Indian Art: Mendhi (henna), Yoga life drawing & Mandalas

We are studying India at school thanks to Cultural Arts Day. The 3rd-5th graders and I just began learning all about Mendhi (or Mehendi). It's also called Henna, as you make the paste from the dried leaves of the henna plant. It is applied to the hands and feet traditionally just before a really big event like a wedding or baby's arrival. Henna is also practiced in Arabic countries, Northern Africa, and in the Jewish culture. Their designs are not quite as detailed and filled in as the Indian designs (which almost look like lace). The Arabic designs have a bit more negative space and use floral motifs while the African designs are more geometric.

The Mendhi designs fit in perfectly with my curriculum. I was recently saddened at the loss of cursive in so many states' new Common Core standards. California is one the few to KEEP cursive in the curriculum (3rd/4th standard)- bravo California. I had been interested all year in finding a way to incorporate some cursive into the art curriculum. You must look at the link below for the Elements of Henna Patterns, by Catherine Cartwright-Jones. Ms. Jones is the Henna guru- the art, the science, the recipes, the designs, the history of henna. Everything is documented on the hennapage.com Now back to cursive...you'll see how some elements of henna, like "foofy" and "sloopy", are similar to English cursive. These elements, when repeated in a thoughtful way, make the most beautiful designs. Also the art of Zentangle (zentangle.com) and calligraphy are other ways to incorporate cursive and cursive-like marks into the art curriculum. But for now, I'd like to focus on my experience with henna/mendhi (handouts, design ideas, recipes, experience) and Indian arts...

Resource used in and out of classs:
-  Elements of Henna Handout
   from the hennapage.com 
- Mendhi Designs (Dover book) & Dover temporary henna tatoos (hearts, peacock, paisley)


1/18/14- Last night was my first time ever applying henna. I was excited to try out the designs I'd been practicing on paper and utilize all my hard work researching the techniques, tools and traditions. It was fun and I was happy it was successful. I used the Jacquard kit that Michael's sells but just ordered some cones on Amazon with the paste ready to go (more economical). I made my own cone from cellophane triangle using the Boat People Vintage's DIY video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_oe4AtPe3M  Controlling the flow of the henna was fairly easy and I enjoyed using more pressure to make "knots" (little balls at the ends of lines). Those were actually easier to pick off later than the thinner strings of henna.

I let the paste stay on my hands and feet 1-3 hours. Every 15 minutes or so I'd add lemon/sugar/water (just a little with a cotton ball, don't want to smear it or let it run) to the drier parts so the stain will stay moist and darken the skin more. I scratched off the paste on my hand before going to bed but left the paste on my feet over night. Heat darkens the color, which is more desirable in India, so I wrapped my feet with tissue paper and big socks for heat but also so it didn't get all over my sheets. After scraping the paste off, the stain is bright orange on the skin. Later it oxides to a darker orange/red/brown (thicker skin like hands=darker stain, thinner skin like arms=lighter stain). I recommend scraping with a credit card and your fingernail. This morning I made a peacock on my kid. It was a really "fun morning" for her, watching shows and eating in bed while it dried. She only bumped it once, not bad for a 3 year old. Remember the henna stains so have old towels and wet & dry paper towels all ready to go. I also used the pin, toothpick and q-tip that was included in the kit to wipe off mistakes (which you can do very easily right away). By the way the henna is really forgiving. It's almost like a clay paste with nice form and moveability. I like Jacquard's tip to turn mistakes into an opportunity to try something new. Also the henna really uses all the senses: it smelled delicious thanks to the eucalyptus oil you mix in plus it had a cooling effect on the skin. It asks as a sunscreen as well and must feel great in the heat of India. This has been a good connection to nature (and more coming with our yoga studies).

Day 1 hand much lighter. Day 4 hand very dark. The cracks in the peacock is now showing (from bending my hand while henna was still wet). Yucky! Do I fill in the cracks with more henna or let it fade? Looks like alligator skin :(




Day 4 feet look great, no cracks and very dark. Like the new jellies?

 

Since we won't use henna paste on kids' skin at school I researched some alternatives to henna. Henna paste is all natural but people have been known to be allergic (you can test a small bit the day before). And you're committed to a few hours of not moving or touching the adorned body part and some maintenance later in the day or the next morning with scraping it off (also trying not to get it wet too much). Here's some ideas for temporary Mendhi without henna:

-Mendhi rubber stamps and a brown stamp pad. Nice that they aren't mounted on wood so you can bend around skin. Oversized brown stamp pad is great. Thumbs up! 
-Fiskar's gel pens drawn onto paper then transferred onto your skin with a wet warm cloth. Double thumbs up! http://www.wikihow.com/Create-Your-Own-Temporary-Tattoo
-Tulip brand body art marker (Michael's). It was okay but not nearly as much fun or work as the henna paste. They were also expensive and seem like they'll dry quickly. Thumbs down.


