Little Saints has opened its gates to many fresh little faces and the year is off to a great start! Our overarching enquiry for the year of 2023 is ‘mark making’. We have been busy investigating marks we can make using our bodies, through the medium of paper and paint. The children have made some interesting observations and connections, exploring the different parts of their bodies that can be used in the mark-making process. Many brave creative souls have endeavoured to use their noses and chins to make marks on their artworks!

Some of the observations that have being volunteered during discussions are:
Ella: you need paint or something like your finger to make a mark
Amelie: you can also use your fist
Georgina: when cars go on water they make a mark on the road
Hannah K: if you draw with a koki, it makes a mark

We have also spoken about other ways our bodies can make marks without using a specific medium, or a temporary medium - for instance, when we get out of the swimming pool and leave wet footprints that dry with the sun. This led to an investigation of our footprints and fingerprints. We studied our own fingerprints using magnifying glasses, and the children were surprised to learn they were making marks without even realising!

Another way we mark make with our bodies is through casting shadows in the sunlight. After discussing our shadows, we used an overhead projector to cast our body shadows onto large format paper. We traced around these, and the Grade 000 pupils painted their shadows with black tempera. The finished artworks are displayed in the Little Saints open areas and classrooms for the children and parents to see.

THE LITTLE SAINTS TEAM