Lockdown Art Project
We were just starting art with the second grade, when it was announced that the school was going into a lockdown.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t a drill. We were locked down due to an incident unfolding in the neighborhood, but it all ended well.
We locked the door, pushed a table in front of it, lowered the shades and turned out the lights. It was dark. I asked the students to put their hands on their bellies and take a deep breath. We let our bellies rise and fall with our breathing while picturing a beautiful harvest moon. We passed out paper, and the children began to quietly draw their moons and night things in the dark room. We framed the moment as letting the dark inspire us to think about what we like about night.
After the all-clear, we all went outside among students pouring out of all the classrooms with their relieved teachers. We headed to outdoor tables to paint over our wax crayon drawings with dark watercolors. The wax resisted the water-based paint, and the children loved seeing their white and yellow crayon marks pop out from the background.
We were able to take time to talk with each child individually while they painted. A few of them had memories of other lockdowns to share. Talking helps.
May you never have to be in lockdown, but if you do, I hope this quiet project helps.
Materials:
Watercolor paint
Paper - white
A cup of water
Brushes
Wax Crayons, like Crayola - especially white and yellow
Process:
Draw celestial objects (moon, stars, planets, UFOS, etc.) with light-colored crayon.
Paint over the crayons with water
Add layers of black, blue, and purple to create a night sky that your stars shine from.
Clean-up:
Water can be poured into the plants
Wiping lightly with a damp rag will clean the table.
