‘We Are All Welcome Here’ Mural Piece

Artwork Details

Title: ‘We Are All Welcome Here’ Mural Piece. 3x 102x102cm canvas framed in merbau timber. Started September 2023, completed January 2024 as a commission for St Mary’s Pre School.

This painting was commissioned by St Mary’s Pre-School in August/September of 2023. The brief was quite specific; seeking to incorporate many aspects of life and philosophies at St Mary’s. With this in hand, planning started and the combination of something to represent a central meeting place- which is the school, and the 8 Ways of Learning - the concept of the sunrise was established. Preliminary designs aimed to include the creek, focus symbols of the 8 Ways of Learning: cultural awareness, cultural sensitivity and cultural responsiveness. There was a desire for journey lines to reflect the journeys the children take, and a sense of fun and playfulness.

About the Artist

Natalie Deacon is a contemporary abstract artist who is influenced by her Aboriginal heritage. Her work is conceptual and symbolically represents the ideas she wishes to explore in her painting. She uses texture to create a more dynamic base and works with a wide range of colours to create vibrant and moving artworks that tell stories we can all appreciate.

Central Elements

The sunrise is the central focus of the painting- representing the central meeting place of all those that are welcomed by St Mary’s Pre-School. The sunrise is also used to reflect that this school is the beginning in a long educational journey, the sunrise to their education. Within the Sun, there are many smaller meeting circles, within which are thousands of dots. Each of these circles represents a group of people, and each dot represents the individual. This idea was used to represent the significance of each group and individual that is part of this community.

7 Journey lines extend as rays from the sun, effectively creating 8 sections- to represent the 8 Ways of Learning model. Each journey line/ray tells its own story. The symbols of ‘Learning Maps’ is used in the bottom rays, the next rays up contain both bird and kangaroo tracks with groups of students and their teachers gathering to watch- this was used to represent the animals that play a role in the children’s journey at St Mary’s, but also the role that the educators play in watching the students grow along their journey. The 8 Ways of Learning concept of ‘non-linear’ is refelcted through the middle rays- in this interpretation the paths weave and show how stories, like people are not straight lines. The final ray in the centre contains the symbol for ‘deconstruct/reconstruct’ and how this process can open up new paths into learning.

The creek, a significant part of the landscape at St Mary’s runs across the bottom. The rocks and plants weave their way along and much to my sons distress, I did not put rocks IN the water.

Panel One contains sections 1, 2 and 3. Section 1 starts by showing symbols for the people- groups and individuals gathered together. Section 2 then moves into a meeting circle- this circle is nurturing and soft, reflective of the affection and gentle nature of the staff at St Mary’s. This was an important section for me, as it has been such a positive experience with all the educators who have loved and cared for my young ones. In Section 3 the class groups are reflected in the meeting circles, the small communities that are developed in each year group.

Panel Two contains sections 4 and 5. Section 4 used the symbol from the 8 Ways of Learning ‘community links’. This symbol was central to my experience with St Mary’s, their walks into the community, connections with so many outside organisations and the idea that we are preparing these people for the world and society. In Section 5 the 8 Ways symbol of ‘symbols and images’ was used. The walls of St Mary’s have always adorned with language, images of the children at work and play: embracing all the ways children can communicate and creating inclusivity and connection to culture.

Panel Three contains sections 6, 7 and 8. Section 6 are three symbols of people, each design is unique and colourful reflecting the unique individuals that the educators support the children to become. Section 7 was an earlier idea based around the philosophy of ‘Being, Belonging, Becoming’. I wanted to show the idea of being yourself, feeling accepted and how that leads you to feel the strength and empowerment to become anything you want. Section 8 mirrors section 1 and shows more groups of people gathering together.

This painting took almost 50 hours to complete. It has over 8 layers of texture, paint and detail work. One large circle in the sun has over 500 dots, this would estimate that there could be anywhere up to 10,000 dots over the 3 pieces.

This painting is designed to hang together, however, each piece can be hung independently and maintain a similar story.