Cherry Blossoms!

Cherry trees bloomed today in MMS!

In anticipation of the first day of spring, the kindergartners painted cherry trees in bloom! It was a wonderful project  with amazing results but it was messy. Parents, I apologize if your child came home looking like a cherry tree! They were wearing their aprons -- but they managed to get messy anyway.

For those of you who pick up at school, these pieces will be on display beginning tomorrow (Wednesday) in the main hall. For everyone else, scroll through and see the final pieces at the end of this post.

Our project began with the kids mixing their own light blue paint and using large paintbrushes to paint their whole paper blue. This blue was the sky and background for the piece. Using the large brushes give the kids a chance to paint fast and increase their hand strength and control.

Next we mixed browns and used squares of cardboard to dip and print the branches and trunks of the trees. This is the part of the project where the style of the artist and the character of their tree really starts to shine through.

Finally, no summertime cherry tree is complete without cherry blossoms. The kids mixed their own pinks, making sure that the color was just right for them, then added the blossoms using a bottle cap as a printing tool.

It was also a pleasure to hear the children complimenting each others work. Making art can feel risky sometimes. We might think: "Is it good enough?", "Is it right?"  But in a classroom full of thoughtful friends, everyone can feel safe, supported and appreciated.

Scroll through these beautiful pieces below. I'm happy to say that these trees are just as varied and unique as the children who made them. Beautiful work kids!