Still Life Paintings!

This is the second time this year we introduced the concept of still life paintings.  It is so interesting to look at objects through the eyes of a child.

Before Rosh Hashana we placed Apples as the "still life" object. This week we put out 2 choices of plants from our classroom. 

 

The idea behind this project, is to introduce the children to representational art, as well as work on descriptive language skills. Below we included some of the "descriptors" the children came up with as they observed the plants and  painted.

 Rochel, "I'm mixing white with blue, just like the pot"

 Chaya, "Making leaves with my paintbrush."

Menucha, " Lots of green because there is a lot of leaves."

After observing this experience we realized the importance of revisiting art development in regards to representational stages and what it looks like for our children. 

Developmentally, children at this age are moving from accidental or spontaneous representation to simple intentional representation. While we are not looking for or expecting elaborate representations we are hoping to see (and support through scaffolding) a growth in the development of their observation skills and their ability to notice detail. This can only happen if we purposely help them to slow down and really look at things. These skills must happen first in order for the child to become aware of the characteristics they want to represent.

The skill of becoming observant, describing things in detail, and developing an awareness of detail has the potential to translate into expanding the way they perceive the world. Taking the time to be aware of their surroundings lends the opportunity to gain new perspectives. These skills and the connection to other areas of development are far more important than their ability to elaborately paint an object placed on the table.

We look forward to doing this again in another month or so...and reflecting on how the skills have progressed!