16: The Earth Without Art is Just "Eh"

Every artist dips her brush into her own soul and paints her own nature into her pictures.

I've always believed that the art we create is an extension of ourselves. The lines, shapes, strokes or colours that we use in expressing ourselves through different art forms can reveal much of who we are or what we feel at a given moment. Moreover, the way we perceive art may also unveil parts of our personality, as well as how we view the world and ourselves. 

This week, we immersed ourselves in our unit on art and emotions by finding out what the kindergarteners know about art early into inquiry, and to learn about their wonderings and curiosities. 

To unlock the word, I asked the children:

What comes into your mind when you think of the word ART? 

Many of the children connected ART with the paintings and drawings that they make, as well as the materials they use. One of the children said that she thinks of paintings when she hears the word art, which led another one to say, 

"Ms. Pam, I have a favorite painter! Her name is Frida Kahlo!"

(What a revelation it is that some of them know her. She is also one of my favourites. 😊)

Based on the answers of the children, I prepared a series of visual provocations to deepen our understanding of what art truly is. We used a visible thinking tool called See, Think, Wonder to help us see the thought process of the children based on a series of visual provocations. 

We did a round robin in groups of 4, and we asked the children:

What do you see in the picture?

What do you think or know about the picture?

What do you wonder about the picture? What are your questions?

Their insights floored me. It was the first time I used this thinking tool with the kindergarteners but their ideas and curiosities are truly remarkable. True inquirers in the making!

ART IS ABOUT COLOURS.

What do you see?

It looks like a rainbow. -Emma/Clara/Koh

It looks like a colourful fan. - Zoey

What do you think?

I think it's a rainbow clock. - Emma I./Hana/Yorinobu

I know there are many colours. - Haruto

What do you wonder about?

What is a colour wheel? - Haruto

How many colours are there? -Ms. Pam

Why is it white in the middle and it gets brighter but it's still the same colour? -Clara

Why are there many colours? - Sarah

How do the colours get bright? -Emma C.

How do you make the colour blue? - Yorinobu

What do you see if you spin all the colours fast? - Hana

Why is the rainbow shaped like a bow? - Zoey

Why are there different colours? - Kallea

How are colours made? - Kallea

ART USES STICKS (LINES) AND DOTS.

What do you see?

I see a painting. - Chanin

I see a lot of dots. - Yorinobu/Hana

I see colours. - Kanato

I see a frame. -Zoey

I can see a rainbow. - Kanato

What do you think?

I think they made it by squishing their brushes. - Emma I. 

I think it looks like a rainbow. - Koh

I think it's an airplane flying. - Yorinobu

What do you wonder about?

How did they make the lines like that? - Clara

Why did they choose different colours? - Koh/Hana

Who made it? - Sarah

Why is it colourful? - Emma C.

Why does it look like blood? - Emma C

Why do the lines look like that? - Zoey

PAINTINGS ARE ART.

What do you see?

I see flowers.- Clara

I see a boat, a rainbow sky. -Emma C.

I see a rainbow sky. - Sarah

The person looks like he has got yellow hair like me. - Hana

The painting looks like Christmas Day. - Yorinobu

What do you think?

I think this person looks like me. - Emma C. 

I think there are many people who made this. - Koh

I think the person is hiking. - Emma C. 

I think it's a picture of wind. - Emma C.

I think it's a tower in the night. -Emma I. 

I think there are many stars in the sky. - Chanin

I think the flowers will grow in the sky. - Haruto

What do you wonder about?

What plants are these? - Sarah

What blue flowers are these? -Clara

Why is the boat like this? - Sarah

Why are the flowers different colours? - Hana

Why do these plants look like the bird with open feathers? -Zoey

Why is there sun when it's nighttime? - Zoey

Who made all these paintings? - Tamaki

What tree is this? - Sarah

Why is this person posing for the painting? - Chanin

Why is there a moon in one of the paintings? - Kallea

Who is that man in the painting? - Kallea

SCULPTURES ARE ART.

What do you see?

I see a dolphin. -Koh

I can see a fish. - Kanato

What do you think?

I think it is an orca. -Zoey

I think it is a dolphin. - Yorinobu

What do you wonder about?

Is this made of Lego? - Chanin

Why is it in the water? Is it swimming? - Tamaki

Why does it have different colours? -Clara

Why did they use black for the body? - Sarah

Why are there mountains at the back? -Kanato

What is the box in the picture? -Sarah

Why is it swimming out the water? - Hana

-What is it made of? -Kanato

Why is there a bottle? - Kallea

DRAWINGS ARE ART.

