Over the eighteen years I have been a professional artist I have designed and organised a number of mosaic projects in schools in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato
Children adore making mosaics and schools always look brighter and happier with them.
I've wanted to make a painted composite mural using Resene testpots, featuring native birds for many years.
I have been visualising for seven years that a school would approach me and pay me to do it.
Voila.. at long last....Shelly Fitness from St Michael's School approached me.
Wonderful a dream come true, visualise to materialise.....
St Michael's Catholic School in Rotorua was the perfect school to make my first one.
From experience working with them with mosaic projects in the past, the children are well behaved, creative friendly and well behaved.
The other teachers are a beautiful team to work with, so welcoming the whole school sparkles with a family atmosphere.
Principal Shelly Fitness has artistic, creative vision.
I adore schools who encourage make artistic creativity a priority.
I did my very first mosaic mural series with former Principal Greg Day, 13 years ago so St Michael's Catholic School holds a special place in my heart.
Thanks to Creative Communities for helping to fund the project and for Julie Parsons for emailing me suggesting we apply for some funding.
Guardians of God's Creation. 56 components to make up a seven piece mural.
1. Sam the Saddleback by Hamuera.
Giant Green caterpillar eating bird walking towards a feast of red berries while dropping some eggs.
2.Tama the Tuatara by Campbell.
Galloping Tuatara, wonder where he is off to?
Artistic expression is a gateway to the power of possibility.
A picture tells a thousand words.
3. Monique the Monarch by Phoebe
Monarch butterfly with her caterpillar babies
4.Campbell the Canadian Goose by Rangatahi
Plucky, Clucky Canadian Goose. Canadian Geese at so much grass on farmers' land that they are considered pests. In 2011 the Canada goose was declared an unprotected species. Sad because they are so graceful.
5. Kevin the Kakariki by Tamzyn
Apple Eating Kakariki with insect friends.
6. Fishla the fish by Ranni
Gregarious ( Mother) Goldfish with Agonising Octopy and tantalising Turtle.
7. Briana the Butterfly By Reilly.
Admirable Admiral Briana Butterfly flying over lilly pads towards a bright and shiny day
8. Kate the Kea By Grace.
An over enthusiastic, Kea wrecking a raspberry bush by mistake. Tiny her best owl friend sits nearby on the lichen covered fence hoping he's not going to be showered with raspberries.
9. Frank the Fantail by Ayva.
Food, friend or foe Frances the Fantail is too young to know , which is why he looks so worried.
10. Still unidentified
Grumpy Tui trying to spear a berry?
11.Bianca the Butterfly by Phoenix
Monarch Butterfly chasing a Ladybird
12.Ruth the rainbow trout by Maddy
Rainbow Trout blowing Bubbles
13. Mike the Mallard duck by Harper.
Duck meditating while looking after his eggs
14. Willow the Waxeye, by Hana
Hana Waxeye in a field of daisies contemplating a butterfly on a happy , sunny day.
15. Bobby the Black Robin by Tama.
16..Mitchell the Moa, by Toby T.
17.
18. Daphne The Dragonfly By name to come
19. Bella the bellbird, by Francis.
20. Katherine the Kokako, by Tara.
21 Tommy the Tomtit, by Lincoln.
22. Tony the Tuatara, by Cohen
23. Fiona the Fantail and Rosie the Chihuahua by Lincoln Eviarn and Ruby.
24. Walter the Wasp by Jack
25. Bernie the Bee by Teagan
26.Wrinkly the Weta by Luke
27. Kerry the Kiwi, by Hamish and Lincoln, name to be confirmed.
28. Shelly the Saddleback by Annabell
29. Fred the Frog by Alyssa.
30.Blake the Blackbird by Rowland.
31. Hannah the Huia by Kate.
32.Seb the sparrow by ?
33.Queenie the Quail by Jade W.
34.Olivia the Owl by Sammy
35.Koby the Kakapo by Blake.
36.Chloe the Caterpillar and Bob the Beetle by Madison and Isobel.
37.Izaeha names to come.
38.George the Gecko by Theo.
39. Sarah the Saddleback by Teoriwa
40. Bruce the Black Backed Gull by Richi.
41. DJ the Dragonfly by Rebekah.
42. Paul the Pheasant by Andrew
43. Matt the Morepork by Justin.
45. Tim The Takahe, By Nicholas
46. Peter the Praying Mantis, By Niwha
47.Freedom the Falcon, By Koby
48. Lilly the Ladybug, By Ruby
49. Smith the Saddleback by Jack P.
51.Polly the Pukeko by Keita
52. Martha the Mynah Bird, By Honor
53
54 Olive the Owl, By Anna
55.
56.Lori the Lorikeet, By Bianca.
Creative Quote:
Every child is an artist the challenge is how to remain one once you grow up. Pablo Picasso.
Endorsement from Shelly Fitness Principal of St Michael's Catholic School.
“A few of our children are now considering careers in The Arts as a direct result of working with Janet. The project exposed them to arenas of possibility that hadn’t occurred to them before and they loved learning about Janet’s life as a professional artist.
Principals of schools or organisers of community projects please contact me at 07 346-3435 or email jkeen@clear.net.nz or text to 027 3513887 if you would like me to organise a painted or mosaic mural project for your school.
Children adore making mosaics and schools always look brighter and happier with them.
