Aboriginal Inspired Yarn Paintings

This year's theme for NAIDOC Week is 'Because of Her, We Can!' My Year 5 students created these yarn paintings inspired by the paintings of indigenous West Australian women. Some of the artists we researched were Biddee Baadjo, Queenie McKenzie, Eubena Nampitjin, Jill Jack, Kim West Napurrula, Nada Rawlins, Marcia Purdie, Rosie Goodjie and Stumpy Brown.

Yarn paintings or nierika, are traditionally made by the Huichol people of Mexico. I hadn't attempted this before with students and I was surprised by how well they did. We used only pieces of card and a glue stick. 

       

Queenie McKenzie                         Kim West Naparrula                       Eubena Nampitjin             

       

Rosie Goodjie                                    Biddee Baadjo                                                Jill Jac

Marcia Purdie                                       Stumpy Brown                                                   Nada Rawlins

    

   

 

 

 

 

     

   

Rainbow Spider Webs

My Grade 3s created these happy little spiders in rainbow webs inspired by this activity on Artsonia by Gateway Elementary. This is a great activity for Halloween but one that kids enjoy any time of year.

They first learned to create a pattern using line to draw their web. Students then used coloured pencils, crayons and textas to colour the different areas inside their web. 

Once they had completed colouring their web students created their own spider by making a mini pompom. Making a mini pompom using a fork is a great little textile activity for this age group.

If you haven't seen this before you can see the instructions here at 'Jellyfish Prints'.

My students made spider legs from pipe cleaners and added googly eyes to complete. Students glued their spider to their web drawing. 

 

Leaf Paintings in Tints and Shades

 

This lesson was inspired by the leaf paintings featured here at Paul J. Gelinas Junior High School.

My grade 4 students created our version of these paintings by drawing a large outline of a leaf on their page using pencil. They then divided the shape using one central line and then used lines to create smaller areas of shape. 

Students were then asked to choose one colour paint of their choice as well as black and white and then painted the divided areas using as many tints and shades of their chosen colour as they could mix. Once painted they used a thick black marker to retrace all their lines before cutting out their leaf and gluing to black card. I love the way these turned out, they remind me of stained glass windows.