As we eased back into school, we were inspired to do some collaborative, cold weather art. We presented a large blank canvas to the children and provoked them to make a “wintery painting” with colors purple, dark blue, white, and light blue. In pairs of two, each child was encouraged to use the paints to cover the canvas. As the children painted, they spoke of the colors they used and how these colors influenced what they painted. As a new group of children came to the table to paint, we explained the narratives their peers before them had shared as they painted. In time, a winter narrative began to evolve. Not too surprisingly, one of our preschoolers’ favorite winter narrative, Frozen, became an underlying theme of the painting.
The following day during Morning Meeting, we read the children their dictation from the prior day’s painting, while showing them the canvas. They commented on the colors that were made with the purples, blues and whites mixed together. We encouraged them to make shapes, lines, or patterns for this phase, demonstrating how to use the side of the brush with control. On this day, children were given white and light blue paint for the second layer.
On the final day, we decided to add some texture to our painting. Children used liquid water colors and shiny stones to transform a glue mixture into a layer that brought new depth to the painting. Each day as the children worked, they were curious about which parts their peers had painted. They also asked each other questions as they painted, and also commented on what they thought their partner’s painting reminded them of.
The intent of this project was to provide a shared experience, as we reunited together after two weeks apart. As we look at the final product, we see a piece of art that is unique to this classroom and to the ten pairs of hands that created it. While some children preferred to work longer on the painting than others, the final product was made with input from each child in the classroom. This has been, and continues to be, the goal of our PK year; to foster a collaborative community in which each individual brings a unique and essential perspective to who we are as a class.
See the evolution of this collaborative painting in the time-lapse video below.