Addison Hamilton and Ivy Bourke rock painting.
Artist Kristie Witt working with Addison on their log painting.
Artist Kristie Witt, with: Addison Hamilton, Sam Wheelhouse, Lachlan Palmer and Ivy Bourke.
Addison creating some fine details on her rock art.
The class mixing Ochre.
Sadidias Gardiner and Eligh Dean painting.
Tamihana Kahukura-McGinnis working on his rock project.
With ochre in hand and a pestle to grind, ancient techniques came alive in Birchip.
Last week, aspiring young artists gathered at the Birchip Town Hall to rediscover this vibrant, ancient art form.
The workshop was facilitated by local artists Kristie Dean and Kristie Witt, a proud Wotjobaluk woman, and began with a dynamic presentation, showcasing the history and traditional uses of ochre.
Children learned about the symbols used in ochre art and their meanings. Kristie Witt shared traditional stories and techniques, teaching the children about the deep cultural significance of ochre painting.
With this new appreciation, the children engaged in the hands-on process of crushing ochre with a mortar and pestle to create natural pigments. These pigments were mixed with water and glue to form vibrant paints. Each child selected a rock gathered from Wotjobaluk country and used the symbols they had learned to create their own masterpiece.
In a collaborative effort, the young artists also decorated an old log, which will be placed at the Birchip P-12 school, alongside indigenous plants, to create a beautiful new garden area.
This initiative, supported by the Buloke Shire Council, brings together the community in a celebration of art and culture as part of their Community Recovery program funded generously by the Australian and Victorian Government’s Community Recovery Hubs program.
The workshop concluded with cookies from Sharp’s bakery and more storytelling, providing a creative and inclusive environment that supported the children’s well- being to share stories and connection to country.
