In Brisbane we have a infinite variety of curious and curiouser critters. I’m swooped by a magpie Craigslea school as I collect leaves for the children to observe and draw. As they draw, I hear “oh a spider!” “Miss there’s a caterpillar on mine!” “What’s that?” a boy asks looking at an odd black fuzzy structure underneath a leaf.” a lerp !” I reply, and as we push it open and some tiny winged things scurry across the table “Its like fairy floss you can eat it, it’s sweet!” I say. They pull faces and the theme of the project emerges. We discuss bush tucker, how some psyllid bugs make protective shelters that are sugary and can be eaten like fairy floss. We learn about symmetry and tessellations and stencil shapes and lots of other small good things, and I am amazed by the clarity with which the children observe the world around them, and how cleverly they draw and cut.

Craigsleigh State school Artist in residence, Nancy Brown