What do you see?

I can see that the man has no hair. - Clara

I see a boat. -Kanato

I can see a boat, people, and a house. - Tamaki

I can see a tower in the night. - Emma I.

What do you think?

I think the sky is orange because it's getting dark. -Koh

I think he's scared. - Yorinobu

I think he lost his hair that's why he looks like that. - Zoey

I don't like that painting because I don't like the rainbow. - Hana

I think he is screaming. -Emma I.

I think he is angry. - Haruto

What do you wonder about?

Why is the sky rainbow coloured? - Zoey

Why is the boat in the sky? - Zoey

Why is his face like that? -Yorinobu

Why is the sky orange? -Haruto

Why is he screaming? - Kallea

And an additional concept:

ART CAN AFFECT OUR EMOTIONS.

What do you see?

I see someone blowing a kiss. - Zoey

I see a happy face but there is a tear. - Yorinobu

I see a sleepy person. - Chanin/Emma C.

I can see an angry face. - Emma I.

I can see a girl who looks like Ms. Renu. - Haruto

I see someone meditating. -Kallea

I see headphones. - Kallea

What do you think?

I think Koh's face is kawaii. - Clara

I think 2 people in the picture look the same. - Kallea

Everyone can make all types of faces. -Zoey

I think we can make these faces, too. -Whole group

I think this face is (points and copies expression) -Emma I.

I think you can be happy and cry at the same time. -Koh

What do you wonder about?

Why are they shouting? -Hana

Is it loud? -Yorinobu

Why are they closing their eyes when they shout? -Clara

Why are they touching their head when they're angry? -Emma I.

Why is he eating chocolate? - Clara

(It's not chocolate, it's his beard. -Koh)

I am in awe of the children's ideas. They are becoming confident communicators and inquirers, indeed, and I couldn't be prouder. 

A big part of art is the use of colours. To review the colours, I introduced a basic colour wheel to the children and told them that people use it to understand the relationship of the different colours. I gave the kindergarteners a challenge: to look for different items in the classroom that would match the colours on the wheel. Each colour should have 3 things, and they can't repeat materials that they have already used for another colour. It was a scramble for different items in the classroom and the students mixed and matched the items until they found the right balance.

The children were also introduced to a curious character who is so lucky to have many colours on his fur: The Colour Monster. The children said, "He looks beautiful, like a rainbow!" I agree with them. I asked the children, 

"If you were to make your own Colour Monster, what would it look like?"

The children thought about what they want their monsters to look like, and we all agreed that we should start with the colours first. We placed different colour stations around the classroom. The children went through all stations and used the different colours for their monster -- some of them even danced to upbeat music while painting!

When they were done, the children cut their monsters into different shapes. 

Slowly but surely, the kindergarteners are bringing their Colour Monsters to life. Let's 

see what they will look like once the process is done.

The children also had the chance to visit the field this week and take part in turning it into a work of art. Every winter, the kindergarteners plant tulip bulbs, tend to it, and wait for it to blossom in spring. 

It's the perfect exercise for patience, and valuing the process before the product.

Art is all around us. We see it in different forms and appreciate it in different ways. I also believe that art is within us. If we allow for it to grow and unleash it through our creative ways, we gift the world a piece of ourselves. Without the gift of art, the earth is definitely just "eh," don't you think so? 

Have a wonderful week ahead, everyone.

Your Kindergarten teacher, 

Pam

P.S.

The Christmas Market will be on December 16th, Friday. Please read the details of the event below from the school blog:

Each class will have a stall selling the items students have been making. Please enjoy having a walk round with your child and enjoy the market!

To keep numbers low on the yard, each grade has a specific time slot. Please only join at that time.

The classes will be brought down by your homeroom teacher, so you can meet your child and go around together. At the end of the time slot your child will return to class with their teacher to pack up for the holidays. 

Timings for each grade:

10.30am - 11.00am Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten

11.00am - 11.30am Grade 2 and 3

11.30am - 12.00pm Grade 1 and 4

12.00pm - 12.30pm Grade 5/6 and pre-school

12.30pm - 12.40pm Music Performance

(Grade 5/6 bell playing followed by a Grade 5/6 and pre-school dance routine)

12.40pm Tidy up

1.00pm End of day - all children go home for vacation! Via the normal pick up points. School bus will depart at 1.00pm for students who need it.

Snack and lunch time

Please send a snack with your child but there will be no lunchtime, please have lunch after 1.00pm with your child.