What?
In gathering the clippings and reconsidering them as visual art materials, I initially felt quite excited to show the luscious shrubs in my back yard. I arranged the clippings as you would stand in my backyard with the camillias grabbing your attention initially then the remaining jasmine and ferns. This inspired me to create a dense shapely visual art of clippings that depicts my yard.
I wanted to create the same sense of layering and "bush-like" qualities that I see in my backyard, with tall pine trees, gum trees, shrubs and a creek contending for space and twining into each other in a luscious yet rustic backdrop of shape and a hint of colour. These plants selected are camellias, two varieties of jasmine and a fern. I used my rustic timber desk to enhance the image of the scenery of the timber of the trees down my backyard.

So What?
As I reflect on this process, I recognise how I was  inspired by the beautiful natural landscape and greenery. I can visualise how students in a classroom would benefit from a lot of time to explore individually and working collaboratively to encourage each others' ideas.

Now What?
I'm excited about my creation for the shape, colour, and size of my artwork. I look forward one day to get creative with the students and let their creative minds explore! 

Now What?
Reflecting on this experience, I was able to use elements of visual art such as the vibrant colour from the paper, texture from the wooden paddle pops and twist tie and shape of the flower as I wanted it to have a sense of depth and softness.  In the stop-motion next week, the flower will wilt because of the lack of nutrients and emissions in the air. Once the emissions decrease and nutrients are added,  the flower will come back to life. 

This week we studied about media arts, its key concepts, elements and codes. The focus remained on sustainability and we were required to design a ‘stop motion’ that conveyed sustainability. This was to be done using the sustainable visual arts piece from the household recyclables. My creation was a turtle swimming  in the ocean and a boat sails along and dumps oil into the ocean and kills the turtle. 

So What?
After installing the stop motion application, it kept requesting payment and that I had no space. So I had to use another application to create my stop motion on my laptop. However, my desk top camera was very blurred and the lighting was not efficient,  even when I adjusted it of a higher quality. So I took photos and uploaded it to the application. My stop motion communicates the significance of sustainability and the consequences of pollution. My turtle swims gracefully and carefree in the tranquil ocean with the coral swaying with the current, then a ship sails along and disposes of the oil into the ocean and fatality kills the turtle from suffocation. Tranquil music was added whilst the turtle was swimming then heavy, darker, deeper music played when the ship poured the oil into the ocean. At the end a ‘Do Not Litter. It Kills!!!’ banner is on the last clip.

 Now What?

After reflecting on how I have integrated visual arts with media arts to successfully communicate a HASS concept, I now need to consider and learn different and authentic ways to effectively integrate arts learning. The task also reiterated that using ICTs was a challenge but having various strategies to overcome the obstacles still produced a stop motion piece of art.  Becoming more proficient with ICTs and having better technology will help and enable me to discover various forms of media art.  This will increase my confidence while employing ICTs within teaching and learning experiences. To improve the stop motion I would add other media arts elements and codes such as effects to capture the audience’s attention.

Art is a language in itself. I admire how artists  have a skill and creativity that results in a visual experience. The variety of mediums, including photography, decorative arts, printing, painting, sculpture, architecture, theatre, dance, as well as literature, music, film are all wonderful definitions of art.
 I love art, I may not be the best at it but I appreciate everything about it and give it 100%.  
 Cameo Vonhoff 

I have endeavoured to initiate emotions I sensed when I viewed this artwork – Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. I have placed in various sounds to represent and individual walking through the night and hearing water gushing down the stream and a grand piano and clarinet with a high pitch, and slow tempo to depict the uncertainty of what one may come across at night.
 
 So What?

I found this task really thought provoking. I visualised myself being there in the scene and experiencing what would be happening around me. As I have mentioned before I truly appreciate art as it can generate different emotions for different individuals. Completing this activity, I sensed the emotion of uncertainty, stillness yet the breeze gently whispering through the town as I walked it as I could hear the water flowing by the river. 

Now What?
Integrating Art and Music made it more enjoyable and able me to be creative. This enabled me to view various elements in different ways.

Module 4.1 Dance and Science task requires students to create a short movement sequence to show the identifying physical and behavioural traits of a native Australian bird. I choose an iconic flightless bird that is well known amongst the Indigenous culture to choreograph a movement sequence to. I chose the emu.  As I researched their features, environment, needs, and how they moved, I googled videos of them in motion and observed features and movement techniques I could exercise to creäte a sequence of movements. I identified that they had  tall posture, yet when under threat the emu would fluff their feathers out and hurriedly escape or attack. when casually roaming to eat the pick from the ground the elongated neck would stoop down and use their beak to nuzzle and pick the food to eat. 

So What?
From observing these features, the Year 3 science content descriptor from the Australian Curriculum Authority and Reporting Agency [ACARA] (2017) - living things can be grouped based on observable features and can be distinguished from non-living things (ACSSU044)is addressed by arranging the movement sequence.

Having observed the features and using the elements of dance to create a movement sequence to exhibit these features, I determined I could utilise the element of time to communicate the wandering movements of the emu, while grazing and wandering. The element of action would be ideal when the emu is under threat and it runs away. Space would be introduced for the direction the emu would move. The dynamics is shown when the emu  is wandering and then runs in a movement as they escape from the predator. From choreographing the movement sequence the ACARA (2017) content description for Year 3 and 4  improvise and structure movement ideas for dance sequences using the elements of dance and choreographic devices (ACADAM005) is addressed. 

After chreographing movements of the emu and recognising elements used, I began to  display their leaning forward status, then stooping down  one arm at ninety degrees behind my back while the other arm acted as the head. My hand would be shaped as the beak peaking at the pick with my shoulders retracted. Then I would wander around in an upright posture still with two arms at ninety degrees behind my back while I would fluff my feathers. As the emu sees threat I would quickly jerk in an upright position and quickly move my head to see the danger and hurriedly run away to escape.

 Thinking about this task and  the method of imitating the emu, one could observe the features and by engaging in the elements of dance, one could create a sequence of movements.