Today we looked at the work of Eric Carle and Leo Lionni for inspiration on collage techniques. Nicole read Lionni's "Frederick" to the class, a story about a poetic field mouse who at first appears a bit lazy in comparison to the other mice who are busy preparing for winter. In the end, the field mice realize that they need more than food and shelter for nourishment, as Frederick warms them in the darkness of winter with his colorful words after the wheat has run out and the cold has set in.
Another inspirational resource that the students enjoyed is the book "What do You Do With a Tail Like This?" All the animals in the book are introduced by a specific body part on a 2 page spread, and then the complete animals are shown on the following 2 page spread. The animals are collaged with beautifully textured papers and we noted to students that animals and other collaged items could be conceived of in parts, rather than as a single piece (as we see in a silhouette).
Some interesting notes:
- Originally we had painted our own paper to use for this collage activity (inspired by Eric Carle), yet the paintings were such strong expressionistic artworks, that we did not pressure the students to cut them apart for this activity.
- We re-used papers from a variety of sources, such as greeting cards and old storybooks, in addition to colorful construction paper and patterned scrap-booking papers
- We asked students to consider a theme or story to convey through their collage: finished collage examples include: a shipwreck in the ocean, a poodle spa, a candyland-like fantasy, a home-sweet-home, and yummy treats!
- A couple students created pop-up effects, adding the 3rd dimension to their work! Very innovative and fun :)
We will have more photos to share of the completed collages soon. For now, here are some of the students in progress:
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