At Mairtown Kindergarten we love rituals and traditions; each term there is something special to look forward to. At the beginning of term three, it was a special
time for the children to start working on their own individualised calendar art
work. This special piece of art work can
then be made into calendars, cards, note pads, diaries or mouse pads.
What is so special about the calendar art is that every
single piece is individual and unique, just like the child who created it. This year, like past years, we
have gained inspiration from artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. He is a
favourite at Mairtown and the children are familiar with his work. We now have quite a collection of his books
at kindergarten that illustrate many of his colourful and vibrate art, these
are on display for the children to look through before they start their own
work.
It’s lovely to observe the children’s expressions when
looking at the books, you can tell when they have found a favourite piece of
art work they seem to be drawn to and gain inspiration from. I love how Hundertwasser’s work seems to
trigger our children’s imagination and creativity. Yet, for some children they don’t appear to need
any Hundertwasser inspiration, they are happy and confident to create their artwork
using ideas from their own imagination and interests.
“Creativity is the
ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, and ways of
being. When we are creative we can
develop meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, and interpretations. Creativity is risking what is for what could
be”. (Childspace)
I find it incredible how much time and effort each child
puts in their artwork. It is wonderful
to see our older children who remember completing their calendar art last
year, and now they are able to explain the process to their new friends. I remember when I first started at Mairtown
years ago, it was during term three and the children had already started working
on their calendar art. I couldn’t
believe what a massive effort that they put into their work, it can take days
and days, even weeks to complete. Fast
forward to this year, our children still put so much time and effort into their
art.
I love how some children are super keen and
excited to try and complete their work quickly, whereas others are happy to
take their time and revisit their work over many days. Either way, all put
great thought and creativity into every mark of the black pen, every stroke of
the dye and all the detail of the gold and silver pens. We know that amazing art work takes time to
create, that’s why this process takes months to complete, in fact it takes almost
all of term three. We never rush the
children and they know they can revisit their work and continue the process. Just as we know that each child is unique, we
respect the way they each approach their calendar art, as there is no right or
wrong way to use our imagination and creativity.
“You can’t give
someone a creativity injection. You have
to create an environment for curiosity and a way to encourage people and get
the best out of them”. (Ken Robinson)
Here are some examples of this year’s work, don’t they look
truly magnificent.
I think you will all agree with me that our children have put
in a massive effort to create such stunning calendar art that would look great
hanging on the wall as next year’s calendar.
With December approaching fast, the calendar art would make stunning Christmas
presents. The art is now ready to be viewed and the order forms are available. On
behalf of the teaching team, thank you to our wonderful children who are full
of imagination and creativity and thank you to our kindergarten whānau for all
your ongoing support.
Ngā mihi nui
Susie
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