Assessment 2 - Reflective journal

Group 1 - 3 artworks exploring painting and finger-painting

The materials I used for this painting were different color paint (red, orange, yellow), paint
brushes and plain white pieces of paper.

I used paint brushes and paint (pink, purple, yellow, red, blue, green) to create this artwork.
The materials I utilised were paint (green, purple, pink, yellow) and plain white art paper.

For the first artwork, I used both brush and finger painting.  To create  the vibrant
background, the tree leaves, and the plain white hand, I employed back and forth brushing
techniques. I began by placing one of my hands on the paper and painting the backdrop both
brushes and my other hand, then allowed it to dry. This artwork was inspired by my fondness
for autumn. I enjoyed making this artwork in collaboration with the students in my
workroom.

I used only my fingers to paint artwork 2. I began by tapping each color of the rainbow in an
arch form using my index finger, starting with orange, red, yellow, green, pink, and purple. I
waited each color to dry completely before proceeding with the white clouds at the end of the
rainbow. This artwork was inspired by all the rain we have been experiencing here, as well as
sitting at the balcony at work with the children, looking at and pointing out all the colors of
the rainbow.

In artwork 3, I followed a sequential technique. I made artwork 3 by painting three distinct

colors onto my hands and putting them onto the paper. I then created the stems and foliage
with my fingers and paint. This concept was motivated by a vase of roses on my desk. It's not
difficult to make, and I believe it will inspire children to create beautiful floral images in easy
and creative ways.

Group 2- Finger Painting with Sgraffito

To create this artwork, I used oil pastel, black acrylic paint, white card stock, paint brush and
a toothpick.

The materials I used were gel medium, a canvas, brush and fluid acrylics.
To make this artwork, I used some drawing paper, light oil pastels, black acrylic paint,
scratching tool (wooden skewer), scissors, glue and coloured paper.

To create artwork 1, I colored the entire surface of the card stock with various colors (except
black) in any design I liked, then used a paint brush to put a coat of black acrylic paint over
the colours. While the top black paint was still wet or semi-dry, I used a toothpick to scrape a
design of leaves into the blacked-out area.

I began by brushing a thick coat of gel medium onto the canvas for artwork 2. My brush is
then dipped into my flowing acrylics. I picked up two colors simultaneously. I dipped into
purple and black in this instance. I make an effort to make each brushstroke count in order to
maintain the painting fresh. The gel retards the drying time of the paint, allowing me to make
white scratches by drawing into it with the bottom of my brush handle.

For artwork 3, I prepared the paper for Sgraffito by painting it entirely in areas of color.
Following that, I applied black acrylic paint over the oil pastel. While I waited for the paint to
settle, I created a Greek vase with pencil on scrap paper. After the acrylic paint dried, I used a
skewer to scratch the vase shape into the acrylic paint, revealing the colored oil pastel
underneath. Finally, I cut out the vase shape and adhere it to a background made of yellow
colored paper.

Group 3- Mixed Media and Collage

The materials used for this artwork were leaves from my garden, glue and art paper
In the first artwork, I used gel medium to adhere ephemera, old book pages and postcards, to
a piece of cardboard before sealing the entire canvas. After that, I painted a bright yellow
border around the canvas. Then I used a pencil to sketch a face for the character. To make the
book pages look like hair, they were torn and adhered to the top of the head with clear gel
medium. After that, I added coins, buttons, blossoms, and other ornaments to the paper hair
before drawing the face in pencil and coloring it in. My goal was to get a natural effect, so I
applied brown ink with the blending tool and dabbed my finger in it.

I used leaves from my yard and discarded paper from my workplace to create Artwork 2. To
begin with, I drew and then adhered the tree's trunk and twigs. This graphic was inspired
during a lesson I taught the children about deforestation and how humans have affected the
ecosystem. I had a great time making the collage and showing the kids how to do it on their
own.

In the last artwork, I used crocheted and button-attached flowers. I wanted to put my crochet
skills to good use, so I made birthday cards for the kids to present to their classmates or
families. I was motivated to do this as Christmas is coming. I intend to make more different
types of Christmas cards using crocheted wool flowers and buttons for decoration.

Group 4: 2 artworks involving Media Arts

Materials used: iPhone camera, Clip2Comic (art program)
Materials used: iPhone camera, Picas (art program)

Media art is a type of visual art that heavily relies on modern equipment like computers and
cellphones throughout the creation process and to produce the final digital product.

For the Artwork 1, it looked like my dog has been drawn and colored in using the iPhone
program 'Clip2Comic,' as I downloaded the app to my phone for the purpose of creating
Artwork 1, then converted the picture into an image. This photograph was taken as my
love to my adorable dogs, who have always been close companions to me.

My second piece of media art was much more familiar and meaningful for me because I was
utilizing photographs of my nephew. Before choosing on 'PICAS,' I looked through several of
the tablet apps and found out that this program gave me the option to apply various creative
effects to my images, which was fun to experiment with. It was also amazing to see how the
effect varied from photo to photo. Students in my preschool class would benefit from this
program since they can use the tablet to explore the various possibilities available while
writing. 

Group 5 - 3 artworks using simple printmaking with paint: stencils and mono-prints

Materials used: plexiglass, coloured paint, duck feathers, roller, paintbrush and white paper
Materials used: plexiglass, coloured paint, doilies, lace, roller, paintbrush and white paper

Materials I used to make this artwork: four leaf clover template, tin foil, paint sponge, green
craft paint, Q-tip, scissors.

