Mt Isa

 

On Wednesday of last week I flew out to Mt Isa to demonstrate to high school students cold joining techniques and how to use alternate materials.

The flight took just under two and a half hours and when we landed I was expecting to see rain clouds, but the skies were clear and the heat was on!

I was met at the airport by the art teacher who had organised the workshop through Flying Arts and she gave me a tour of the town before dropping me off to the Motel, which ended up only being a stones throw from the school. It was also a stones throw from a large mine which sat just across the river.

I decided that after settling into the motel that I would go off to Woolworth’s and get my supplies for the couple of days I was there. I did not realise that the roads in and out to Mt Isa had been closed off by flooding and that there were fewer supplies of milk, bread and vegetables than I expected. Being late also, I thought that everyone had just done their shopping and raided the supermarket.

 

After picking up my supplies I headed back to the motel to rest up and make sure that I had everything that I possibly needed ready to go for the following day.

 

The school was nice and well organised. A private school rather than public, it’s students had the wear the uniform and good behaviour would only be tollerated. It was run in a very efficient manner and there were a lot of checks on students and teachers alike. A bit of a change from the public school system that I experienced in Emerald.

The first day consisted of demonstrating to the students how to saw, file and emery their pieces and the difference between the blades we used, as well as how to cut through plastics and what they could be used for. This ended up being a rather long day as all I was doing was feeding them information all day and getting them to write down notes on everything that I was saying so they would be able to remember what they needed to do. This was unlike the other classes that I teach as I was there only to demonstrate on the first day and help them out with their projects on the second. Let’s just say that by the end of the day the students started to get a glazed look in their eye and it was almost like talking to myself.

The second day was much better as the students came back refreshed and ready to start on their own projects. We started with a consultation and some notes on ring making and sizing, then moved in to talking to each of the students about what they needed to do and we wrote notes on the processes they needed to take to achieve their pieces. They then went off and started their work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

All in all I think the students are now set on the right path to create their pieces. The focus was to introduce them to alternate materials and show them ways of being able to include recycled materials rather than looking at using metals and solders all the time.

Before I left they even gave me a present which consisted of a leather bound visual diary, pencils and an eraser. Very nice!

The only have a term to complete their projects, then they present these in an exhibition to the parents and staff at the school. I can’t wait to see the results and helo them out any way I can along the way.