Waharoa Project and Cardboard Relief Tiles

Today Abbie’s class came for their first visit to the art room in a long time. It was great to have them for the day, they were a very enthusiastic and productive group. 

The aim for today’s lesson was to give the students an experience of collaborating and contributing to a community artwork. The students contributed to two collaborative artworks, the school Waharoa Art Project and a class art project. The students were asked to reflect on the school values and collaborative working experience at the end of the day.

First up the students painted the undercoat onto wooden boards for the school Waharoa Art Project. This project is an artwork at the entrance way to our school. You can find out more about the symbolism behind the waharoa on the Island Bay School website. Behind the waharoa is the ‘frame’ for our artwork. We have created a design which is to be painted onto large boards and inserted into the frame. This time around the boards are to be painted by students in the senior school and inserted into the structure behind the waharoa. The idea is that the boards will be replaced frequently so that different students get a chance to contribute to the artwork.

Next the students created a cardboard relief tile for inclusion a class art project. Since it was the last lesson that Abbie’s class will have with me this year I gave them choice on the subject matter for their artwork. It could be anything at all. We looked at some ideas online and then the students came up with their own ideas such as personal interests, landscapes, animals and creative patterns. The only parameter around the lesson was that the students had to show texture in the artwork by peeling, ripping, cutting, curling or layering the cardboard.

After a discussion about composition and balance the students then all worked together to arrange the tiles in a layout for the wall. I was really proud of their discussion, they thought carefully about where they were placing the tiles and were respectful towards other people’s idea. I plan to do the same lesson with the other classes in Kaleidoscope and join the tiles altogether for display.