FOUR OAKS
CAREY BAPTIST GRAMMAR SCHOOL,
KEW CAMPUS
I had the huge pleasure of being offered an Artist in Residence at Carey Baptist Grammar School in Semester 2, 2018.
The art project involved working with the Junior Art Teacher Lauren Verde, Head of Junior School Libby Russell and Junior School students to create a corten steel sculptural artwork to be mounted in the School grounds.
Together we discussed a theme the artwork could take and finally decided on ‘FOUR OAKS’ as there are many oak trees growing in the school grounds. The oak leaves would represent the students in their classes.
Lauren and I discussed and designed for the four CORTEN steel wall panels 265 x 160cm x 1.6mm and each weighing 45kg with an oak tree in each panel.
Each oak tree symbolises the growth, development and learning each student has achieved in their primary schooling years at Carey.
The panels have an acorn each with the class’s name in it. And each panel has four different groups of Australian fauna represented.
- 6DS Butterflies / Eagle
- 6P Lyrebird / Kookaburra
- 6F Possums / Koala
- 6DF Magpies / Owl
It is around each of these oak trees the student’s designed their own oak leaf that can be seen by all that pass.
New morning, new beginning.. 
Lunch after morning at Carey Baptist Grammar School – Kew Campus discussing the Artist in Residence project. 
Rainy Tuesday…good day to clean-up and sort out workshop. 
Drafting, drawing oak leaves… 
In the workshop cutting out oak leaves… 
Site drawing for FOUR OAKS installation 
First week of Grade 6 project FOUR OAKS…introduction to how l make cortensteel artwork and the design process for making their own oak leaf. 
Four sessions with Grade 6 and 110 oak leaves designs…Now to hand cut the leaves in cortensteel. 
How a handheld plasma-cutter works… 
At Surdex Steel buying sheets of corten-steel then unloading at home. 
Arranging student’s oak leaf designs on the steel then cutting-out… 
Final reflective classes with 6F & 6P discussing the importance of The Oak Foundation & what it means to them & the wider community as well as exploring the elements of drawing through zen-tangles. 
Conceptional design for wall panels 
Chalk drawing of one of the wall panel 
In my workshop. 
Student’s designs being drawn onto the metal oak leaves 
Cutting out the oak leaves 
One wall panel with an oak tree finished and three different stages to achieve this. 
Attaching the students oak leaves to a wall panel with rivets. 
One of the wall panels completely finished. 
Detail of one of the wall panels with a possum climbing the oak tree. 
Wall panels in the laneway near our workshop. 
Wall panels on the truck now to deliver to Carey Baptist Grammar School 
We couldn’t be happier. Now for the installation on the wall at Carey and all is done. 
Installation of FOUR OAKS wall panels 
