Aims | Outline | Curriculum Relevance | Background | Activities | Links |
Making It: Programmes
27–39
Programme 36: Unlock
After watching the
programme, pupils should be able to:
- communicate design ideas in different ways, bearing
in mind aesthetic qualities, and the use and purpose for which the
product is intended;
- explore the sensory qualities of materials and how
to use materials and processes.
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Sometimes feelings are so strong that it's hard to
put them into words. When illness or fear affects family life, it
can be difficult to cope. It helps if you can find a way to let
your feelings out.
A girl whose mother has to go into hospital joins an art therapy
group to help her come to terms with her feelings. Kids in the
group draw and paint faces or buildings. Others model people who
are important to them in clay. Sometimes, painting shapes or
designs about your feelings or memories seems to help. Sometimes
it's easier than trying to put it all into words.
The kids put on an exhibition of the artwork that has helped them
unlock their feelings and move on to a happier life again.
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- Art: investigating and making art, craft and design;
collect visual and other information, develop patterns and
designs.
- Personal, Social and Health Education: dealing with
life's problems.
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The best thing about making a work of art is the
freedom. There are no rules and there is no right or wrong way to
be an artist. It's a very personal experience and most people enjoy
creating something new and attractive.
Art therapists use the freedom and enjoyment art offers to help
people deal with difficult feelings. The process of making a piece
of art has been described as 'a holiday for the mind', a time away
from the ordinary problems of daily life. It can be a relief to
avoid words and just use shapes, colours, lines and images to
express yourself. You are free to explore, try new things and have
some fun.
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Make Mood
Paintings
You will
need: paints, art paper, mixing palette,
brushes.
- Your aim is to represent a mood or a feeling, rather
than to paint a picture of a particular object or person. Your
finished painting might be an abstract design (a pattern of shapes,
lines and colours) though it could include details of objects,
animals or people you can see or remember.
- Begin by choosing the emotion you want to paint. You
could choose from this list: cheerfulness, anxiety, fear, guilt,
rage, love, pity, hope. There are plenty of other moods, feelings
or states of mind that you might want to paint instead.
- Try mixing some colours that fit the mood of your
painting.
- Decide which colour (or colours) is to be the
background of the painting and lay this onto the art paper
first.
- Keep the subject of your painting in mind and paint
the shapes, lines and details that occur to you. You're making up
the painting as you go along, rather like doodling.
- You could do several paintings to show different
moods or feelings. It helps if you work in a group of friends doing
the same thing.
- Finally make a display of your paintings. Ask
friends to think of a title for each picture. Do they see the same
things in your paintings as you did?
Keep a Mood
Scrapbook
You will
need: a blank exercise book; scissors, glue; magazines,
comics and newspapers.
- Artists often keep a scrapbook of interesting
pictures they find. Your aim is to build up a collection of images
that show different moods, feelings or states of mind.
- Give each page of the scrapbook a heading, such as:
Kindness, Laziness, Anger, Relaxation, Worry, Contentment, or
Boredom.
- Cut out and paste pictures into your scrapbook from
magazines, comics, newspapers, etc.
- Don't try to finish your scrapbook in one session.
It will be a much richer source of images if you let it develop
gradually, over time. Just add interesting images to the book
whenever you come across them.
- You could use your scrapbook as a starting point for
future paintings.
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Loads of ideas for art projects:
www.arts.ufl.edu/art/rt_room/index.html
An online gallery where schools can show their artwork. And it
gives prizes!
www.kidsart.org.uk/cms/view.php?id=200
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