The children have been working on individual nature paintings. Over the past couple of weeks the children have started their paintings, using their love and knowledge of color mixing to create the exact colors they need for their work. Each child has done at least one layer of painting. We have been slowing the children down in their process, asking them to think about the details of their work as they wanted to represent them in their painting.
"Representation is never a reproduction of reality, but a co-production between the author and the reality represented." – Cadwell, 1997
As a way to place value on, and give evidence to support slowing down the process, the teachers decided to have the children report on their paintings in progress to the whole group. Our intentions for this reporting circle was one, for the children to revisit and reflect on their work, and two, to think and reflect specifically on process and strategy, being their own and each others.
We wonder: How do comments and questions from other children about their work cause them to reflect on their work? How does this influence them?
Oli: I painted some flowers. I chose red and orange and pink and black.
Jenna: Were there any challenges you faced when trying to paint?
Oli: No
Jenna: Oli, I notice in your painting you have a small orange dot in the middle of your flower. I wonder, how did you make sure the colors didn't get mixed together?
Oli: I first painted orange. Then I painted it again. (He described how after he painted the petals he went over the orange dot again to make sure it was fully visible.
Grace: Did it take you a long or short time to paint it.
Oli: Short, I did it over a couple of days.
Melissa: And do you have more to add?
Oli: I have more to add
Frankie: I made the grass out in the yard.
Melissa: Were there any challenges you had?
Frankie: It was a challenge to put the orange dot in the middle. Some of it got on the yellow.
Melissa: Did you have to mix any of the colors?
Frankie: I mixed orange
Linden: What is the blue thing with the yellow thing holding?
Frankie: The sky and the sun
Melissa: How much time did it take you?
Frankie: One minute, a short time. And I have more to add.
Mila: I don't know how to draw flowers that are little.
Jenna: Oh, so you are starting with sharing what was a challenge for you.
Mila: Here is rosemary and here is a basket ball.
Jenna: Mila, I'm wondering about the size of the brushes you used. Were they all the same size?
Mila: Yes
Tommy: Whats the black spot?
Mila: It's purple, I accidentally drawed that.
Melissa: Is there anything you need to add?
Mila: No I'm done.
Brett: I drew a lake. This is the grass that was rushing down. Here are the rocks. This is near the letterman center. The green was the hard part. I had to mix a lot of colors to make it. I used turquoise, white, blue and kind of black.
Kate: Navy blue?
Brett: Yeah. I used water color and regular paint, then I mixed it all together. And this is the bridge we are standing on.
Jenna: Did you use all the same size brushes?
Brett: Yes. I have to make this bridge bigger and add more paper to make this bigger.
Chloe: I still need to make sky and sun and I already did flowers and grass.
Kate: Is this a worm? (pointing to a mark on her paper)
Chloe: Yes!
Kate: I couldn't tell if it was a mess up or a worm.
Linden: Why did you make flowers?
Chloe: I don't quite remember.
Trevor: Were there any challenges? How did you make sure the colors didn't blend together?
Chloe: We made sure the brush was on the side.
Logan: I made a stick and I made it into a story. And look the stick is going to vacum up a bug! I still need to color in the bug. I have to make a little more sky.
Oli: Which yard were you in? (where you found your stick)
Logan points to the main yard area.
Jenna: And did you use different size paint brushes?
Logan: No. I don’t remember what kind of paint brush I used. They were all fat.
Trevor: Were there any challenges?
Logan: In the moment an actual bug flew on my drawing!
Leithian: This is a humming bird that I saw in that yard. (Points the main yard) I need to make bright blue sky on the name. I need to put plants right here.
Linden: What is the black?
Leithian: It was a challenge that you could still see the sun.
Grace: And was it a challenge to paint the blue around it?
Leithian: Yes!
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I notice – I wonder