NEWS
Art program flourishing in P-D classrooms
December 9, 2019
Artist Nicole Haskey demonstrates some painting techniques to Mike Camp’s second-grade class at Peshastin-Dryden Elementary. Photo by Marlene Farrell
By Marlene Farrell
Cascade School District
On a Monday afternoon, a class of second graders at Peshastin-Dryden Elementary (PD) cleared their desks, except for a pencil. Students eagerly complied; they weren’t about to take a test.
Nicole Haskey, one of three visiting artists at PD, was launching into an hour-long introductory art lesson. Haskey has a diverse background as an artist and art teacher, working with high school students, adults with disabilities and beginners taking “Sip and Paint” style classes.
“Today, we’re working with a new medium,” Haskey said. She went on to explain “medium” didn’t refer to size but to material, which, in this case was watercolor. This class had already completed a four-week art unit on drawing, in which they explored charcoal 3D forms, white charcoal drawings of popcorn on black paper and gesture drawing.
To be good stewards of the new watercolor kits and brushes, Haskey gave clear, simple instructions. She got the kids to explain how the colors can get muddied by not cleaning the brush between uses. They learned they were actually allowed to mix colors, so long as they did it in the mixing tray on the lid.
“The brush has to have a good hair day, not bed head,” Haskey said, gently stroking the bristles toward the tip. She then handed out special paper, thick and porous to accept the watercolor paint, and which also dries quickly.
Filling in squares on their paper, the students compared how the paint looks different if dabbed on dry versus wet paper. They practiced lines without reapplying paint to see how the paint can vary in intensity. Then they drew invisible spirals and squiggles with sticks of paraffin. Applying paint brought the designs to life, because it stuck everywhere but the wax.
A touch of kosher salt sprinkled on still-wet paint created a texture like stardust. One student, when asked what was happening, suggested, “The salt and paint are interacting with each other.”
They could understand the concept of contrast, as the wax and salt patterns showed up more prominently against darker colors.
None of this art exploration would be possible without local grants. PD Principal Emily Ross explained, “With grants from the Icicle Fund, Stronger Schools and Cascade Education Foundation, we will serve every student kindergarten through second with a 12-week art program by partnering with the Wenatchee Art Consortium! All three grants, plus funding from our own district, totals $12,000.”
Next door, another lucky class was receiving the same lesson from Amber Zimmerman, who, in addition to teaching art to children and adults, works with a variety of media creating symbolic art that celebrates connection with the natural world.
For a final task, Zimmerman had the kids coat one column of paper with water — what she called, “the invisible paint.” At one end of the column they applied red, coming up past the midpoint. Then, after cleaning their brushes, they applied blue downward, through the middle, to create a vibrant purple in the middle.
The kit’s palette included a well of purple paint. But to create it through the fusion of the two primary colors excited the children. It was an opportunity to go beyond the confines of the given colors. They made another column, where, as Zimmerman said, “The yellow comes up to kiss the blue.” Students responded with giggles and “Ewws” as green bloomed on the paper.
This four-week session will culminate in pictures of rainbow trout. “We will use all our drawing and watercolor skills for this,” said Zimmerman.
When the hour wrapped up, the students carefully cleaned up their paints and cups of water. They knew this time was precious, different from the daily fare of reading, writing and math. The teachers got to step away from the head of the class, and the kids responded to being taught by “real artists” with an infusion of focused energy.
Marlene Farrell is a freelance writer who writes features for the Cascade School District.