Carrie E. Tompkins Elementary School welcomed back local artist Joe Mullins the week of Oct. 5 for exciting art opportunities. Under Mullins’ direction, students were able to test different colors to create leaf prints. Fourth-graders participated in the annual fish printing project, while third-graders were introduced to a new initiative, nature printing, a centuries-old technique that uses the surface of a natural object to create a print.
The third-graders put on their art smocks, dipped their brushes in acrylics and painted over the two sides of a leaf. They were allowed to choose the colors they wanted to use – turquoise, yellow or black – for their individual art projects. Mullins helped each child place the colored leaf onto rice paper and cover it with another piece of paper before the student pressed on it. “It was pretty fun because even though I draw a lot, I never really used printing that way,” third-grader Joe Rader said. “I learned that yellow and black makes green. I also learned that you can paint on something to make a print out of it.”
Mullins, who has been teaching workshops at the district for the last five years, said he wanted to show students that they could easily create art from an everyday object. “I think it’s important to present something to them in a different way because it helps stimulate their interest in the arts,” he said.
Third-grader Sadie Spagnoli said she liked getting the paint on the leaf and discovering what the final product would look like. “I got really excited when I saw it because I could put it on my wall or show it to my parents,” she said.
Mullins also held a Gyotaku Fish Printing workshop for fourth-graders, who had the chance to explore the Japanese art form by creating a mono print of a Hudson River fish. Art teacher Brienne Johannes said the lesson tied into the class’ study of the Hudson River.
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