I've wanted to make a painted composite mural using Resene testpots, featuring native birds for many years.
I have been visualising for seven years that a school would approach me and pay me to do it.
Voila.. at long last....Shelly Fitness from St Michael's School approached me.
Wonderful a dream come true, visualise to materialise.....
St Michael's Catholic School in Rotorua was the perfect school to make my first one.
From experience working with them with mosaic projects in the past, the children are well behaved, creative friendly and well behaved.
The other teachers are a beautiful team to work with, so welcoming the whole school sparkles with a family atmosphere.
Principal Shelly Fitness has artistic, creative vision.
I adore schools who encourage make artistic creativity a priority.
I did my very first mosaic mural series with former Principal Greg Day, 13 years ago so St Michael's Catholic School holds a special place in my heart.
Thanks to Creative Communities for helping to fund the project and for Julie Parsons for emailing me suggesting we apply for some funding.
Guardians of God's Creation. 56 components to make up a seven piece mural.
1. Sam the Saddleback by Hamuera.
Giant Green caterpillar eating bird walking towards a feast of red berries while dropping some eggs.
2.Tama the Tuatara by Campbell.
Galloping Tuatara, wonder where he is off to?
Artistic expression is a gateway to the power of possibility.
A picture tells a thousand words.
3. Monique the Monarch by Phoebe
Monarch butterfly with her caterpillar babies
4.Campbell the Canadian Goose by Rangatahi
Plucky, Clucky Canadian Goose. Canadian Geese at so much grass on farmers' land that they are considered pests. In 2011 the Canada goose was declared an unprotected species. Sad because they are so graceful.
5. Kevin the Kakariki by Tamzyn
Apple Eating Kakariki with insect friends.
6. Fishla the fish by Ranni
Gregarious ( Mother) Goldfish with Agonising Octopy and tantalising Turtle.
7. Briana the Butterfly By Reilly.
Admirable Admiral Briana Butterfly flying over lilly pads towards a bright and shiny day
8. Kate the Kea By Grace.
An over enthusiastic, Kea wrecking a raspberry bush by mistake. Tiny her best owl friend sits nearby on the lichen covered fence hoping he's not going to be showered with raspberries.
9. Frank the Fantail by Ayva.
Food, friend or foe Frances the Fantail is too young to know , which is why he looks so worried.
10. Still unidentified
Grumpy Tui trying to spear a berry?
11.Bianca the Butterfly by Phoenix
Monarch Butterfly chasing a Ladybird
12.Ruth the rainbow trout by Maddy
Rainbow Trout blowing Bubbles
13. Mike the Mallard duck by Harper.
Duck meditating while looking after his eggs
14. Willow the Waxeye, by Hana
Hana Waxeye in a field of daisies contemplating a butterfly on a happy , sunny day.
15. Bobby the Black Robin by Tama.
16..Mitchell the Moa, by Toby T.
17.
19. Bella the bellbird, by Francis.
20. Katherine the Kokako, by Tara.
21 Tommy the Tomtit, by Lincoln.
.
22. Tony the Tuatara, by Cohen
23. Fiona the Fantail and Rosie the Chihuahua by Lincoln Eviarn and Ruby.
24. Walter the Wasp by Jack
25. Bernie the Bee by Teagan
26.Wrinkly the Weta by Luke
27. Kerry the Kiwi, by Hamish and Lincoln, name to be confirmed.
28. Shelly the Saddleback by Annabell
29. Fred the Frog by Alyssa.
30.Blake the Blackbird by Rowland.
32.Seb the sparrow by ?
33.Queenie the Quail by Jade W.
34.Olivia the Owl by Sammy
35.Koby the Kakapo by Blake.
36.Chloe the Caterpillar and Bob the Beetle by Madison and Isobel.
37.Izaeha names to come.
38.George the Gecko by Theo.
39. Sarah the Saddleback by Teoriwa
40. Bruce the Black Backed Gull by Richi.
41. DJ the Dragonfly by Rebekah.
42. Paul the Pheasant by Andrew
43. Matt the Morepork by Justin.
44.Goldie the Goldfish By Alisha
45. Tim The Takahe, By Nicholas
46. Peter the Praying Mantis, By Niwha
47.Freedom the Falcon, By Koby
48. Lilly the Ladybug, By Ruby
49. Smith the Saddleback by Jack P.
50. Harry the Hawk, By Dylan
51.Polly the Pukeko by Keita
52. Martha the Mynah Bird, By Honor
53
54 Olive the Owl, By Anna
55.
56.Lori the Lorikeet, By Bianca.
Creative Quote:
Every child is an artist the challenge is how to remain one once you grow up. Pablo Picasso.
Endorsement from Shelly Fitness Principal of St Michael's Catholic School.
“A few of our children are now considering careers in The Arts as a direct result of working with Janet. The project exposed them to arenas of possibility that hadn’t occurred to them before and they loved learning about Janet’s life as a professional artist.
I would definitely recommend
working with Janet if you have an art or mosaic project to complete at your school.
We have several more projects in mind and will definitely be working
with her again in the future. Shelly Fitness St Michael’s Catholic School “
Principals of schools or organisers of community projects please contact me at 07 346-3435 or email jkeen@clear.net.nz or text to 027 3513887 if you would like me to organise a painted or mosaic mural project for your school.
