Birth Of A New Life!

Children often remember their baskets of Easter chocolates and cute bunnies on Easter Day. The children were brought into discussions about the meaning of Easter, the traditions and what it symbolizes.

The meaning of ‘Egg’ was presented with the meaning of ‘the birth of a new life’. It is also a season of spring where flowers bloom, trees grow and everything around us spring forth joy and life. Children began to share their colorful thoughts into various symbolic representations presented in this exhibition- Birth of a new life!

Holiday Program (June to August 2010)

A) Photo Collage on Canvas (3hrs- 1 lesson only)

Place great moments on a canvas and get crafty this holiday! Children can bring along their favorite pictures, postcards, tickets or any images that they love and make collages on a painted canvas. Children get to experience not only the joy of painting, they get to pick up various materials and add an edge to their artworks.

Fees - $60 (includes all materials)

Schedule
Monday- 1030am to 130pm
Tuesday- 1030am to 130pm
Thursday- 1030am to 130pm

B) Collage on Canvas (1 ½ hr- 4 lessons)

In this crafty holiday, children can get hands on with using various interesting materials. Concepts/ theme will be child initiated. Instructor will guide and develop ideas with the child individually. Children will get to experience the fundamentals of painting on a canvas, at the same time explore various creative touches using alternative materials that will be available during the sessions.

Fees - $160 (includes all materials)

Schedule
Tuesday- 230pm to 4pm
Thursday- 230pm to 4pm
Friday- 230pm to 4pm
Saturday- 330pm to 5pm

Painting in Umbria, Italy

One of the stunning philosophies of the Reggio Emilia Approach is the environment as the third teacher. Reggio Emilia Approach in early childhood is often misled as an art education. In fact, art is used as a tool for learning. The culture of the Italians is the underlying influence in the formation of this approach.

Taking a look at the history of Italian art, the timeless architectures, the awesome artworks and the mesmerizing landscapes bring greater understanding and explanation to why the Reggio Emilia approach embraces creativity, exploration and symbolic representation. Observing textures, colors and shapes of the surrounding landscapes and buildings during my time in Italy brought me endless wonders and awe. The great Italian painters like Raphael, Perugino and Michaelangelo reflected their ancient land with detailed observation of colours and forms. It was inspiring to see how your connection with the environment as your teacher brings about ideas and discoveries to a large extend.

Pop artist Andy Warhol once quoted, "everything is beautiful". If we could all believe and embrace the view on the intensity of having the environment as our teacher, for what we know, learning will be a life long affair. Let's pass this on to our children, from generation to generation...

Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflower

Children mostly remembered this post impressionist painter as sad, emotional and sometimes weird. It was impressive to know that despite being at a tender age of 5 to 6 years old, these little ones were able to respond positively to the background of this painter. Some were able to reflect the story with positive note like, "If Van Gogh was my friend, I will tell him that he is a great artist so he wouldn't be sad. Or ask to give his lover a nice little painting instead of cutting his ear." Children were able to discuss the moral actions and emotions here. It was a great experience to embark on their first textured painting of sunflowers on canvas of course!

The Value Of Collaboration

The value of collaboration is more than just a big project done by a group of children. Children get to to take the lead in making decisions, discussing plans with peers and accepting various ideas through respect and appreciation. Contribution and shared ideas indeed brought life learning experiences to young children in more ways than one. The joy of achieving a collaborated piece of work brings confidence and meaning to each participating individual, where relationships in various aspects are found.

Outdoor

Finding textures in and around the garden gave children a chance to take a look at the details from their everyday environment. A re-visit of the old with new things found.

Portrait on Canvas

It was amazing to watch how children interpreted themselves or someone else when it comes to drawing faces. Each of these 5 to 6 year old children presented a collection of portraits that were soooo cute! Sketches on papers, sketchbooks to canvases were very interesting and expressive. Indeed, children are the creators of their own learning. So lovely, it is hard to part these works for the children to bring them home.