The Leaves are Falling!

We have jumped with great enthusiasm into fall and all that it brings with it.  Our classrooms are bustling with curious children and teachers brimming with ideas.  So many in fact, I'm not sure we will be able to get to everything.  We started off with Leaf rubbings at our Art Tables and have been expanding on parts of the leaf with the children.  Our Botany cabinet is seeing lots of action and we are able to extend our wok in this area with some of our older children.  Texturally the leaves are beautiful and each one is different.  From a sensorial perspective this work is very exciting and appeals to our senses.  There is something very quiet and gentle that happens when you connect with things from our natural environment.  Then we add art materials, simple ones,  like newsprint and beeswax crayons for rubbing work.  I watched in awe last week as many children made rubbings over and over again in many colors.  Each child was excited about how each one turned out and the differences from leaf to leaf.

Our next art project the following week was about making leaf impressions using paint and rollers.

Painted Leaf Impression

We had the children paint the underside of their leaf and press it out on paper to reveal yet again another beautiful leaf impression.  Paint is a lot of fun to work with and the children really enjoy experimenting with different materials and mediums at the art table.

Today, I came with an extra art activity.  I've been waiting on some liquid water colour paint to come in at 4Cats art Studio.  Do you know about this Amazing art Studio?  Do you know that they have a room dedicated for splatter art?  I really don't have enough good things to say about the art program there.  I love it!  My own daughter takes art lessons there and has learned about so many artists.  Anyway, I have come to know the owner Nichola Precious very well since she opened her studio and I have been buying some of my art supplies from her.  I want her to do well and I want to support local business.  She is doing some amazing work and great than that she is teaching children about art!

Liquid Water Color is really fun to work with.  The color is so vibrant.  I used ours full strength as I was looking for intense color.  The children were surprised that a little paint goes a very long way.  So you have the softness of the leaves and the softness of water color paint and some new paint brushes combined with gentle strokes outwards over the leaf and you get the most beautiful leaf impression.

Children have a natural tendency to press hard but today I showed them how to apply paint with soft hands and gentleness.  It was a very lovely experience and it prompted lots of wonderful and curious conversation at our table this morning.

 For this project you need, liquid water color paint, water color paper (Super important as it absorbs the paint different from regular paper) Assortment of Leaves and paint brushes. Such a simple project with stunning results!  Yay!  Fall is here!  These would make beautiful note cards if you took them to be scanned and printed!!  Great gift for a grandparent...