Ashburton College Year 12 students Denielle De Leon (left) and Vhal Mamuad creating artwork on containers that will form the new reuse shop at the Ashburton Resource Recovery Park. Photo Sue NewmanThe creative work of a group of Ashburton College students will soon be brightening the landscape at the Ashburton Resource Recovery Park.

The park’s reuse shop will shortly move into a new, albeit temporary, home, in several shipping containers and each container will be covered in works of art created by students.

Teacher Milly Brown has worked with her Year 12 art students to create a series of designs that are now close to completion.

It’s been an inspirational project for the students, she said, and one that is exciting to watch unfold as each panel is completed.

Student Jane Cribb said the students had worked in groups on design work. Each container has four artworks – one each on its two long sides and one at each end.

“We planned it out on paper first, then coloured the designs in so they could be sent to the district council to be approved,” she said.

With design work ticked off, the students ‘went for it’, Cribb said.

While most of the work is carried out in class time, several students have been working overtime to ensure their designs are completed by the end of June when the containers will be transported to the resource recovery park.

Paint for the project was donated by Bunnings and Mitre 10 and while that paint was suited to outdoor work, students were having to deal with the impact of rain or frost, Brown said.

The artworks attracted plenty of attention on campus, with several Year 11 and 13 students also volunteering to be part of the project.

By Sue Newman © The Ashburton Guardian - 20 June 2019