Surrounded by the dreary grays and yellows of fall, the bright red of this tree just popped. I gathered a few samples of these vivid leaves from the ground below, and brought them home with me. The result? A bit of decoration for my dining area:
For the very first time in my life, I was described as crafty while I put these together. Granted, it was my boyfriend that said it and granted, he may not know the meaning of the word... (it's ok, he reads this blog too) but apparently this may have been step one of a little bit of creativity? Perhaps?
I think that decorating is such an undervalued art form. So many people have great skill and vision when it comes to room or event decor. It would be interesting to find new ways to encourage students to discover this skill at a younger age, perhaps through dances and by decorating the halls of the school. Perhaps giving the students a little more independence in these areas could help them grow creatively and simultaneously have more ownership of their school. It seems that all these extra things are great ways to integrate creativity into students' experience outside of the predetermined curriculum.
Haha! Poor Spencer! :) I love your art--very creative of you to think ahead and collect some samples. Too bad the color doesn't "pop" quite so much indoors--or is it just the picture that is dark? Aidan and I did a series of family photos in some stunning leaves two years ago, and they're still some of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteDecorating the classroom in cooperative groups (sections of the room or the same space at different times of the year) or decorating their own individual display space in the hallway is a great way to encourage ownership of the learning environment and the learning itself. Wouldn't it be cool to design an interior decorating unit as part of your art curriculum?
ReplyDeleteThat thought also crossed my mind! I love it when the skills kids learn can be envisioned as a real occupation - so valuable!
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