Year 9 Painting - Tatachilla Lutheran College

In this project titled Inside Outside, Year 9 students explored the relationship between personal spaces and meaningful landscapes through the creation of a small wooden Artist Box. The unit was inspired by Bessie Davidson’s artist box, as featured in the Dangerously Modern exhibition, which invites viewers to consider how environments can reflect memory, identity, and emotion. Students began by visiting the gallery to view Davidson’s work and research her artistic approach.

Each student selected a location of personal significance and an interior that connected to it. Using a small wooden box as their canvas, students painted the exterior to depict the chosen landscape and the interior to represent the interior space, along with a small handmade sculpture, creating a layered, intimate artwork that bridges inner and outer worlds.

This project encouraged students to develop observational and compositional skills, experiment with acrylic paints, and engage with the concept of narrative in art. By combining personal imagery with careful attention to detail, students produced works that are both visually engaging and deeply reflective of their own experiences.

Coral Winterbourn | Art Teacher