Our focus has been on Chinese New Year with our visiting artist Cai Silver this month. Look at the Plum Blossom Scrolls we finished today. To make their scrolls kids first toned their paper with chalk pastels and wiped with a tissue to get a light airy effect. We printed on the twisted shape of the old plum trees using the side of a piece of cardboard. The kids dipped into the paint and scraped to make the trunk and pressed to make the branches. After our trees dried we pressed on some blossoms with the flower stamps we made from sticky foam flowers and small squares of cardboard. Plum trees are the first trees to bloom and herald the coming of spring. The blooms follow the retreating snow. They are a symbol of luck and rejuvenation. Happy Chinese New Year!
