Postscript 2022
If you happen to be reading this it will more likely be by accident than design. I put this together after undergoing a quadruple coronary bypass in December 2018. It was more for my own record and also by way of saying to myself “well, was it worth it”? “What did you actually do that counted for something during all those years”?
Teaching is often a thankless profession; along the way you meet those who make all the work seem somehow worthwhile. Despite the departmental and administrative chaos It was actually I myself who grew and learned so much that I wouldn’t have otherwise. My debt is to the thousands of students who crafted me into the teacher I eventually became.
I returned to part time teaching at Nepean Creative and Performing Arts High School mid year in 2022.
Before teaching
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Prior to embarking on a career in teaching, the world of art-making was my permanent home for some sixteen years. I did my Undergraduate (4yr) & Post Graduate (Scholarship) at the Canberra School of Art under artists such as Janenne Eaton, Dennis Trew, Jan Brown, Bernard Hardy, Christopher Croft, Martin KIng, Tim Rowston, Dianne Fogwell and Petr Herel.
Selected group exhibitions 1984-2001
- 1984 “Head Space” MCAE, Bathurst, NSW, Au
- 1985 “National Student Art Awards”, MCAE, Bathurst, NSW, Au
- 1987 “Works in Progress” Photo Space, Canberra, ACT, AU
- “The Word” Arts Council Gallery, Canberra, ACT, AU
- 1988“Selected Works | Artist Books” Foyer Gallery, Institute of the Arts, Canberra, ACT, AU
- 1990 “Lasting Moment” Australian National Gallery, Drill Hall, Canberra, ACT, AU
- "Petr Herel and Son Atelier D’Investigation Graphique”, Institute D’Arts Visuels Orleans, France
- 1992 “Fragile Object”, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, AU
- “An Exhibition of Artist Books”, Australia Print Council Workshop, Melbourne, VIC, AU
- “The Book Project”, National Library of Australia, Canberra, ACT, AU
- 1993 “Monash University Studio Series” National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, AU
- “Solaris” | Gary Poulton / Maria Stukoff, Australian National Gallery Drill Hall, Canberra, ACT, AU
- 2001, “Fragile Object 2”, National Library of Australia, Canberra, ACT, AU
Collections
- Menzies Library ANU
- Queensland State Library | Australian Library of Art | Collaborations
- Australian National Library | Trove Collection | iPhonography Vol 2 | Analogue Dreaming
- Art Gallery of NSW (see Traversare)
Publications / Reviews
- ‘AddOn 2023’, HeadOn Foundation ISBN 9-7806-9834
- ‘AddOn 2022’, HeadOn Foundation ISBN 978-0-6485362-9-1
- ‘AddOn 2021’, HeadOn Foundation ISBN 978-0-6485362-6-0
- ‘AddOn 2020’, HeadOn Foundation ISBN 978-0-6485362-4-6
- ‘AddOn 2019’, HeadOn Foundation ISBN 978-0-6485362-0-8
- ‘AddOn 2018’, HeadOn Foundation
- ‘AddOn 2017’, HeadOn Foundation ISBN 978-0-9925075-6-5
- ‘AddOn 2016’, HeadOn Foundation ISBN 978-0-9925075-4-1
- ‘AddOn 2015’, HeadOn Foundation ISBN 978-0-9803631-2-
- ‘AddOn 2013’, HeadOn Foundation ISBN 978-0-9803631-2-8
- ‘AddOn 2012’, HeadOn Foundation ISBN 978-0-9803631-7-3
- "Dust to Dust" / Alex Selenitch, Imprint [Australian Print Journal] Vol 30 No 1, 1995
- "Unique Copies" / Alex Selenitch, Imprint [Australian Print Journal] Vol 28 No 2, 1993
- "Artist Books and Limited Editions", Vols 1-2-3 ISBN1-875161-19-8199
The Teaching Years 1997 - 2023
The inclusion, in this little story, of exhibition information, is by way of demonstrating what was significant in the development of a professional practice that fed back into my teaching in those areas and contributed, I believe, to improved student confidence & outcomes.
