The paint atelier was created in response to listening to children’s many languages of expression. A room to be fully free, to express, to explore and engage with the medium of paint and one another. A space with no adult-imposed rules, no restrictions, no limits. A room to deepen relationships, connections and meaning making.
More than a room – a truly beautiful symbol for connections, relationships, trust and respect.
With each group of children, with each stroke of paint, relationships deepened among space, material, child and educator, each layer is added, deepened and responded to. The children’s marks, the layer of paint left for another to be in relation with and respond to. The room, the paint, the space children and educator engaged in relations and dialogues. There are conversations between the stokes, conversations among the marks and conversations some said, and some left unsaid.
The layers become very symbolic; metaphors for teaching and learning. These layers of paint representing beliefs and values, each stroke of paint a symbol; representing a philosophy of teaching that encompasses relationships, connections, belonging, permission, trust, freedom, joy etc.
The space, a symbol conveying our held beliefs. The layers of paint also began to reveal some challenging feelings, hesitations and pauses, for some dare not enter the space of freedoms and possibilities.
It was always more than just paint…
