Map it out

Inspiration comes in many forms and repurposing unwanted objects and discarded materials is a great way to get the creative juices flowing. This week in The Art Room, setting out on our last block of sessions of the summer term, we found our creative way with a pile of old, out-of-date OS maps and a couple of bags of rice!

Using an arbitrary section of map like a canvas, the children had great fun creating new islands or stretches of coastline by pouring a cup of rice on top!  Scattering haphazardly or slowly guiding grains of rice into mounds, interesting shapes emerged that were then carefully outlined with a black pen. 

Once cut out with scissors, new shorelines and territories emerged with rugged coves and inland lakes, snaking rivers and curving headlands that were surrounded by vibrant watercolour oceans. 

Everyone did a great job of washing and blending different shades of blue and green onto their artworks to give depth and movement to their stretches of water. Then, taking on a bird’s eye view and thinking about what might be glimpsed from high above the clouds, the children added unique details to their new landscapes, taking care to consider the scale and proportions of the features they chose to include. We enjoyed beautiful, fluffy cloud shapes, tiny flocks of birds, soaring jet planes and glistening, golden sands.  

Well done everyone, we can tell you are up for an amazing art adventure this half term and we can’t wait to see what you will seek out, explore and discover.