25 years of teaching. Unreservedly, one of the most productive times of my life and one in which beyond any doubt, so much was learned that would not have been otherwise. There are many people to thank and some that I'll miss mentioning for sure. This is not intended as an extensive narrative but a sort of hit point broadside to highlight some of the things that developed my teaching and heightened my awareness of what students needed from me and facilitated that growth.
1997-2007 Cranebrook High School
I'd been working at Cranebrook High School for about two years when my then Head Teacher, Garry Kemp, passed me two discs (Adobe Photoshop 5 + Adobe Illustrator) one day in the staff room and said "I'd like to get a Design course up and running, do you think you can learn to use these" At that stage Microsoft Word was still a mystery to me and I'd just acquired a PC so I thought why not give it a go, I don't know anything about software, so I'll be no worse off if I can't figure it out. It was the beginning of a long journey that led to experiences, well beyond me, at that point, to imagine.
A lot of Cranebrook was about survival in what was effectively a war zone, but I was in a great faculty with a Head of Dept, who knew how to draw the best out of both his staff and students. In short, however I got to wherever I am today as an educator, I owe it pretty much to my time under Kempy's watchful eye. It was Garry Kemp who taught me one his great lessons “ make sure your students understand what you’re asking them to do” In that lay the key to making the difficult, simple and the complex, straightforward. I’ve carried it to this very day.
Along with Photoshop and Illustrator, in my time at Cranebrook I learned to use CGI software such as Terragen, World Machine and Mojo to generate and render procedural and fractal landscapes and taught students to use Terragen and World Machine to generate procedural landscapes.
- Yr7 - Yr8 Advisor 2000-2002
- Art Across the Middle' Workshop facilitator 2004 / 2005 / 2006. A big thank you to Jenni Trezise who facilitated my involvement in these projects.
Joined the digital forum Renderosity and created my first online gallery in 2003
2007 - 2021 Wyndham College
- Transferred to Wyndham College.
- Wyndham Website V1. (Adobe Flash)
- Wyndham Yearbook DVD.
- Initiated the Rewire Project.
- Launched Rewired-Now website.
- Launched Rewired-Photo website.
Both Rewired-Now and Rewired-Photo are now archived sites. Most of the content was transferred to newer sites.
..
The 2007 & 2008 Yearbooks are mentioned here because they involved thousands of hours of work in terms of content creation, editing, colour grading, DVD authoring and printing. All the applications used were self taught. Final Cut Express was laboriously slow in rendering timelines particularly on the early iMacs. Navigating the world of Codec and Containers to ensure all the content would be compatible cross platform & fit on a standard DVD was a journey in itself. In retrospect it was such a primitive endeavour but well worth it in terms of the experience and knowledge gained.
2008
- Wyndham Website V2 (Adobe Flash)
- Wyndham Yearbook DVD
..
2009
- DER (Digital Education Revolution ) Working group, Western Sydney 2009-2011
- Recommended by DET as a candidate for the Adobe Education Leaders program
- Published | ‘Side by side’ “Blogging for Education” | Victoria Nikulin
- Published | 'Click' “A technology guide for parents” | Victoria Nikulin “Using technology to nurture creativity”
- Wyndham Website V3 (Adobe Flash)
- Launched R.E.W.I.R.E.D | A resource site for Gary's Stage 6, Visual Art, Design and Photography students @ Wyndham College
- Launched REWIREDART. | A resource site for art teachers.
Note: The current R.E.W.I.R.E.D site is undergoing an archiving and re-purposing process and does not reflect the site as it was when used by students at Wyndham College.
2010
- 2010 - 2011 Western Sydney Region Curriculum Innovators Program
- Semi Finalist | Moran Contemporary Photography Prize 2010
- Finalist | NSW Parliamentary Plein Air Photography Awards 2010
- Exhibited @ NSW Parliament House
- Documentation of ArtExpress selected works for gallery catalogs.
