It's Like the Sky!

Painting and art has been one of our favorite moments during the day in cohort 6. With the beautiful weather of this early spring the children have been inspired by the things we see through the windows while they are painting. The it often evolves into their favorite things. And then we have opportunities for practicing our negotiating skills as each child finds what they need to do this work they envision.

Like other mediums (clay, paper, drawing, music, play, loose parts, etc), paint gives the children a way to tell their story.  I find it fascinating to watch how their story begins, evolves based on what they noticed within the paint process or involve what the other children are saying, and finally at which point they feel finished.

Today we did a simple provocation involving blue, white, and black paint on white paper, with a thin brush and a thick brush.

E: You know what I'm making?

C: No I don't

H: Is it a train?

E: Not any more

V: Is it a train?

E: no

It is quiet for a few moments.  The brushes move across the paper in individual ways: circles, curved lines, back and forth, long straight.

H: I'm trying to get all the white off

V: Me too!

E: Me too

H: I want to cover it. I want the blue on top.

H: You can see E!  He's doing round!

E I'm not. You are

H I'm going around

E me too!

V. I'm making a fire truck. I'm making a bus

E I'm making a bus also.

This running dialogue continues for a while, until each child finds an ending spot that feels right for them.  They ask me to hang up their art.  They wash their paint brushes and hands, then move on to the next activity.