Paint and Painting

Making Decisions and Managing Tasks

How do we create? How do we express our creativity?

We decided to spend some time exploring with paint in the atelier. Using this medium to create and develop ideas was exciting.

The children began by choosing the materials they need from the shelf. They had to make decisions about what they were planning to do and how they would go about completing the task.

@N had to choose the colour tablets she planned to use. She gathered the materials she needed onto a tray and sat down to paint. She painted “Mummy sleeping.”

@C and @M decided to paint on one paper. Sharing the space and a task involves negotiation, communication and teamwork. They chose the colour tablets they planned to use together, two paint brushes and one large paper.

As they worked, they had to decide who was painting first, which parts of the paper each of them would use and what they were going to paint together.

@S was exploring colour as she created new colours using the existing shades.

@S “It is like a rainbow. Because it’s too many colours mixed. LOOK!, Yellow and blue mixed together make green!”

@S “Me and Serena are inside sleeping. And daddy, mummy and aunty sleeping. And grandpa and grandma are sleeping.”

@J “Baby is swim. Baby, baby together play. Sister. Cookies.”

@B washed his brush and changed the colours he was using. He focused on his task and continued to add on stroke after stroke.

@Y was careful about the colours he wanted to use. He wanted to make sure he did not mix the colours. 

He washed his brush carefully each time he changed the colour. When his friends asked him what he was painting, he said it was “A snake.”

@S was exploring with the colour black. He added a touch of brown to see if his initial colour would change. He was curious about the different marks and strokes he can make with the brush. He observed what his friends were doing as he worked with purpose.

When he was done, he proudly informed the others that he had made a painting of “A snake!” He completed his project by signing his name.

@L was using the brush to experiment with paints. He held the paintbrush gently as he worked. At the end, he signed his name on the paper.

Next, @L cleaned up the space he worked at. He washed brushes, paint pots and cleaned the table.  

When the children finished painting, they all cleared out the spaces they worked at. They washed the tools they used and put them back in the spaces where they belong. They wiped the tables and cleaned the paint splatter off the sinks, floor and other surfaces. Taking care of the materials in a respectful way is important. Managing these tasks independently helps the children develop a strong sense of learning and purpose.

Approaches to Learning (ATL’s)

• express oneself using words and sentences.
• participate in conversations.
• use mark-marking to convey meaning.
• be respectful to others.
• be aware of own and others’ impact as a member of a learning group.
• choose and complete tasks independently.
• share responsibility for decision-making.
• demonstrate persistence in tasks.
• use strategies to problem-solve.
• engage with, and enjoy a variety of visual arts experiences.
• select tools, materials and processes for specific purposes.
• use their imagination and experiences to inform their art making.