First year students created an evolving art piece throughout three consecutive Art Studio classes. This project combined a range of materials and techniques, and exposed these young artists to many different thinking processes, possibilities, and experiences. It was an open-ended, process-based project in which the making and the doing was the main focus.
We began this artistic journey by painting colorful swatches of watercolor on a 12×18 inch piece of wood. Next, we divided up the wood board with strips of tape in various directions. This created new areas for the children to paint in using tempera paint and gave children the opportunity to practice color mixing. We then added three-dimensional elements such as wood shapes, wire, pipe cleaners, corks, beads, and more. During this step of the process, the level of creativity truly accelerated! I could hear the children talking amongst themselves about what their project was evolving into: a town, a city of lights, a playground, an imaginary planet, etc.
This is where the magic in valuing the process over the end product comes to life! Process-oriented art honors the individual and values critical thinking, exploration, listening, and imagination. It allows the developmental process of each individual to flourish. Throughout the making process, children begin to trust themselves and remain flexible thinkers, which in turn builds confidence in their ideas. Each child grew to be more deeply invested in their creation because of the freedom to explore the materials in their own way.
