Mosaic artist Louise Herdman assembling children's contributions to the mural. Photo / Bevan Conley
Mosaic artist Louise Herdman assembling children's contributions to the mural. Photo / Bevan Conley
When St George’s School pupils return from their summer holidays they will be welcomed by a beautiful mosaic mural they helped create last year.
Whanganui artist Louise Herdman began working with junior school groups last February to create hundreds of mini mosaics that will form part of a mural that features New Zealand native flora and fauna.
Creatures ranging from the wainuia urnula (land snail) to tohorā (baleen whale) have been depicted and Herdman is now in the process of bringing all the contributions together and attaching them to the base that will be mounted on the wall of a new classroom that faces the courtyard.
Some students have made pōhutukawa and kōwhai flower patterns as well as koru fronds and ferns.
“The school’s iwi consultant suggested that as the mural was for, and being created by, children indigenous animal and plant life would be ideal subjects,” Herdman said.
“I contacted Rosie at Green Grubs Garden Club for designs.
“They design beautiful teaching resources and she supplied a really good range of outline designs for us to use. I gave the children as much freedom as I could in their pattern and colour choices but I did have to provide some guidance because little blue penguins are never pink.”
The school’s curriculum is built on the idea that discovery creates a synergy between the arts and stem (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects, as well as helping to develop social and business ideas.
St George's junior pupils have been creating their contributions for the mural due to be completed by term 1, 2024.
Photo / Bevan Conley
Herdman said she wanted to give children experience in making a complete mosaic of their own so each was supplied with a small board with the outline of a design on it and she showed them how to grout the completed designs.
“They loved doing that and I displayed some of their finished work during Artists Open Studios last year.”
The individual pieces have been glued onto mesh backing that will be attached to the base Herdman has prepared.
“It will be a wharenui shape and there will be a welcome bench beneath it,” she said.
“For the base, I’ve used a composite board that is normally used in bathrooms - it’s light but sturdy and waterproof. I’ve consulted with the school caretaker about where to place the washers for the screws to attach it to the wall.”
Herdman said it would be exciting to see the final result.
Her final task will be to paint the mural with a weatherproof sealant.
“The mosaic pieces are weatherproof but mould can grow on the grout after a while so the sealant will prevent that.”
Herdman’s studio is at 19 Taupō Quay - next to the Community Arts Centre.
“I want to let people know I’m here and still running community classes,” she said.
“My old studio in Guyton St was a drop zone for the Pokémon Go game so it pops up when people search online.
“I’m here now and I will be running classes in 2024.”
Liz Wylie is a multimedia journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle. She joined the editorial team in 2014 and regularly covers stories from Whanganui and the wider region. She also writes features and profile stories.
