We had two different sessions with the artists-in-residence who are coordinating our school-wide mural project.  This mural will be painted on the six panels on the wall in the undercover area by the school’s front door.  Intermediate students will be working on the backgrounds and the primary students will be doing the added details.  These details will be in the form of mandelas – circular pieces of art.

In preparation for this mural the artists came into our class and taught the students about ‘mandelas’.  Mona discussed the theme of nature and introduced the concept of symmetry.  Students were encouraged to make designs which were important to them and representative of themselves.  They began by tracing circles onto their paper. Smaller circles were placed in the centre of these.  Lines were drawn on which dissected these circles.  Designs were created within and without these areas. Students used coloured Sharpie felt pens and special pastels which are a sort of combination of chalk and oil.

 

The artists came back the week later for our second session.  At this time students worked on styrofoam sheets which had circles drawn on them.  Students drew their designs using ballpoint pens which basically carved their designs into the base. Students then chose a coloured paper and an ink.  Using rollers the students covered their designs with the ink and then placed their paper on it.  They needed to rub the two together in order to ensure that a good contact was achieved.  The plates were then peeled off to reveal their print.

When they were dried there were placed on the bulletin board interspersed with their original mandelas.  These will still be on the bulletin board when you come in next week for our Student Led conferences. 

Here are a few of them: