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/ 

Love Baby-Led Weaning for the newest Noon
(love that little girl too!)

 

I can't say enough good things about giving Claudia real foods at 6 months. No spoons or purees, just soft enough stick-like food she can pick up and gnaw on. I'm all about "Baby-Led Weaning" and recommend it to any family that has a healthy 6+ month old, doctor's (somewhat) blessing and a kid who can sit up and hold things. Claudia just loves trying out new foods and hangin' with the family at the kitchen table, Perbacco's table, Grandma's table, picnicking at the park...what fun! So far she's had an array of fruits, meats (salmon, chicken, ribs, meatballs, tri-tip), and veggies (carrots and broccoli are a favorite).

 

As you can see I haven't added to my blog in a year. Our family has moved to a new home and city (we love the burbs!) and had a new baby. But this new way of introducing foods to babies is newsworthy in our house! I promise to post a bit about some exciting art teaching stuff that I've been up to soon.

 

Why I'm sold on Baby-led Weaning:

-Claudia is exploring different tastes, textures

-she chooses what she eats (from our healthy choices)

-Her meal is rarely rushed since she's just eating when we eat and what we eat. Mealtime is social time.

-Less food prep, no jarred food (granted I'm steaming, roasting foods to right consistency for her but we are eating yummy foods because of her and vice versa)

-Great hand-eye coordination builder

-I think this will pay off big time when she's older. She's eating better than her 3 year old sister now.

 

There's lots of info on the web about BLW. Visit babyledweaning.com and check out the book of the same name by Rapley and Murkett. If you try this out, bone up on your Heimlich/CPR and get everyone taking care of your baby onboard too. Speaking of safety, I have to remind myself to wash Claudia's hands before eating and check her mouth after for big pieces. I found I had to do a little homework before beginning this since I'd spoon-fed Eliana (well I'll be honest that her wonderful daycare did most of it- thankfully I've been home this summer for Claudia's first meals). Thanks for reading this. Even if you don't try with your baby, maybe you'll know what's up when you see the baby at the table next to you in a restaurant noshing on a hunk of meat. They're probably in heaven, teething again, getting some nutrients. Okay all this talk about food, gotta get a snack myself...

 

Bon Appetit!

 

 

Red + Blue = Purple!

Okay taking a moment to brag here about my 2 year old daughter...half the time she gets colors wrong when I ask her which color is what. However her newest Dora books highlight purple quite a bit. We were in the bath the other day and she put her blue block in the magenta cup and said, "Look, it's purple". Mommy-art-teacher got so excited I had to call Dad in to see genius child's discovery. You would've thought she'd just discovered the theory of relativity. We tested everything in sight to see if anything else turned a color. We think she found out the yellow duck turned orange in the cup (or were our ears just hearing orange?) A few other objects turned brown. It's so cool to see these little moments!

Week 13- keeW sdrawkcaB

Tie-Dye Camp T-Shirts

*Jacquard dyes & kit, squeeze bottles, white t-shirts, lots of rubberbands (I like the thicker ones), gloves (note: check for latex allergies, can use Nitrile gloves instead), water source: hose or sink, gallon ziploc bags for wet shirts

Laura is the tie-dye shirt expert! Stephanie's tips are: for the most vibrant colors, prewash shirts and read manufacturer's instructions. Show the designs that can be created using the handout (spirals, circles, etc.). Help younger kids with the rubberbands, you want them really tight since it's a resist technique. The rubberbands keep the dye off the shirt. Review how colors mix (color wheel is helpful). Red & Yellow=Orange, Blue & Yellow=Green, Blue & Red=Purple. If not cutting rubberbands off the shirts and rinsing them at camp, then send shirts home in sealed ziploc bags with child's name on bag and rinsing/washing directions attached.

Have fun!!!

Salvador Dali surreal magazine collage
*magazines (any kind but National Geographics are 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 resprenting 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!

da Vinci sketchbooks, backwards writing
*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.

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 11- Go Green!

Rolled Paper Beaded Necklace:
*recycled glossy mailings and magazines, scissors, Elmer's glue, straws and/or shishkabob sticks, string, pony beads
Each bead starts off as an isosceles triangle, cut from junk mail or old magazines. The longer the triangle, the thicker the bead. The wider the base of the triangle, the longer the bead. A little glue and a little patience is then all it takes to form a lovely, biconal bead. Space paper beads with 1 or 2 pony beads and string into a necklace. A beautiful, recycled piece of art is formed!

Inspiration: Women in Uganda make these exact types of beads and beaded jewelry. The only difference is they seal the beads to make them waterproof and they make hundreds of beads. The sales of these necklaces help the women and their families have a better life. Many women invest the money they earn and start their own businesses, in many fields, after their 18-month training with BeadforLife. Check out the necklaces at beadforlife.org This is a great project for kids and adults with a wonderful community and global connection.  

**2022 update: Bead for Life retail store is now closed but the mission continues with Street Business School. What is Street Business School? 

"Street Business School is a world-class entrepreneurial training program that builds women’s confidence and provides business skills, so they can launch micro-businesses and lift their families from deep poverty." (source: https://www.beadforlife.org/)

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Cereal box Shoes
*empty cereal boxes, scissors, pencils, tape
Cut open empty cereal box and trace both feet. Cut out tracing. Cut and attach any number and widths of straps. Tape straps to base of foot. Best for indoor use.
Note: this lesson was done at 2011 camp.
Alternative: create a wallet out of cardboard

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Toilet Paper Tube Dolls (Soft Sculpture)
*1 toilet paper tube/child, 5"x14" muslin fabric, thin rubber bands, batting (small ball per child), markers, glue, scissors, other craft supplies to decorate (buttons, scrap fabric, pipe cleaners, yarn) - note: felt is very easy for kids to cut
Inspiration: Faith Ringgold (American Artist, born 1930). Ringgold’s family was very artistic. Her mother was a fashion designer and dressmaker. Her grandmother learned how to quilt from her great-great grandmother and passed this tradition down. Ringgold took these family traditions and created "story quilts" (see books like "Tar Beach") and sculptures that were soft. Sculptures are 3-dimensional, not 2-D or flat. The book Talking to Faith Ringgold is very inspirational.

*Step 1 – take batting (used inside quilts) and put into top of tube (to shape the head) 
*Step 2- place fabric over tube
*Step 3- place rubber band around doll’s head (I show them how to do this step by step- place over head, not tight enough, twist, OPEN, place over head one more time)
*Step 4- smooth the fabric and “fluff” the head if you need to (take a marker and push up from inside, pull up on fabric & batting too)
*Step 5- write name on bottom/outside of tube with with markers
*Step 6- color doll (face, clothes) and add other craft supplies (buttons as eyes or a pendent on necklace, yarn for hair/make a pom-pon, pipe cleaners as arms). Note- I tucked the fabric and pipe cleaner under the rubber bands, no need to glue.