Next up with India...yoga poses & life drawing and possibly mandalas. The "Yoga Kids" video with Marsha Wenig (and her website) has been a good resource for me. I purchased a resource online called Young Yoga Masters (ABC Yoga) http://www.youngyogamasters.com/ Also big kuddos to Eliane I. Pierce on the recent publication of Deep Green Yoga, a harmony of tensions . Elaine taught all us mommies prenatal yoga at Kaiser SF. Vrinda and Sonya are some of the mommies who've kept in touch, and our kids are the "yoga babies". The photographs in the book will be helpful for my students as they make poses with homage to animals, trees, mountains and the ocean. It shows how "patterns in nature align our poses and everyday posture". It's a pretty amazing and thorough concept and book. And of course the cutest model is in the chapter on faces.

My kid has been teaching me poses: I've learned starfish, lily pad, butterfly and airplane from her just this week. My little helper also helped me make the Calming Jars http://saltydogyogasurf.wordpress.com/category/kids-yoga-arts-crafts/ I may try them in the classroom (should transfer from glass to plastic containers). They could be good for very energetic kids and moments. I like the concept of how the calming jar can show the kids how to slow down and quiet their mind.                                              Namaste!

More East Indian art resources at http://www.pinterest.com/noonsteph/east-indian-art/ 

Week 12- Under the Big Top

Drawing Animals
*paper, pencil, crayons
Follow these simple directions and draw some African animals. Easy enough for a 5 year old! Great self-esteem booster since these turn out so successful.

Drawing Giraffes
*12"x18" paper, pencil, markers (optional: scrap green paper, coffee sleeves, green crayons, scissors, glue)
Show students photographs of giraffes. Notice their spots, horns, long necks...They can draw one big giraffe, a mom with a baby or many giraffes.
-Step 1: Draw a triangle-shaped head and a long neck. Here's a trick with the neck: make the lines slightly come apart near the bottom to show perspective (giraffe will appear even taller). Then add details to the face- draw a line at the bottom of face to show the nose and then draw a stripe down the center of the face (stripe shows the shape of the face). Draw eyes, ears, and horns. Finally draw the spots, which are not perfect circles, and can be drawn on the edge of the neck (and not always centered).
-Step 2: Color with marker. Show kids how some colors contrast with one another. Great choices are complementary colors (opposite colors) such as red/green, yellow/purple, orange/blue. Light and dark colors are also great choices. Demonstrate neat coloring with markers by outlining first and no scribbling.
-Step 3: Cut out dark and light green paper leaves. Using side of green crayons, color coffee sleeves and cut out leaves. Overlap leaves and glue.

Origami Dog
*Square paper (2 per student), crayons, scissors
Motivation: Read Olivia Saves the Circus. In it she's a dog trainer (not a very good one), a tattoed lady, a lion tamer, trapeze artist. A cute book for the younger kids with simple drawings.
Head: Fold paper in half to form a triangle (open point side down). Fold ears up or down. Fold nose.
Body: Fold paper in half to form a triangle (open edge down, 90 degree triangle). Optional: cut out a space to show negative space between legs. Fold tail behind.
Decorate: Add details to face and body with crayons. Some kids use other paper to make leashes, dog bones, bowls, etc.

Clay Oaxacan animals
*Crayola air dry clay (1/8 of a disc of clay- yielding 16 wedges in a container), water, tools (toothpicks, popsicle sticks), paints, brushes (#3 tiny Crayola brush)
Form animal's body and head (if neccesary) by making a ball or cubish shape(s). Pull legs out gently (or attach legs by rolling a thick coil and putting a little water on joint with finger). Do not make legs and tails too skinny and long or they will break off. Note: above lizard sample is from Oaxaca, Mexico and is made out of wood. Frog is made out of clay and tempera paint. Pinch ears out (if necessary), add little balls for eyes or depress eyes and nostrils with pinky finger. Lastly, carve details. Let clay dry for a day or two and paint. Oaxacan sculptures use a lot of pattern the back of a brush is perfect for adding details.

Week 10- It's a Mystery

da Vinci's inventions
*pencil, paper, imagination!
Inspiration: Discuss the life of Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519, Italian). da Vinci was a painter (Mona Lisa), sculptor, inventor, architect, engineer...a true Renaissance man. Above is his sketch for a spinning wheel from his sketchbooks. da Vinci cryptically wrote backwards in his sketchbooks and filled them with sketches from nature, anatomy and inventions. See more inventions at da-vinci-biography.com.
Activity: Students will create an invention and label the parts. For a challenge they can try writing backwards. Test the writing by viewing it in a mirror.

Salvador Dali surreal magazine collage
*magazines (any kind but National Geographic is great for backgrounds), 9x12 & 12x18 white paper, glue, scissors, 1 gallon Ziploc bag per child (to save cut images while in process).
View "Get Surreal" video and Dragon in my Art Room Blog (Dali lessons). ~OR~ show students "The Persistence of Memory" by Salvador Dali. Asks students what they see in it, what they like and what's interesting. Surreal art is dreamlike yet realistically rendered. Students need to use at least one element of surrealism in their collage: dislocation (putting something in an unusual location), juxtaposition (placing 2 objects near each other that are not normally found together), metamorphosis (changing one object into another object), and symbolism (an object representing an idea). Students need to find a large background image and also cut smaller images to juxtapose, dislocate, etc. Careful cutting is a must. Students are asked to discard inappropriate magazine images (violent images, alcohol, too much skin, etc.). The more strange and unusual the better!

