Disscussion Points
1. What colours are used by Aboriginal artists?
The Aboriginal painters used earth colours - reds, browns and yellows, black and white - from natural ingredients. Red was a very important, often sacred. It is widely used. It came from a variety of ochres and minerals. Certain red ochres were so highly valued that people would travel or trade over hundreds of kilometres to obtain them. Yellows came from several sources such as ochre, the dust of particular ants' nests, minerals, and a certain kind of fungus. Manganese oxide, crushed charcoal or charred bark provided the colour black, and white came from kaolin or pipeclay.
2. Themes and subject matter used by Aboriginal artists?
Aboriginal art is based on telling a story about something that happened to them (the people) and their tribe.
3. Techniques and surfaces used by Aboriginal artists?
Dot paintings vary from the finest of minute marks neatly arranged on the canvas to the wild multi-coloured large dotting of some of the desert women. Some artists merge their dots into lines, or even into wide areas of connecting dots which have more of a stippled effect than a 'dotted' appearance. The defining criterion for a dot painting is the technique used - that it is produced by repeated imprints of a paint covered brush, dotting stick or other implement onto the surface of the painting and that in doing so, there are recognisable 'dot' marks on the canvas.
4. Symbols used in Aboriginal art?
From the beginning of time, the Yorta Yorta have told Dreamtime stories to each generation in order to keep the stories in our culture alive and to educate our people about our place on earth. Stories are told about the stars, planets, the land, animals, bush tucker, hunting and ancestors (Totemic Spirits), through paintings, carvings, dance and song. Aboriginal Art symbols are used on all forms of Aboriginal Art to help tell the stories of their history and culture.
5. Reserch an Aboriginal myth or dreamtime story that can be used as a basis for your own design?
The Turtle man was out gathering food when he saw the lizard man's wife named Oola and her three children digging yams.
Wayamba decided he would like a wife and family, so he took them home. When Wayamba's tribe saw what he had done they were very angry. They approached the Turtle man and said, "You are going to be punished for this." and the Turtle man laughed. Early next morning he saw the fury of his tribe as they showered him with spears.
Wayamba chose the two biggest shields that he had , one slung on his back and one on his front. As the spears came whizzing through the air, Wayamba drew his arms inside the shields and ducked his head down between them. Shower after shower of weapons they slung at him and they were getting closer so that his only chance to get away was to dive into the creek, and the tribe never saw him again. But in the water hole where he had dived, they saw a strange creature which had a plate fixed on it's back. When they tried to catch the creature, it drew in it's head and limbs. So they said, "It's Wayamba." And this was the beginning of Wayamba or Turtles, in the creek.
Wayamba decided he would like a wife and family, so he took them home. When Wayamba's tribe saw what he had done they were very angry. They approached the Turtle man and said, "You are going to be punished for this." and the Turtle man laughed. Early next morning he saw the fury of his tribe as they showered him with spears.
Wayamba chose the two biggest shields that he had , one slung on his back and one on his front. As the spears came whizzing through the air, Wayamba drew his arms inside the shields and ducked his head down between them. Shower after shower of weapons they slung at him and they were getting closer so that his only chance to get away was to dive into the creek, and the tribe never saw him again. But in the water hole where he had dived, they saw a strange creature which had a plate fixed on it's back. When they tried to catch the creature, it drew in it's head and limbs. So they said, "It's Wayamba." And this was the beginning of Wayamba or Turtles, in the creek.