Kaylie and the Apple Tree

A weekend outing to the Apple Orchard led to the the creation of this wonderful piece of art. The vivid colors actually make you want to bite into a nice red apple!

The Child Sees with Clarity the Perfection of Nature

I recently read an article that stated that everyone can learn to draw. I was a little skeptical but as I moved further along in my reading there were several points that caught my attention. Until the age of six children, especially those who are encouraged to draw and paint, are exceptionally skilled. Why? Because they see with clarity, they are not in a hurry nor do they have preconceived notions of what something should look like. They simply draw what they see and hence they are able to produce wonderful representations. As we grow older we are too busy to give attention to details so we draw what we think something should look like. Unhappy with the results we lose interest and become discouraged and hence lose our abilities or they become dormant. What do you think?

The Colors and Textures of the Summer Garden

The garden provides constant inspiration for the children's work.  These students created a vase and platter to capture some of the colors and textures of the herbs and flowers that grew during the summer months.  They used basic techniques for working with clay: flattened, rolled, coiled, smoothed, along with adding details with carving tools. The teacher encouraged them to explore and manipulate the clay.  One of the great qualities of clay is that there’s never a wrong way. The imperfections added uniqueness to the finished product.  After the items dried, they used a variety of painting techniques to capture the rich greens of the rosemary, the deep reds, and fascias of the begonias as well as the soft pinks of the impatiens.

This is no Ordinary Flower!

Sunflowers,  associated with loyalty and longevity, are certainly the happiest of flowers. Their vibrant color can't help but cheer up the day. Dating as far back as 1000 BC, they have served as religious symbols, a food source and have provided inspiration to many artists.

Facial Expression-The Master of Communication

The amount of information that can be conveyed with simple facial expression is extraordinary; a smile, grimace, twitch of the eye, puckering of the lips goes a long way in letting others knows how we are feeling. Verily facial expressions are a universal form of communication. In particular, the eyes, often referred to as the “windows to the soul” are the masters of the human face.

This is especially true of infants and toddlers who have  limited use of words to communicate how they are feeling about particular events and experiences. As such, teachers must be avid observers, finely tuned to the emotions of the children in their care.