In the Process of Making Art

“I just feel that I’m in tune with the right vibrations in the universe when I’m in the process of working.” ~Louise Nevelson

April 25, 2024

Dear Families and Friends,

Nests continued to inspire today, and both Mrs. Watson’s nests and Susan Beebe’s nests got kids’ attention. They wondered how the fledglings could fit in the teeniest nests. They listened carefully when Susan explained that the nests she’d collected were no longer needed. The young ones had flown off.

Pre-kindergartners are continually wondering. When we read them a story about starlings they were astounded to see the number of birds that fly together. “How do they know where their family members are when there are so many birds ?” one girl asked. Kids asked poignant questions and made incredulous observations. “That one (an illustration of starlings flying together) looks just like DNA!” a boy spontaneously remarked.

Then they got to work. Rolling out the ink on a Plexiglas plate, kids recalled the process they’d learned months before and the sound the ink made when it was time to apply it to their collagraph. They felt empowered. They used great care. They took pride in their artwork.

Meanwhile, imagining themselves as birds, they designed their own nests in their journals. Choosing from materials that birds might have found themselves, they took pieces of bark, ribbons, and even paper from a hornet’s nest and combined them in their own fashion. Finally each child dictated a story, which an adult scribed and read back to them.

Some children looked back at the artwork they’d created between fall and spring Leaps’ classes and marveled.

When the morning came to a close, we gathered on the rug to hear their stories. Kids pointed out the materials they’d selected, explaining what they symbolized.

Wrapping up our year with pre-kindergartners, we were amazed at how children had grown. Curious, focused, and intentional about their art making, they’ve become deep thinkers. They are making profound connections. They are expressing their ideas with confidence.

We are enormously grateful to Mrs. Watson, to Miss Beckie, and to all the support staff for whole heartedly participating in the Leaps of Imagination experience. It’s been an utter joy to know these children and to learn alongside them.

Sincerely, Nancy, Susan, Dee, and Jocelyn

This yearlong Leaps of Imagination program would not have been possible without the generosity of the Daniel W. Dietrich ll Foundation, Maine Community Foundation, and Onion Foundation. A huge thank you.