivals, I aim to foster curiosity, a deeper understanding, and a lasting appreciation for our natural world.”
Dear Forest Crescent Primary School Year 5 Teachers & Students,
Thanks to you and all the year five teachers again for making everything flow so smoothly with the Biodiversity Workshop. I am thrilled with the students’ beautiful individual artworks and with the collaborative painting.
Message from Angela Rossen
Your work with our Year 5 students is impressive, and we are very grateful to be part of this program and to have access to such fantastic learning opportunities.
Principal Mr Andrew Holmes
ARTWORK
(click on thumbnail to open, according to media permissions; some students have been pixelated)
The artwork is described as “Biodiversity of the Gosnells area painting was created by the year five students with Angela Rossen, Artist and Biodiversity Educator. This workshop formed part of the Epoch Echoes with the Perth Festival in 2024.”
FOREST CRESCENT PRIMARY SCHOOL 2024 EPOCH PROJECT WITH THE FESTIVAL OF PERTH
Angela Rossen, Artist and Biodiversity Educator Environmental Science Art Workshop with Year Five students
Room 14 – Miss Del Rosario (with students and their thoughts)
- Marley – Marbled Gecko – “I enjoyed it, and I was happy because Mrs Rossen liked my Marbled Gecko, but it was hard to draw with charcoal.“
- Gavin – White Striped Freetail Bat – “I thought it was good, being taught by an artist, that I got to draw something on the mural and that it is going to be in the school undercover area.“
- Eli – Tawney Frogmouth Owl – “I learnt how to paint using shading and blending to create an animal picture. It was fun because we also got to draw with charcoal.“
- Eryn – Nankeen Night Heron – “I thought the activity was enjoyable, and I put a lot of work into drawing and painting the animal.“
- Odette – Purple Moorhen
- Torah – Western Jewel Butterfly – “I liked the experience of being taught by an artist and being part of a soon-to-be famous painting in a couple of years.“
- Ezekiel – White Spot Spider – “It was so fun doing this painting with a really good artist, Mrs Rossen, and I can’t wait to see it when it is hung up.”
- Caitlyn – Paper Wasp – “It was fun, and I think I did very well.“
- Ryuichi – Praying Mantis – “I had fun doing the activity. I hope we can do something similar again one day.“
- RG – Bobtail lizard – “I had a lot of fun painting the Bobtail, and I liked being part of it.“
- Nyssa – Bossiaea Pea Flower – “I really liked learning how to draw with charcoal. It was so much fun!!“
- Jaxon – Magpie – “It was fun, and I liked it. The excursion was the best.“
- Quindan – Crake – “I had a blast on doing this! Drawing the animal was difficult, especially with charcoal, but they always say, ‘practice makes perfect”.“
- Nancy – Straw Necked Ibis – “I loved meeting a real artist and learning new techniques from her. Once in a lifetime experience.“
- Ryda – Ring Necked Parrot – “I learnt how to use a paintbrush properly.“
- Tina – Echidna – “I thought the activity was calming, and it was great to see what I was capable of doing.“
- Harper – Centipede – “It was really fun and I never thought I would be drawing with charcoal, but altogether I enjoyed it.“
- Olizma – Western Snake Neck Turtle – “The best experience was learning to draw with charcoal.“
- Harrison – Australian Shellduck – “I thought that the drawing and painting were difficult, so technical, but what I like about it is that it looks Bellissimo.“
- Alyssa – Tiger Snake – “I thought the activity was amazing and new for me in different ways, and I enjoyed it when we learned about the animals we were drawing.“
- Mangar – Dwarf Bearded Dragon – “I thought that my activity was fun because drawing is one of my hobbies. I learnt how to paint and sketch with charoal.“
- Paris – Welcome Swallow – “It was fun, and I learnt how to do many things like drawing with charcoal with light pressure and doing many things with a paintbrush.“
- Dirk – Lined Lerista Ctenotus – small lizard – “I think it was easy to draw with charcoal when it was over.“
- Rylee – Bandicoot – “The activity was so much fun, and the painting was so cool.“
- Emma – Monarch butterfly
- Hunter – Nankeen Kestrel – “I learnt how to draw lightly with charcoal and how to draw a Nankeen Kestrel that looks like a parrot, which looks cool. I loved drawing on the mural; Mrs. Rossen provided an amazing background. Thank you, Mrs Rossen.“
- Charlee – Ghost Mushroom – “I found it very interesting drawing a Ghost Mushroom and how difficult it was to draw charcoal, and I loved how I got the unique plant.“
- Henry – Sacred Kingfisher – “I am very proud that I got to be a part of this wonderful painting that all the Year 5 students contributed to.“
- Sebastian – Patersonia acidentalis (purple flower sedge-like leaves)
- Lydia – Running Postman (native ground creeper) – “It was super fun, and I would really like to do something like this again.“
Room 15 – Miss Bee
- Elyas – Soldier Fly
- Isaac – Golden Orb Spider
- Isabella – Australian Raven
- Aliza –
- Jayden – Leaf Cutter Bee
- Ava – Christmas Spider
- Phoebe – Silver eye (small bird with a white ring around the eye)
- Spencer – Wood Duck
- Connor – Crab huntsman spider
- Annalea – White-fronted chat (small bird)
- Benjamin – Jans banded snake
- Tanish – Earwig
- Muhammad – Grasshopper (green)
- Malaika – Grey Fantail
- Alisha – Western Heath Dragon
- Jake – Southern blind snake
- Jessica – Shingleback lizard
- Nate – Fan-tailed Cuckoo
- Bryan – Quail
- Violet – Rakali (also known as water rat)
- Jessica – Gastrolobium c
- Chelsea – Varied Sittela (Small bird)
- Skyla – Elegant Parrot
- Cooper – Western Whistler
- Tyler – Magpie lark (also known as Mudlark)
- Lola – Crested Pigeon
- Aleirah – Grey Currawong
- Tshogyal – Kunzang Lorikeet
- Jackson – Grey Butcher Bird
- Kayden – Preying Mantis
- Zihang – Brown Falcon
Room 16 – Mr Nicholas
- Ava – Eurasian Coot
- Grace – Eurasian Coot chick
- Maci – Pygmy possum
- Aiden – Bush Fly
- Trae – Western Black-Naped Snake
- Aaron – Shining Bronze-Cuckoo
- Seeret – Quokka
- Arianna – Female Jumping Spider
- Liam – Redback Spider
- Corey – Turtle Frog
- Harper – Pink Fairy Orchid
- Chelsea – Trapdoor Spider
- Aubrey – Conystalis – (Yellow flower with grey leaves)
- Chelsea – Chequered Swallowtail Butterfly
- Mandakath – Emmanuel Leller Long-Eared Bat
- Milana – Flax Lily
- Paras – Grey Shrike Thrush
- Marlowe – Kookaburra
- Aaliyah – Red-Tailed Cockatoo
- Emily – Splendid Wren
- Jeremiah – Western Wattle Bird
- Jesse – Striated Pardalote and Willie Wagtail on a nest
- Haider – Native Blue Banded Bee
- Josh – Mistletoe Bird
- Nicholas – Magpie
- Kaia – Barn Owl
- Ashton – Western Spine Bill (small bird)
- Giarna – Pink and Grey Galah
- Ella -White-Cheeked Honeyeater
- Uzna – Possum
- Layla – Boobook Owl
