Preschool | A conversation with our Green Atelierista

Interviewer (L): Ms. Jacqueline Speer（Principal of Preschool）

Interviewee (R): Mr. Chris（Green Atelierista、Art Specialist）

Tucked away on the second floor of the preschool with an expansive view of the garden area you can find our green atelierista, Mr Chris.

Walking into the atelier is an experience in itself but for some it may not look like a typical art room. That’s because it is anything but typical. Mr Chris, is going against the tide of early childhood art where there is a rush to get a didactic craft at the end and is instead, carefully curating young children’s aesthetic and their ability to express themselves through the many rich experiences on offer in the atelier.

The word ‘atelier’ is a French word which evokes the idea of a ‘workshop, laboratory, or design studio’. It is a dedicated space for experimentation, creativity and expression. A space for children and adults to co-create in meaningful ways.

But why a green atelier?

We do this to spark children’s natural curiosity from the moment they arrive. The clues provide children with the opportunity to develop their own theories about what’s in store. This process not only guides them to the lesson but empowers them to think creatively and make connections on their own.

I think it stems from my master's thesis on art in the early years and also my own childhood. As a boy I remember my first visit to an art gallery. The teachers told us we had to be very quiet, we had to ‘carefully observe’ the paintings, and perhaps most importantly “Not to touch the artwork”! While I appreciated the efforts of past art masters, I never understood why I couldn’t discuss what I was seeing with my friends or why I couldn’t touch the textures created by careful brush strokes on the canvas. When I was outside in nature there was beauty all around. There were no rules to be quiet or not to touch. It was by having freedom to talk about what I was seeing and touching that I was able to connect with that beauty.

Art appreciation means more than valuing the work of past masters, it can also mean appreciating the aesthetics of the things around us. For example, choosing warm colours over cool colours, flicking back to an image in our favourite book, choosing to paint with our fingers or whole hand, these are all aesthetic choices made by young children. By making art appreciation accessible to young children, we are building up their own aesthetic. It is a privilege to be a part of this journey.

That’s right, some classes have been following a magical trail left behind by Matisse the snail as we read the story "Matisse’s Trail", who is also a famous artist (Matisse) known for his playful use of colour and shape. The trail led us to some mysterious shapes, and we asked ourselves, "What could these shapes be? What could Matisse be trying to tell us?"

Some children shared that they saw the shapes as flowers, others as trees or animals. Together, we explored these ideas, and I revealed a "secret painting" Matisse had left for the class.

In the coming weeks we will continue to follow Matisse’s magical trail, and the children will have the opportunity to make their own “accidental blobs,” using them as a starting point for drawing. Once their paint dries, children will have the opportunity to add further details, turning abstract shapes into something meaningful. We will also experience being reflective about our art works and choosing our "best" work to display on the wall. This practice helps us move away from the “I’m finished” or product-based mindset. In the green atelier we focus on the process of creating art as it fosters a growth mindset where we learn and grow from trying new things, problem solving and reframing what might be seen as a negative into an opportunity.

We all know that the recent typhoon left a lasting impact on the environment, and I felt it was important to integrate this natural event into my practice. To ignore the recent typhoon would have been a missed opportunity for children to connect emotionally with nature through art.

I distinctly remember the day I came back to school after the typhoon, and I couldn’t help but notice the damage caused to so many trees that had been knocked over. I decided to take photos of the damage to the trees around our preschool and placed them in the atelier. As we walked to the atelier the teachers expressed just how sad they were feeling about the damage caused by the typhoon. We could see the concern etched on some children’s faces and they listened and shared that they had also seen a lot of trees that had fallen over.

When we entered the room, we walked past each picture as if walking through an art gallery and paused. Some children pointed to the traffic cones with signs on them that said "Keep Out" while others counted how many trees had been knocked over in each picture. At the mat we discussed what we could do for the trees. First, we thought about what trees might like and most children shared that they like sunshine and rainwater. Then, we discussed what trees can see and children shared that they could see many different colours such as brown, green, blue, orange, animals, flowers, grass, and people. We did this to help the children engage in careful observation and critical thinking, much like in an art gallery where we take time to reflect on what we see. Walking slowly past the photos encouraged the children to observe the details of each scene, sparking curiosity and discussions about the impact of the typhoon. By asking what trees might like or see, we aimed to foster empathy and connect the children emotionally to nature, encouraging them to think from the tree’s perspective.

After the discussion we decided to give something back to the trees by drawing and using colours we thought they would like such as the colours trees can see. One by one children set off with an A3 piece of paper as it offers more space to share our many ideas. Children chose to work next to the picture that spoke to them the most.

During the lesson, the children were highly focused, and you could actually hear the scratching sounds of pencils gliding on paper. This sort of intense focus is something that I want children to experience each time they visit the atelier.

Yes, I also took advantage of the recent natural event with our pre-nursery students. My goal for our youngest students was to help them form an emotional connection with nature. I did this by helping children experience what the trees went through during the typhoon, and to think like a tree and imagine what it is like to be a tree in a very physical sense. So, after examining the poor trees that had fallen over with our eyes and hands we walked to another area of the atelier to feel what it was like for the trees during the typhoon with our bodies.

I stood up tall like a tree and stretched out my arms and fingers like branches. The teachers and children responded by taking a big deep breath and blew as hard as they could just like the typhoon. As they blew I began to wobble. They soon took another deep breath and I began to sway from side to side, one final deep breath and I fell over crashing on the mat.

Soon after, I held out my arm out like a branch and said “ouch, it hurts!”. The class teacher then carefully wrapped soft white cloth around my smaller branches (fingers) which made me feel a bit better. Some children responded by volunteering to wrap the soft white cloth around my fingers (branches) whilst being very careful to not pull too hard. As children took turns wrapping my fingers (branches) with the soft white cloth the teachers sang a transition song ("Walking, walking") that the children are familiar with but changed the words to "Wrapping, wrapping". The children responded positively to music as it has the power to activate the release of dopamine in the brain which makes us feel good.

供稿｜幼儿园

发布｜市场招生部