A vibrant collection of bird-themed artworks created by students from St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Portland have come together in the exhibition ‘A Raucous T Bird Assemblage’ at Portland Larder (16-26 September).
The exhibition features works produced by students in Years 3 to 6 during workshops facilitated by Wiradjuri artist Jessica Ann Leffley (Bird Girl Creations) as part of her Squatter’s Residency at The Foundations Portland.
Drawing on her experience as a librarian, high school art teacher and primary teacher, Jessica arrived at St Joseph’s equipped with paints, materials and bird templates, inspiring students to explore birdlife through art while embracing their own creative ideas and styles.
Year 3 and 4 students began the day designing wedge-tailed eagles, experimenting boldly with colour mixing and artistic techniques.
“A highlight of the session was Jessica’s playful challenge to guess each student’s name using only their first initial, a game inspired by her children’s book I is for Ibis,” said Arts OutWest’s Nicola Mason. “The activity generated plenty of excitement and laughter while students worked on their creations, with many completing more than one bird before the workshop concluded.”
Later, Year 5 and 6 students created yellow-tailed black cockatoos, a familiar sight flying above the school grounds. The result was a flock of imaginative and unique birds, including cockatoos sporting Akubras and others decorated in vibrant unexpected colours.
Throughout the workshops, students experimented with paint application, layering techniques, collage elements and embellishments such as pom-poms.
“Jess was fantastic at guiding students through artistic processes while answering questions about feather structure and bird anatomy through practical demonstrations,” Ms Mason said.
Students also learned about Australian birdlife and Wiradjuri language, discovering that the wedge-tailed eagle is known as Maliyaan and the yellow-tailed black cockatoo as Yuyang.
‘A Raucous Bird Assemblage’ Dates: Wednesday 16 September to Saturday 26 September 2026. Closing Celebration: Saturday 26 September, 10am to 12 noon. Venue: Portland Larder, 6 Wolgan Street, Portland NSW.
