It's Wednesday already! It's been a relatively calm week. I wish it would rain. Actually the children have really enjoyed the cooler weather, and have been busy playing outdoors.
Inside, we've been painting and saving some of our work back for an art show we are planning in November just after Halloween. The art show takes a lot of work, but it's a great way of showing parents just how wonderful children's art is. I know that often parents pick up work and papers from children's envelopes, and barely look at what seems like a mess on a page. But when you begin to look carefully at the painting or drawing, you begin to see some special little things that are expressions of your child's thoughts and feelings.
Some of you have received framed art that we have made for you. We do this when a painting is exceptional and we have a frame to fit it. This is the kind of thing we will be doing in November. We will probably have the art show on Thursday and Friday after 3:00, so when you come to pick up your child, you can view their work.
There will be a small price to pay for each piece, and this enables us to continue to buy frames and art supplies. I think my last bill for supplies was $186.00, and I still need to buy colored paper!
Children's framed art makes wonderful grandparent gifts for Christmas. We will make sure each child has at least 4 pieces. Some will be big and some small - depends on the child and the art!
In preschool class, we try to do art every day. On Monday we have a drawing lesson; on Tuesday we try to string something; on Wednesday we use colored paper and glue; on Thursday we paint, and on Friday we work with some kind of clay.
Part of our art lesson involves commanding the materials; part of the project is invention, and part is expression. Important? Art is probably the most important part of preschool because it involves all the emotional strengths while it allows the child to express himself within a set of rules. Never again will he be so free.
What we find as teachers is that few children know anything about the mechanism of art because they have not been taught. When they finally begin to understand how the whole thing works, they love it. We have found several fine artists among our wonderful children.
Encourage art at home. Put some restrictions on space, and use of materials. The kitchen table makes a great art place. Put crayons in a bowl to be used one at a time. Art supplies never never leave the table! Paint is left flat to dry - water cups above paper, and tempera is always poured into small disposible cups and used on newspaper.
Home made play dough: 1 cup salt melted into 3/4 cup warm water; 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil, and 2 cups white flour. Mix like bread dough. This should not be sticky. If it is, continue to add flour.
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