This week the children were introduced to the work of Andy Goldsworthy. Goldsworthy is an artist-environmentalist who creates site specific work in both natural and urban landscapes. Amongst the materials he uses are stone, wood and foliage. His fascinating work speaks of the connectivity between our emotions and our environments both natural and man made.
We looked at some of Goldsworthy’s work and shared ideas about what we could see.
We spoke about our art and the materials we use everyday in the nursery; paint, pen, glues and tape; recycling tubs, lids and packaging (to name but a few of the media used daily) all lead to a great deal of original creativity….But what about the materials from our gardens? What could we come up with? Does our work need to show a ‘thing’ or could it just be beautiful?
The children carefully collected the leaves of different plants, noticing the differences in shape, size and shade of green.
We scoured the earth for pebbles and shards of stone.
From the nursery room, the natural materials collections also offered a selection of pine cones and conkers collected from the parks of Norwood and Crystal Palace.
Using a base of sand, the natural materials were gathered, layered and arranged with some interesting and beautiful results. Another form of art embraced by the children.
We will continue to look at and develop the use of stone, wood and plant materials this term.
With Lunar New Year on the horizon, a big celebration is in order. As sustainable healthy eaters we often talk about “treat foods” and “every day foods”. With every celebration held, we learn about traditional treats and talk about the treats which are our favourites. As National Chocolate Cake is also next week we asked ourselves the question; “Should we make a chocolate cake next week?
Using name cards, the children wrote their names and placed them beneath either the word “Yes” or “No, we shouldn’t make a cake.” The results were counted carefully and thankfully….we shall be baking next week!
