Art News
Boys using ALL of their senses
It has been a pleasure watching the year 1 students engage in Art using "all of their senses." In class they are engaged in a Sharing the Planet unit that focuses on the importance of plants. In Art we have been investigating the properties of herbs, and boys have done amazing observation drawings. They are extending these drawings into designs for terracotta pots, which they will later pot plants in.
They had to close their eyes to heighten their sense of smell. The boys' comments were so emotive and authentic. One boy after smelling basil remarked how it smelt like pesto, which is a great connection as a key ingredient in pesto is basil. They were all open minded to the new experience and really seemed to enjoy using their sense of smell and exploring their environment in new ways. The drawings also show authenticity, as the boys could not simply draw what they thought a plant might look like, they were drawing from real pots of herbs. This meant that they investigated closely the type of stems, the shape of leaves, the positioning of leaves up the stem, the tiny hairs on some herbs, and the vein patterns on others. Even though we were doing accurate observation drawings, their individual personalities still come through. Some boys' drawings are botanical and neat, while others are loose and flowing, some focusing on just their favourite herb. It really is lovely to watch them work in Art. Please feel free to drop into the Art Studio and see the wonderful pots or other artwork being created by the boys.
Karen Sabitay
PYP Visual Arts
