[Part One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six]

After last week’s play with primary colors, I thought we’d explore the world of symbol and pattern.  I was inspired from a recent trip to Alaska and thought it would be delightful if we all painted totems of ourselves.  Class started with a mini lesson on Inuit art, specifically the totem, and continued into an extended lesson on symbolism.  The students struggled a little with the concept of symbolism, having a hard time linking abstract ideas to an animal.  However, once they got the hang of it, finding meaning behind each creature became easier.

The students were enraptured by the examples of Inuit art.  They were particularly drawn to the patterns and simple color schemes of totems and modern art pieces.  My first graders, the next day, had fun reading all the animals and meanings we listed on the board in class.  I ended up teaching two lessons on symbolism.

The art students had about an hour to draw and paint in class.  They were so taken with the project, that not a single one of them finished on time.  They all worked for the entire hour as if a seriousness had fallen over them.  As they sketched, I demonstrated some watercolor techniques, working on a totem of my own.  As you can see by their paintings, their watercoloring skills have developed nicely.  There is much more control, in both brush and medium, than when we began class in January.  All of the projects were finished at home.  I think the students enjoyed working throughout the week – they’ve been diligently testing and probably needed the release.

Next month will be our last for the year.  There are only two more scheduled sessions – one of which will be an all day trip to the Getty in Los Angeles.  Next week, the students will begin their final project.  I know they are all excited – I am too.

This post also appears at Lifeasgood.com.

[Part One, Two, Three, Four, Five]

Spring break is over. The teachers and students have all returned to the last quarter with bright eyes. Schools across the country are gearing up for testing, but our small art mentorship program is making sure we take a break from all those test taking strategies. Last week, my students and I once again dipped our feet into the refreshing coolness of watercolors.

For this week’s program, I wanted the students to explore primary colors. I was very pleased that the majority had remembered red, yellow, and blue were primary from our color wheel lesson. I gave the students two mini lessons, one on primary colors and another on watercolor as a medium. After the lessons, I released the students to their art. I allowed them to paint any subject they wanted but required that they stay within the primary colors, without mixing too much. They don’t know it, but this lesson and practice was designed to set up our next lesson on Inuit Art.

Class went well. I love talking with the students. I’ve found that the extra one-on-one time they get with me has an encouraging effect on all of them. It even has one on me. We often find ourselves joking around, singing, and laughing at ourselves through the art class. Sometimes, they start to tease each other but I always stop that. “Mr. Henisey doesn’t like that,” one of the girls called out when a bout of Your Momma Jokes started up. She was right. I’m fine with playing, but I insist on an atmosphere of kindness and positivity. I’m proud of the students for monitoring themselves. I never had to ask them to stop. Group consensus did all of the work.

During the off week, I’ve been setting up the remainder of the program. NASA and the local Museum are almost set. I still have a bit more coordinating to do with them. Our field trip in May is ready to go; it is approved by both the museum and the school board. I also have all the materials we should need for our final project (which will take up the bulk of our May sessions).

Stay tuned for more.

This post appears simultaneously at LifeasGood.com.