- Published | “Art for Parents” Kim Cotton @ Click
- Exhibited @ Digital Fringe Melbourne
- Exhibited @ Napoli Film Festival, Italy
2011
Exhibited | “Hipstamatics” @ Orange Dot Gallery London
2011 IPPAWARDS Category Winner in 2 sections
- Documentation of ArtExpress | Selected Works for Gallery Catalogs and ArtExpress website.
- Induction into the AEL (Adobe Education Leaders) program @ Sept 29th.
2012
- 1st Plone CM Website for Wyndham College
- 2012 IPPAWARDS 3x Honourable mentions in two categories.
- Exhibited @ 'Art Takes Times Square' New York
- Invited to judge at the 2013 CODIE Awards for the Software and Information Industry Association.
- Exhibited | AddOn @ HeadOn Photo Festival, Mary Place, Paddington
- Launched StageSix (Visual Art HSC theory site)
- Adobe Asia Pacific Education Leadership Summit, The Kirribilli Club, Lavender Bay, NSW.
- Adobe @ UNSW CBD Campus
2013
- 2013 IPPAWARDS 3 x Honourable mentions
- Adobe Create Now Roadshow. Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.
- Exhibited @ Scope Miami Beach
- Exhibited | "Story of the Creative" NYC Gallery, New York
- Exhibited | 2013 AddOn @ HeadOn Photo Festival
- Invited to work on 'Project Luca' for Adobe Corporation.
- 2 x self published books included in the Australian National Library ‘Trove’ Collection
- APAC Adobe Education Summit 2013
- Published in 'Dreamhouse'
2014
- Wyndham College Website (Plone CMS V2)
- 2014 IPPAWARDS 6 x Honourable mentions in 3 categories.
- Exhibited @ Scope New York
- Adobe Create Now Roadshow, Doltone House, Hyde Park, Sydney 15/6
- Adobe Create Now Masterclass, Doltone House, Hyde Park, Sydney 16/6
Exhibited: Sketchbook Project US Tour
Exhibited: "50 Treasures of the ANU Library" Canberra ACT
2014 AddOn @ HeadOn Photo Festival
- Presented at “Best Practice in NSW Schools 7-12” on behalf of DET
- Presented at Human Rights Commission “Human Rights in Education” (in the presence of Gillian Triggs) “Against the tide / Opportunity in a time of indifference”
- APAC Adobe Education Summit 2014
Noted Australian book designer Sandy Cull chose this image from my online body of photographic work for the cover wrap for Kari Gislason’s book “The Ash Burner”
2015
- IPPAWARDS 3 x Honourable Mentions
- Exhibited | AddOn @ HeadOn Photo Festival
- Presented at Adobe in Education Professional Learning event. Adobe Sydney Office.
- Consultant @ “Using new technologies to enable students to easily create content”. Microsoft Deep Dive Consultative Workshop @ Information Technology Directorate. Steven Worrall, CEO Microsoft Australia.
- Adobe 'Make It' Conference Carriageworks, Eveleigh, Sydney
- Published 'Visual Design Course Overview' on iTunes Store
- APAC Adobe Education Summit 2015
..
2016
- Exhibited | AddOn @ Festival Hub Central, Level 3, Central Park, 28 Broadway, Chippendale
- Presented x 2 @ Interact ITD 2016 ‘Technology for Inclusion Conference’ @ Information Technology Directorate, Redfern
- New Plone Website (V3) for Wyndham College
- Content creation for rebranding of Adobe Slate to Adobe Spark website promotions.
- Adobe ‘Make It’, Carriageworks
- Published 'Preliminary Photography Course Overview' on iTunes Store
- APAC Adobe Education Conference 2016
..
2017
- Exhibited | AddOn @ HeadOn Photo Festival @ Festival Hub Paddington, Paddington Town Hall, 249 Oxford Street.
- Final Plone Website for Wyndham College
- Schools of the Future Conference (Adobe delegate) Sydney Opera Hoiuse
- APAC Adobe Education Summit 2017
Below is a preview of the 4th and final Plone CMS website for Wyndham College. Whilst the Home page had been published, work on the site was still in progress. This was a preview for the Principal at the time.
