Color Mixing, January 29, 2011

On this day both classes practiced color mixing with tempera paints.  Students experimented with mixing white, yellow, red and blue and created a variety of colors.  There was a general feeling of surprise and excitement when the children witnessed the birth of new colors right before their very eyes. Students were then able to come up with their own creative names for some of their colors and they began to make paintings. 

In the Family Studio class one girl was influenced by her mother's painting of dogs running in the snow.  She decided to create her own painting of a similar scene.  In order to paint the dogs, she very creatively, used the opposite end of the paintbrush in order to create more controlled marks.  Her figures were very similar to her mother's but then she also added footprints, making the final painting uniquely her's.

Mom's painting

Daughter's painting

The Saturday Studio class was small, consisting of two sisters.  They seemed to really enjoy mixing colors and giving them names.  They learned the difference between strong and weak colors and that when mixing colors it is easier to see a big change in color if you add a strong color to a weak color.  As they began to paint, it was interesting to see that they each had their own style.  One of the sisters tended to quickly and energetically fill the whole page using broad brush strokes while freely mixing the colors, while the other was more particular about the marks she made on the paper and was careful to keep many of the colors separate.

Week One, January 21, 2011

In both the Family Studio class and the Saturday Studio class we opened our first session with the exploration of materials.  Our students were encouraged to play and experiment with clay, paint, and drawing materials.  It was a great way for parents and children to familiarize themselves with different art mediums.  It was also a chance for Kathryn and I to get to know our students and any specific preferences they might have towards one medium or another.

 
There were many great moments in both our Family and Saturday Studio class.  One moment in particular comes to mind.  One of our young boys was experimenting with the clay.  His father sat behind him also experimenting.  His father would make small figures with his clay and quietly put them next to his son while he was working.  When the son noticed his father's clay figures he would "Oooh" and "Ahhh" with excitement; then he would pick up the figures and change them or add them to his own work, creating a merged sculpture.  It was nice how they worked together to create something new.  The boy's father did a great job of offering new material and ideas without overpowering his son's own individual sense of creativity.  They made a great team! 

Mandala created by a student in the Saturday Studio class