Dear You Art Project

Mail Art + Pen Friends = Dear You Art Project

5th Grade

Inviting curiosity

10 years old, 11 years old, 13 year olds, 2021, 7th Grade, 6th Grade, 5th Grade, 4th Grade, IcelandArlene TuckerComment

Both groups are very curious and accept the invitations with curiosity to see what the others are doing, in the case of the self-portrait, the 4th grade group chose to take a photo and transfer to paper, the older group chose to do it freely. Within the self-portrait process we have gone out to look in nature for elements in which we feel represented.

From Finland to Canada, our atmospheres come together

2015, 5th Grade, Dear You Art Workshops, Finland, CanadaArlene TuckerComment

Here comes a few of the latest artworks. We first practiced with portrait drawings. The landscapes were done in small groups.

This time my pupils were more eager to write letters rather than concentrate on their drawings.

Br,
Päivi Huhtinen

Päivi Huhtinen and her group of 5th graders from The English School in Helsinki, Finland are making and sharing art with Kaarina Losey and her 6th graders at Pioneer Park P.S. in Ontario, Canada.

From palm trees and rice friends in India to you!

2015, 5th Grade, Dear You Art Workshops, IndiaArlene TuckerComment

Dear Mooste friends,

It was very hot and sunny today at Arivu school. The summer holidays are already starting here as you are entering spring.

Around Arivu school there are some rice fields and many of your friends chose to see them through the viewfinder. There are also palm trees and other types of trees as you can see in the artworks. The playing area of the school as well as the school buildings have also found their way to the artworks. 

Before going for holidays, they will make an art exhibition of your February artworks. They are all looking forward to see them and know you all.

Greetings from your Indian friends!

All That Talent for Christmas!

2014, 5th Grade, Czech Republic, Dear You Art Workshops, FinlandArlene TuckerComment

Do you know how to play the guitar, do the baby freeze or do you just know really much about ice hockey? I surely don't but the talented fifth graders in Helsinki English School know!

This time at The English School we looked at our gifts. We pondered about how can we give them as presents to our friends. The word present has two meanings: one is something you give away and the other one is something you receive right at every moment, at the present. So a gift in it's most heartfelt way is you being present to the people around you. That means everyone of us can give a special gifts this Christmas by just being present and using the talents we have.

Some of us had a hard time seeing our own talent. But we needn't worry too much! Help was always near when friends cheered on at how good someone was at so many things. Sometimes we can't see our own talents because to us they're just everyday things while to others they might be a wonder. If you know how to do something really well, you might just need a reminder now and again from your friends on how good you actually are! We drew our talents in the stars that we sent to Prague and hope that they'll bring at least as much cheer there as we experienced when making them.

This gift giving doesn't have to stop at Christmas. We can all use our gifts and talents, no matter how small we think they are, every day and bring cheer and ease to others around us.

Let's have a gift filled Christmas and a talented new year!

- Nooralotta Ikonen
http://laiskia.blogspot.fi

Tunes and Tints at The English School in Helsinki

2014, 5th Grade, Finland, Czech Republic, Dear You Art WorkshopsArlene TuckerComment

"Look! The girls are dancing ballet!" a boy from The English School in Helsinki hollers. We're listening to music and some of us are feeling courageous enough to take a step or sway to the beat and melody. The song changes from an old school video game theme to more classical tunes. "A trip to Paris!" a girl says. "An afternoon playing games with my friends." "All of us as video game characters are inside the game!" another artist sees in her mind's eye.

The music stops and it's on to painting! The images inspired by the songs and our dance start appearing on paper in wonderful colors. The paintings tell of dreams, travels and time with friends.

Music is like a key. And different kinds of music equals to lots of different keys to lots and lots of unique worlds! I wonder what sort of doors will our Dear You friends open for us in Praque?

- Nooralotta Ikonen
http://laiskia.blogspot.fi

ps. If you would like to hear what we made our paintings to please click here and here.

Randlevskolen working on "Sweets for you"

2014, 5th Grade, 4th Grade, DenmarkArlene TuckerComment

Tatjana Knudsen and her 4th & 5th grade artists are full of energy after their Efterårsferie holiday! 

"They were very creative and concentrated while they were working on their candy bags. This project lead us to a wonderful talk about the words "candy", which is American and the word "sweets", which is English. I think that all my students now know the difference between the two words.

THIS really is a wonderful way to mix art and language learning."

- Tatjana Knudsen

Collaging Self Portrait Puppets in Prague

Czech Republic, Dear You Art Workshops, 5th GradeArlene TuckerComment

Our first meeting with students  from Central Point International Elementary School in Prague, Czech Republic was exciting for all of us.

I started the lesson by bringing a few magazines in. While browsing through, we discussed our role models and how our own puppets could look like. For faces, some of the kids chose already existing faces from the magazines which they drew on tracing paper while others drew their own faces. The kids were asked to use a template to cut their puppets but they already adjusted the shapes to their own needs and wishes. Regarding the material, we tried to use scissors, glue and all possible kinds of collage-like stuff: coloured paper, fabric, old jeans.

We really like the results  of our class and we already look forward to the next time.  

- Rudolf Samohejl
Dear You Workshop Leader

 

The Art of Choosing with The English School

5th Grade, Finland, Dear You Art WorkshopsArlene TuckerComment

The Fifth Graders at The English School of Helsinki collaged whimsical portraits of themselves for our new friends in the Czech Republic. We thought about the art of choosing. What do the things we decide to show and hide tell about ourselves?

We took inspiration from Johnny Amore's humorous collage characters. The young artists cut out textures, images and words from magazines to form a collage representing themselves. It was wonderful to hear laughter around the classroom when the young artists discovered new and unexpected ways to mix and match the clippings out of magazines to form hilarious combinations.

- Nooralotta Ikonen
http://laiskia.blogspot.fi
Dear You Workshop Leader