Art Heals

Amidat is such a timid and shy person, to the extent of looking fearful a lot of the time and not even having the confidence to say when she wants to go to the toilet. She loves to draw, and has a picture that she always does. Drawing seems to reassure her and gives her a way to communicate-she shows her drawing to an adult and gives it to them or her Mum as a present. She draws two female figures, some wiggly grass, the sun and a flower. I have watched her drawing this picture and she does it fast and surely, in a certain order and with great concentration. Today though, she did something different. She was with me as I went into our office to get something. On the floor was a tub of small toys-McDonalds ones in pairs-all sorts of monsters, animals and figures. She was looking at them so I asked her if she wanted to play with one. She nodded and picked the little girl. As we went out of the office she said "I want to paint my dolly." She started with the face, then hair and pink hairbands, then went on to do her dress and shoes. I am so impressed with how she did it and her observational skill. But the main thing that I love about it is how happy she obviously was when doing it, and the confidence that it gives her to draw and paint. I know it is said that art heals and this is one example of it to me.
I have sat tonight and made ready labelled pictures in photoshop to use on a display tomorrow of lots of the watercolours the children have done, all lovely! We have an inset day tomorrow for planning and assessment. I have done the planning etc I need to, so am going to do display and learning journeys, thus saving myself a day in the holiday I hope!

Quick Fix

I visited Lynne's blog the other day and saw that she had been painting more tags, which made me want to do a few more. I have now finished the packet of 20 tags and they are all in the little cellophane packet waiting. Andy asked me what they were for-good question but I don't know really. Apart from to make me happy doing them, they are not really for anything. Lynne is going to put hers on one of those metal rings as a book. I like that idea and may do that too. I may attempt to sell them in my Etsy shop or I may use them as gift tags. I think they are may be a bit sombre for that, although two of tonight's are almost smiling. I bought another packet of tags. I may have a different theme for those-not sure yet-I thought maybe flowers, insects or maybe both combined. I love using the gouache paints on them as the colours are so intense. Tonight I used black, white, brown pink, rose pink, lemon yellow, yellow ochre and my favourite out of the colours I have got-cool grey. It is a bluey/greeney grey and makes mouthwatering greens when mixed with lemon yellow. I used a charcoal pencil to sketch the faces first.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Thank you to my mysterious Valentine! Your Valentine is marvellous!

I had a desire to do a little ghostly girl type figure holding a heart balloon, in these sepia settings on old postcards, and off I went and did them. I then saw this Banksy image somewhere and had a vague recollection of having seen it before-it is obviously in my brain somewhere! Inspiration!

The last one is a photoshop attempt to do the same thing-back in the castle.

I have to say that I forgot about Valentine's day when planning for this week's activities at nursery. I hastily cut some hearts out this morning, mixed some neon pink paint with PVA glue and problem solved! I was explaining to the children what it is all about. Lilly was listening very carefully. Later on she asked me-

"How long does balance time last?"

I like the sound of balance time!

Woolly Menagerie

Craft day number four with Clare and Cleo produced some animals. Clare also made a Valentine's card and did some drawing-she works fast! I made this sheep-it does look kind of sheepish and a bit cowlike. I like its smiling face.

Clare made the little sheep-it was her first go at needle felting and she didn't enjoy it much. She also didn't like the sheep, so he now lives here with the bigger one! I

think he is quite cute. Cleo made the lion-posed with a robin she made earlier. I like his yellow mane-he looks as if he is from the seventies to me.

All My Journals Part 3

This is my ongoing book-the current one. It is a re-purposed diary-a gardening one with lovely illustrations that I didn't use, and that is too lovely to throw away. I prepared lots of the pages with gesso or collage over Christmas, and have been using it since January. This is a selection of pages.

Thanks for your well wishes yesterday. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Feeling

Feeling is living, whether good or bad and today has had both. The good was the rain, feeling it on our faces and letting it drop onto our tongues. The bad was something to do with someone I love and I hope that it will come out well. I am not being deliberately mysterious but I don't want to write about it here in detail, just to record it for myself to think about.

I re-read this book tonight and it made me feel better. I have decided to buy it for at least two people's birthdays coming up as it is such a great book. Here is a link to Danny Gregory's website which I have not looked at until just now-I can't wait to look at his journals.

Displays

Here are the displays from last week in case you would like a look. This one is informational and interactive. It has two local stations-I drew them to fill up the space! The board is a funny shape and the children's work is the printed trains and train track lower down. In the short time available I got a bit creative. Khy made the card train at the bottom of the board. We have little puppets of the children-made with their photo and a drawing then laminated. These can be used anywhere they like but are kept here.

On the shelf are a selection of train books-we have been looking at lots of transport stories and books this term and the train set is very popular! The books have been looked at a lot this week. There is a number line with detachable numbered trains-it carries on round the shelf, across the door(to the boiler room!) and onto the window.

This is a board showing all the nursery staff-arranged alphabetically on the main board-it seemed the easiest way as I don't like a hierarchical view of all of us. On the other board is an explanation sheet of everyone's roles.

Display three. The children are building in the block area and there are quotes of what they are saying. It shows their understanding and achievement, is good for conversation, self-esteem and re-visiting learning. It has the most beautiful double mounting you ever saw-though I say so myself! It is a bit of lucky chance that the colours are like building site warning tape! At the end is a group of photos of some tall buildings from around the world. Today Lilly talked about how she had seen one of the buildings(The Empire State Building) in 'Home Alone Two'.