I’ve cut the sound from this slightly edited version. Otherwise you’ll be hearing me explaining various features of this particular CMS build.
After my surgery (politics aside) the powers that be decided to go with the Dept preferred SWS (School Website Service) as they rightly feared my future with the school was now uncertain and there was no one on staff who could pick up the reins and maintain the new site.
Art Express 2017
2018 - 20
- Exhibited | 2018 AddOn @ HeadOn Photo Festival
- APAC Adobe Education Summit | October 2018
Cardiac arrest and quadruple bypass surgery Dec 2018
- Exhibited | 2019 AddOn @ HeadOn Photo festival @ '541 Artspace' 541 Kent St, Sydney , NSW
- Adobe Symposium, ICC, (International Convention Centre) Sydney
2019
- APAC Adobe Education Summit 2019
- Adobe Symposium, ICC, ‘Exhibition Hall 6’ | 25-26-27/6
HSC Marking: Written & Practical 2006-2019
ArtExpress 2008 - 2017
It was my good fortune over the years to work with so many talented students who brought out the best in me in terms of both teaching and the drawing out their individual talents and strengths.
Art Express
- 2008 Anke Vermeulan | 'This is how you disappear'
- 2011 Hannah Klomp | 'The Force of Conformity'
- 2011 Ryan Cox | Hazelhurst Regional Gallery
- 2013 Nadia Krygsman | 'The Undefined Cure'
- 2013 Clare Molnar | 'Beautiful Thoughts'
- 2013 Wail Rudwan | 'Self & Zone'
- 2013 Divya Kerai | 'Holi'
- 2014 Maleeha Ashrad | 'Sanctuary'
- 2016 Madeleine Tuynman “Near the You Yang Garden – A Homage to Fred Williams”
- 2016 Yazmin Chimanlal-Patel “Coded Exit”
- 2017 Jemmah McMaster “Girl Factory”
- 2017 Sally Clark “Of Dreams and Water”
2020
APAC Adobe Education Summit 2020
- 'AddOn 2021', HeadOn Foundation, Bondi Pavilion
- APAC Adobe Education Summit 2021
2022
2023
Thank you.
The following people provided me with many exceptional professional development opportunities, without which, my career as a teacher would not have unfolded as it did.
- Garry Kemp (HT CAPA Cranebrook HS Retired)
- Jenni Trezise | Regional Arts CoOrdinator Western Sydney | Retired
- William Lui (DoE)
- Anna Mascallero (Adobe)
- Brian Chau (Senior Solution Consultant Adobe, ANZ)
- Anne Russell (Digital Marketing Manager Adobe ANZ)
- Remy Mansfield (Adobe Education Programs CoOrdinator | Project Luca, Adobe Slate)
- Ben Forta (Senior Director Education Initiatives Adobe)
- Tracy Towbridge (Adobe Global Education Lead | Adobe Slate)
- Kim Cotton (DoE)
- Victoria Nikulin (DoE)
- Catherine Seal (DoE)
- Ashley Hill (HRC)
- Ron Pratt (HT CAPA Wyndham College)
- Ian Wing (DoE)
- Prue Rowston (HT CAPA Nepean Performing Arts HS)
- Karen Smith (Principal Wyndham College)
- Dr Tim Kitchen (Senior Education Specialist Adobe Asia Pacific)
- Matt Niemitz (Senior Product Manager Adobe Education Exchange)
Retired from full time teaching in May 2020
2022
- Returned to part time teaching at NCAPA (Nepean Creative and Performing Arts High School)
- Worked on web backend for the 'Nepean Festival of Art and Design'. Produced a web document promoting the event which had over 1500 views.
Postscript 2023
A year of endings; coming full circle. I've been teaching part time at NCAPHS for over a year now; I was originally succonded for 5 weeks. The irony here is that it was at this school that my teaching career began ( same faculty, same classroom ) and it is here that in the due course of time that I’ll hang up my boots and take a well deserved break.
Addendum
My train pulled in for the last time on Tuesday 18th July ‘23. I disembarked, handed back my travel pass and cabin keys. For the time being, job done.