Rangoli Design

Information about Rangoli
Rangoli also known as Kolam is a folk art from India. Rangoli are decorative designs made on the floors of living rooms and courtyards during Hindu festivals. They are meant to be sacred welcoming areas for the Hindu deities.The ancient symbols have been passed on through the ages, from each generation to the next, thus keeping both the art form and the tradition alive. The patterns are typically created with materials, including colored rice, dry flour,(colored) sand or even flower petals.

Rangoli were not just a medium of decoration but it reduces negative energy and add positivity to places where it made. The purpose of Rangoli is decoration, and it is thought to bring good luck. It is traditionally done by women, but over the years modern additions have been adapted. Generally, this practice is showcased during occasions such as festivals, auspicious observances, celebrations of marriages and other similar milestones and gatherings.

Rangoli designs can be simple geometric shapes, deity impressions, flower and petal shapes (appropriate for the given celebrations), but they can also become very elaborate designs crafted by numerous people. The base material is usually dry or wet granulated rice or dry flour, to which Sindoor (vermilion), Haldi (turmeric) and other natural colors can be added. Chemical colors are a modern variation. Other materials include colored sand and even flowers and petals, as in the case of Flower Rangolis.

(Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangoli)

Lesson 1

The pupils were first introduced to the history and origin of  Rangoli designs (refer to the text above).  After also showing examples of rangoli designs, the pupils had a good idea of what was expected.

They were each given a square piece of cartridge paper and colour markers. They were then tasked to create their own Rangoli design using  simple geometric shapes, flowers and colours. As the pupils were also taught Symmetry during their Math lessons, this lesson was a good opportunity for them to apply what they learnt and see a link between Art and Math. 

(Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Asymmetric_(PSF).svg)

Final Products! :)



Batik

What is Batik?
Batik is a wax-resist fabric dyeing technique that originated in Indonesia. Below are some examples of Batik designs.

To make batik-making more child-friendly, we replaced the hot wax with oil pastels and subsequently cool wax.

Lesson 1:

Using Elements of Art (lines, dots, shap, space), the pupils had to use an oil pastel (also called wax oil crayons)  to create their design on rice paper. Thereafter, they applied the batik dye onto the rice paper to get their colours.

The children learned how to control the amount of water used when applying the dye onto the rice paper.

To achieve a lighter colour, they learned that they had to dilute the dye with water. For a darker and more vibrant colour, they had to use less water.  

Here are the finished products! :)

 

Lesson 2:

Havng learned about Life Cycles during their Science curriculum, the pupils were given the task of choosing a type of life cycle and expressing their understanding of the concept through Art. They were encouraged to create a story in their art piece rather than represent it through a diagram.

Using cool wax, the pupils did the outline of their life cycle story on rice paper. Thereafter applying it with colours from the dye.

Animals and Paper Mache! (3D)

What is Paper Mache?

A material, made from paper pulp or shreds of paper mixed with glue or paste, that can be molded into various shapes when wet and becomes hard and suitable for painting and varnishing when dry.
(Retrieved from: http://www.answers.com/topic/papier-m-ch)

Having selected an animal of their choice, the pupils had to create a 3D version of their animal using paper mache! :)

Step 1:

Draw out their animal

Step 2:

Usng a plastic bottle, the pupils had to first form the head and limbs of the animal securing it with masking tape.

Step 3:

Once the head and limbs are secured, it's time to create the body!

Stay tuned for the finished products! :)