Lunch Bag Kit (repeat from Week 1)
*lunch bag per student filled with assortment of items such as paper clip, gum, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaner, etc.)
Each child needs to create something creative out of their "mystery bag". This is a great way to use up old craft supplies! For a challenge, teacher can require that everyone must use EVERYTHING out of their lunch bag.

Week 9- Celebrate SF!

Aerial Perspective/ Skyscraper Drawing (courtesy of Silicon Valley Art Museum)
*pencils, paper, markers
Read Above San Francisco by Nina Gruener & Robert Cameron for inspiration. Children draw 7-9 parallelograms. The parallelograms will become the rooftops of buildings. They then draw vertical lines down from 3 corners of each roof. They can add details like windows, rooftop gardens, the Golden Gate Bridge, etc. Complete by outlining in marker.

Golden Gate Bridge Painting
*cardboard (3"-5" in length & about 1" wide), red paint, paper plates/palettes, 9x12 paper (white or light blue)
Discuss the history of the Golden Gate Bridge (took 4 years to build, completed in 1937, at the time was the longest suspension bridge, connects SF to Marin County). Vocabulary= towers (2), deck (roadway), 4 rectangles cut out of towers above deck, "X" below the deck on tower, diagonal and vertical lines in deck, curved cables, suspenders hang down from curved cables.
~Note: example of cardboard/painting tool is shown in last photograph.
~Examples are from Kindergartners & 3rd graders
Step by step directions:
1. paint 2 towers (no designs) - note each tower can be the same height or one can be shorter to show perspective
2. Paint deck with 2 horizontal lines
3. Add details such as rectangles in upper towers, "X"s on lower towers, lines in deck
4. Place a dot on left corner of each tower (this part lights up at night). Connect with a "U" shaped line by dragging cardboard. Stop in the middle to reposition cardboard. Make dots in right hand corners and connect with another "U".
5. Don't forget to draw cables going off the page from each corner of tower (in opposite direction of the last one)
6. Paint a few suspenders.
7. Add any other details you feel necessary.

3D Paper Sculpture
(inspiration from the slides of SF, curvy Lombard St., & Golden Gate Bridge)
*colored construction paper 9"x12", scissors, scotch tape

Activity 1 (directly above): Provide or have kids cut 1.5"-2" wide strips of paper (of various lengths). Fold strip of paper lengthwise and then make cuts on only one half of the paper, about 1" apart. Fold each "fringed" piece in opposite directions. Arrange and tape strips of paper onto background paper.










Activity 2 (directly above): Kids make 2 sets of parallel cuts on two different sides of the background paper. They then cut (or teacher can provide strips already cut) colored paper into strips about an inch wide (and about 12" long). The strips of paper are arranged on the background paper, starting by sliding the first two strips under the cuts. The strips can twist and turn, be accordion folded, etc. They are taped down and a whimsical relief sculpture is created. This is a great lesson for kindergartners - 2nd grade.

Week 3 - Mythical Creatures

Drawing monsters
*pencils, erasers, paper
Activity: kids draw mythical creatures and find inspiration from the Dover weekly free sampler (see images above and below). Encourage drawing basic shapes/forms first and adding details and shading/color later. Kids can also draw dragons, unicorns, mermaids, Lochness monsters, etc.

Sock puppets
*socks (time to empty the lost & found!), permanent markers, googly eyes, yarn, buttons, glue and any other craft supplies.
Make a unicorn, an alien or just a silly doll. The younger kids might enjoy putting on a puppet show.

Clay Gargoyles
*materials: air dry clay, cups for water, clay mats, space to dry clay projects, clay tools (tooth picks, clay tools, sticks, popsicle sticks, etc)
Kids form a ball (size of their fist or smaller) and then a pinch pot. Flatten one side gently, this will be the chin. Attach other pieces of clay to add eyes, horns, teeth, etc. With airdry clay you can use a little water to help attached pieces stick (just dab it on with your finger as you don't want to get clay too wet or it turns to mush). You can also carve details such as scales, hair, etc. Add child's name to bottom of piece and paint a day or two later.

For more inspiration: Read Night of the Gargoyles by Eve Bunting

Charcoal Gargoyles
*charcoal (vine charcoal & compressed are ideal but if you only have one- go with compressed), construction paper (light colors or white), optional: Pink Pearl erasers that you are okay with only using for this project
Begin sketching gargoyle with vine charcoal. Vine charcoal is fairly light and can erase easily by just wiping it with hand (it won't erase completely but the "history" is nice to see). Once sketched, then darken features with compressed charcoal. You can use your finger to rub in areas. The erasers can lighten areas that you have added charcoal too (see highlights in my eyebrows). Don't think of it as erasing but more bringing out lighter areas, a reverse way of creating shapes. Be prepared for a mess, ready to wash hands and have sponges and towels on hand to clean and dry tables. This is worth the mess as the kids really get into this material.