Artistic Expression
Week 59
We can express our ideas when we do crafts
Artistic expression is the use of the imagination in the production of objects intended to be thought of or appreciated as beautiful, as in the arrangement of color, forms, sounds, or words. Only man was created by God with the ability to imagine and then express his thoughts in various creative ways. In this block we will discover along with the children some of the ways that we can express ourselves artistically. (Drawing, painting, music, sewing, etc.) Artistic expression is a part of the preciousness of our humanity.
On the other hand, animals are not capable of imagining or creating based on forethought. It is possible to get some animals to make a picture, but only after they have been trained to make certain strokes using certain colors. Any form of art is not inherent in the animal kingdom. You do not see them creating art in their own environment.
Point to emphasize
We can use our imagination to create something crafty when we are given a variety of supplies.
[NOTE for online meetings: Ask the parents a few days BEFORE the meeting to gather color construction paper and glue sticks.]
Sample content and conversation with children
- Raise your hand if you have ever done a craft. Wow! All of you have done a craft before! That means that all of you are artists! We can do many different crafts with many different materials.
- Today we are all going to make our own craft. We are ONLY going to use construction paper and a glue stick. You will be amazed at all we can do with just these two things. You will see how we can make different pictures using the same materials.
- Here are the instructions: We will use one sheet of construction paper for our background. Let’s put this one aside. Then, we will use our fingers to tear other constructions papers into small pieces. Now that we have many different sizes and shapes in many colors from what we tore, we will use them to make our craft. Let’s use our imagination and see what we can make! Who has an idea?
- Let me show you some samples. [Show pictures #1-3.]
- Can you show us what you have done? [Talk about what they have done – the colors they have used, the shapes, the way they placed everything, etc.] Oh my, we have so many artists here today!
- God has created each one of us with the ability to express ourselves through art. We can use the mind God gave us to imagine what we want to put on paper and then the ability to do it!
- No animal has this ability. There is a bird called a bowerbird. [Show picture #4.] It selects objects for their shape and color and then arranges them in their bowers (shady enclosure made with twigs) [Show picture #5] Some people think this bird does this on purpose to be artistic. But this is not being artistic. It is just what they do to attract another bird. They are not artists; it is just what they do by instinct.
- But you and I were created in a very different way. We can make art in different crafts using our imagination!
Songs
God Made Me
Wonderf’ly, wonderf’ly
Suggested activities
- For in person meeting: Let’s make something to send to grandpa/grandma, or friends. They will be so happy to receive this surprise!
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- Gather a variety of craft supplies together that you would like to see the children glue to a construction paper to form a bigger picture like they do during the lesson but with a wide variety of materials – Tissue paper/construction paper/colors or paints/glue/popsicle sticks/pompoms/beans/feather/felt/buttons/stickers/rubber stamps, etc. [See pictures 6-7 as reference.]
- Another idea is to gather big pastas/beads for them to thread on a thick string to make a necklace or a decoration.
- For both in person and online meeting:
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- Simple and fun exercises to get them moving and following instructions such as hopping like a rabbit, running like a horse, flying like a bird, walking like a penguin…etc.
- Act out simple actions, like: Brushing your hair, brushing your teeth, playing a guitar, playing a piano, eating, writing, sleeping, running in place, jumping.
- For in person meeting: Blow up a bunch of balloons (beach balls work well too) and see if your child can keep them up in the air using specific body parts that you call out, such as head, arm, chest, back, leg, etc. [See picture #8.]
Pictures
#1: Craft of flowers
#2: Craft of a boat
#3: Craft of a hot air balloon
#4: Bowerbird
#5: Bowers
#6: Craft made with beans and pasta
#7: Craft made with buttons
#8: Child trying to keep a balloon in the air
