Year 2 Weather Soundscapes - Immanuel Primary School

Year 2 students from Immanuel Primary School created paintings inspired by the work of leading Yolŋu artist Noŋgirrŋa Marawili. Marawili was born in 1939 at Darrpirra, north of Djarrakpi (Cape Shield) and today lives in Yirrkala in north-east Arnhem Land. Documenting sites on Country, Marawili captures the atmospheric effects of wind, water and lightning using residual magenta ink from cast-off printer cartridges mixed with natural pigments.

Children were introduced to Marawili by watching a short artist video available in the AGSA Resource. This allowed students to hear directly from the artist and see Marawili painting. Students then listened to weather sounds (from YouTube) and represented these sounds on paper using lines, patterns and symbols. Using those marks, students created a soundscape composition to the theme of weather. The initial layers consisted of black marker line, followed by fluorescent paper and card to enhance some of the shapes and lines. Finally the children used acrylic paint to represent the colours they associated with the weather and their environment.

- Sharon Lynch, Visual Arts Coordinator, Immanuel Primary School

Noŋgirrŋa Marawili is also featured in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art in the Classroom Volume 2

First Layer