An artist in the making

A student from Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School in Launceston has drawn wide-spread praise for his painting of the nearby Church of the Apostles.

Grade 6 pupil Liam, 12, painted ‘The Church’ using acrylic paint on canvas in his weekly school art lessons.

He worked on the painting over eight 40-minute lessons, under the guidance of art teacher Melissa Heathorn.

“Liam was asked to choose a building on the school grounds that had significant meaning to him,” Mrs Heathorn said.

“He chose the church.

“He was required to photograph the church from multiple angles and to use these as the basis for his painting.

“In previous years we have looked at perspective within our drawings and this painting required him to draw upon that prior knowledge.”

The Church of the Apostles, in Margaret St, Launceston, marks 150 years in November. Fr Mark Freeman is the Parish Priest.

Liam explained why he chose the impressive bluestone building as inspiration for his art work.

“The church at school is a place where you can go to talk to God,” Liam said.

“It is Fr Mark’s church. It is a nice building.”

Sacred Heart runs a specialised art program for grades three to six.

Students are given the opportunity to explore and experiment with a variety of materials and techniques.

“The art program has been designed to encourage students to challenge and engage with a wide variety of concepts and forms,” Mrs Heathorn said.

“The idea is for students to come to the understanding that art is inclusive and can be expressed and interpreted in multiple ways.”