Thursday, April 4, 2019

Art Journals: Adding Layers of Complexity

This week, children have been following  prompts while adding to their art journals.  On Tuesday, they also developed a framework for a dice game that could provide ideas for adding to these altered books.  They came up with the following processes.
     Roll a 1:  Use paint
     Roll a 2:  Tear pages and glue down
     Roll a 3:   Draw something
     Roll a 4:  Add a picture (collage)
     Roll a 5:  Add a print
     Roll a 6: Trace something
Today some children chose to play the game while working in their art journals.  It was fun to see the different ways children interpreted the ideas dictated by the dice.  Although they were including the same process, the results are unique for each child.  
Children who worked with prompts thought a lot about things that make them happy, leading to this discussion:
    Hugh - Vehicles make me happy.  What makes me sad is....sitting and doing housework, basically.
    James - Housework makes me super happy.
    Tommy - What makes me sad is people dying.
    Dagny - My favorite thing is snack set-up.
    Maisie - I'll tell you what makes me happy: Harry Potter.

As Tommy worked, he decided to title his art journal "Australian Artbook,"  adding, "After I finish it, I'm going to take it to the library and people can look at it."

     

Shelly's House: An update

Yesterday children worked with our guest builder to create wall for Shelly's house.  Today it was time to put them together!  The children worked with two types of screwdrivers to attach the walls to each other.  It was immediately noticeable that using a screwdriver takes patience and persistence.  As Hugh said, " A screwdriver is always harder.  With a hammer, you just pound."  The children were pleased to see that Shelly fit within the walls of her house.  They noticed that the three-sided structure could be tipped on its side to form a different type of structure: something more like a bridge.  They now feel that she needs a roof, and possibly a floor. 
Tegan - The house needs a roof because when it rains, she will get wet.
Lou Lou - Shelly doesn't like to get wet.  (Speaking to Shelly)  It's going to be done soon, Shelly.