Moving on from the Gatherings, it's that September-time-of-year again. New beginnings, new terms at school and a new term for Art Play, an after-school club I have been running.
Art Play is a process-based club where we begin with a story and maybe a brief demonstration of a new technique, then the children are free to take their work in any direction they like with the help of a few carefully chosen open-ended art materials. I try to think of the club as art 'yes' space- there is no 'wrong' in art and I love it when the children deviate from my 'plan', when new ideas emerge and exited children make interesting discoveries. What happens if I mix glue into the paint? Can I balance this on here? How can I make it more stable? What will happen if I mix all these colours? Look, I made a new colour! Can I paint the clay? Can I paint with the clay?
I have always known the magic and value of being immersed in nature. In the past, I have often read the story outside, or had the children draw from the view. As as artist myself, I understand the inspiration you get from working 'en plein air' compared to in the studio. Since embarking on the 'Gatherings', my determination for getting the children outside has bloomed; first-hand experiences fresh in my mind; I have seen how the children come alive in nature, really engaging with the environment.
With this in mind, I have decided to make this term about using art to explore our connection to nature. The school has a wonderful outside space- a large grass area containing several native trees and a small, but lively pond enclosed by various bushes and woodland (the 'dens') and surrounded by rolling countryside- the children who go here are very lucky.
This week, we did 'clay printing' with natural objects. After the story, we went outside, armed with a large box in which to collect all of our treasures. I told the children to search for objects with different textures, things that feel different. The children ran all over, dashing back with spiky holly, rough sticks, smooth feathers, leaves of all shapes, sizes and colours, an abundance of hazel nuts and an oak-gall which I said we should leave there for now as it had no exit hole but that oak-gall ink might be an interesting project in a few weeks.
When we got back with our bounty, the children all experimented with the 'clay printing' in their own individual ways. I gave them each black and white printing ink on a palette. One child was exited to see that when mixed, they made a third colour! Some children experimented with all the different marks they could make in the clay, then developed this further by making mini sculptures. 'Look, I can print my hand!' said another. Then there was an exited 'Wow, I can print the clay without any paint!'
This week, we did 'clay printing' with natural objects. After the story, we went outside, armed with a large box in which to collect all of our treasures. I told the children to search for objects with different textures, things that feel different. The children ran all over, dashing back with spiky holly, rough sticks, smooth feathers, leaves of all shapes, sizes and colours, an abundance of hazel nuts and an oak-gall which I said we should leave there for now as it had no exit hole but that oak-gall ink might be an interesting project in a few weeks.
When we got back with our bounty, the children all experimented with the 'clay printing' in their own individual ways. I gave them each black and white printing ink on a palette. One child was exited to see that when mixed, they made a third colour! Some children experimented with all the different marks they could make in the clay, then developed this further by making mini sculptures. 'Look, I can print my hand!' said another. Then there was an exited 'Wow, I can print the clay without any paint!'
What a lovely start to the term.
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| I can print my hand! |
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| Wow, I can print the clay without any paint! |
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| Experimenting with different marks in the clay |
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| Some children made mini-models- this one is the seaside! Look at all the texture they added. |
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| Prints taken from the texture of a rock |
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| This texture came from a pine-cone |
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| Look at the gorgeous leaf veins in this work |
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| This child created a sculptural shelter from the found-objects. |
#art #play #imagination #looseparts #open-ended #creativity #clay #nature
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