Today Blis and I finished putting together the 3rd grade Art piece for the local fundraiser the 'Lakewood Home Festival'. This is a major fundraiser in the Dallas area and supports our districts major schools (Lakewood Elementary, JL Long and Woodrow) with extra funding to enhance the curriculum or add to the sports and playground budgets. There are an expected 4,500 visitors to the festival which has 5 home tours over the weekend of the 11th November (one of which was used as a home for filming the legendary movie 'Dallas'), An Arts and Crafts Market at Lakewood Elementary on the Saturday and Sunday and the Gala event at the Lakewood Country Club on Friday Evening which is expected to raise over $140,000!
There is a Silent Auction and a Live Auction in which various goods and services have been donated from families and business' in the area. The children at Lakewood Elementary have been organized into grade group projects headed by parents to make a year level art piece to go on Live Auction.These Art works have been known to fetch $1,000's a piece!
We took 145 third graders and got them to make an ink blot picture on a 3'x3' piece of art card using acrylic background and ink and water droplets...in the tradition of the Butterfly painting. Fold, press and open. It was so interesting watching the different approaches made by the children to every part of the process, from folding the paper, painting the one color ground, to applying the drops, rubbing and discovery of a picture they had made. We asked them to name what they saw and we wrote the description in gold pen on the front of each one! Some of the observations were very surprising, some more obvious and some, well lets just say were interesting to say the least!!! I can see why these ink blots were used as tools of psychology in the past!
Stewart (one of the Dad's who makes sculpture) helped out by making a board complete with frame to mount these works on. He did a great job, it was very professional. Today Blis and I arranged and adhered the mini paintings to the board with cement glue, later over the weekend they will be glazed to unify. Next Friday night it will be sold to one lucky bidder!
Anyway, it is so beautiful, I thought I would share it with you! I love the many ways in which art can benefit so many, The children who contributed and made it possible had a great time and I think most of them really enjoyed the activity, perhaps even trying a larger version at home and the family who purchases it, who contributes to the funds that assist our schools in fulfilling their educational vision, which in turn helps our children!
Here is the Artwork! I am sure you'll agree it is sensational.