A printmaking procedure that incorporates paint and monoprints is known as printmaking

with paints. In order to create Artwork 1 and 2, I used the plexiglass, acrylic paints, brushes,
and white paper. Rather than starting with a blank canvas, I inked the entire piece first.
Afterwards, I used a number of textures like lace, leaves, and other embellishments to add
depth. Additionally, I used several shades of ink on the textural materials to provide a more
vibrant look. Using a roller, I rolled the plexiglass over my paper, which was placed on top.
The fact that I had never dabbled with monoprinting before spurred me on to produce these
works of art. My ideas then developed to integrate monoprinting and stencils into artwork 3.

Artwork 3 began with a squirt of green paint on the tin foil, which I smeared with a sponge.
After that, I dabbed paint with a Q-tip and made a jumble of forms. After that, I made a
monoprint of my artwork using the four-leaf clover template and peeled it off the tin foil to
dry. I drew another monoprint clover with a Q-tip. My templates were dry when I cut out the
clovers, so I could paint them later on.

Group 6- Artwork That Incorporates Above Techniques

Materials I used to make this artwork: Watercolors, Gel Medium, Archival Ink, Paper (for the
stamped flowers), Old Book Paper, scissors

The final artwork incorporates elements of collage, mixed media, finger painting with
sgraffito, and monoprinting. To begin with, I used colored paint to finger paint a rose onto a
piece of glass, which served as the basis for my first monoprint. During this process, I drew
on the lessons I had learned and the knowledge I had gained from earlier finger paintings to
create something new. After that, I sgraffitoed white areas on the glass with a wooden
skewer, a technique I acquired from other painting styles. After that I took a piece of paper
from an old book, placed it firmly against the artwork and moved it away.  Using my paints, I
drew and painted a sunflower using an Internet template, then cut and pasted it on the old
book paper's left side. I also cut some small pieces of plain white paper to make the quote:
“Live life in full colour”. This process provided an opportunity for me to revise the idea of
collage. For the final step, I used an iPhone app called Picas to enhance the contrast and
saturation while lowering the temperature. To conclude, I am pleased with the final product
and plan to continue experimenting with different looks and methods in the future. As a result
of creating this piece, I have gained a better understanding of many art procedures that are
appropriate for children and can be applied in my future teaching.

Reflections on art-based learning

I have chosen to concentrate on Group 1 Painting and Finger Painting, as well as how they
might be taught in a preschool setting to children aged 3 to 4.

A. Yourself as learner and how this might inform your respect for the diversity of
young children’s Arts experiences

I gained understanding about materials and methods that kids can use to create a range of art
pieces as a result of these artworks. I have built a passion for learning about the various steps
involved in creating an artwork and how creative arts can be used. Children begin painting
and writing with scribbles in their early years. Even if children can't always describe what
they are making, they all have purposes. When I was creating these paintings with the kids in
my place, I had discussions with them about what I was doing, which led to discussions about
what they were doing as well. Children begin to learn how to manage their movements and
limit the area in which they work around the age of three to four, and finger painting is
something they may comprehend before they have fully grasped how to use crayons or other
artistic tools.

B. How this activity would be beneficial for young children (specifying age) and
what they might learn from it

Children aged 3-4 will benefit from these art activities because they will be able to
reconstruct something they have seen or learned about and convert it into an artwork.
Children can use art to communicate their thoughts, ideas, or tell stories (Dinham & Chalk,
2017). In their early years, children should be encouraged to express themselves through art
since it can enable them to convey their feelings and relationships with others when words
fail. It is extremely beneficial to have a positive creative setting for them as their emotions
develop.

Furthermore, creative arts have a vital part in nurturing children's creativity in early
childhood education, and the educator's responsibility should be to inspire children to reach
their full potential in the future. Teachers that do not have a broad understanding of creative
art, as Lindsay (2015) points out, will hinder children's freedom to articulate themselves
creatively. 

C. Motivations, resources and teaching approaches you might use with these
children to support and extend their authentic engagement in the selected arts
experience/s.
While an adult may find a young child's sketches and paintings useless, they represent a
child's way of 'expressing her ideas' (Jalongo, 2003). Teachers can acknowledge children's
reactions to artworks by engaging them in conversations, constructing on them, advising
them, but most essentially by encouraging, developing, and using young people's own powers
of perception, analysis, or clarification to empower their participation with art, according to
Jalongo (2003).

We will discover the inspiration and motivation to teach kids regarding what they see and
observe beyond where we explore the globe and the surroundings around us. All teaching
methods begin with a conversation. Every lesson, I believe, should begin with conversations
and debates about the magnificent environment that they live in.

REFERENCES
DEEWR. (2009). Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework

for Australia. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.

Dinham, J., & Chalk, B. (2017). It's arts play: Young children belonging, being and

becoming through the arts. Retrieved 26 October 2021 from https://ebookcentral-proquest-

com.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au

Jalongo, M. (2003). A Position Paper of the Association for Childhood Education

International: The Child's Right to Creative Thought and Expression. Childhood

Education, 79(4), 218-228.

Lindsay, G. (2015). 'But I’m not artistic': how teachers shape kids' creative development.

Retrieved 25 October 2021 from https://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?-

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