M and H got their hands nice and messy with the shaving cream, and were so delighted with the results of their prints. Each boy had a different approach to the dripping and spreading of the dye on top of the foam. M fervently scratched his stick through his colours, and got quite different results from H, whose complimentary colour palette invoked a spectacular feeling of freshness and calmness.
M’s prints held within them some amazing little surprises, areas of supreme colour interaction, and one area that looked just like a colourful bouncy ball pattern.
H: It feels like thick whipped cream.
M: It feels like I have gloves on. This kind of looks like marshmallows.
H: It’s so artistic.
H: I’m doing greens and yellows and reddies. Lime green’s nice!
M: Okay, prepare to be amazed. These magical colours of mine!
H: It’s a Christmas painting! Or should I say Easter..
M: That. Looks. Perfect. Okay, I think I’m ready to print mine.
They were so excited when it came time to the “reveals.” M developed a technique of his own that for him, accentuated the fun of the moment. M and H enjoyed each reveal moment together.
M: Do the reveal I did, H, it always looks better that way. …Now that is what I call good! I especially love that part, it looks like a peacocks tail! H what did you do?
H: What did I do? I’ll show you. You want the colours M? I can tell you how I did that.
M: Well you put blue and red in there.
H: Yah, but you know what else I did? I put blue, red, and yellow.
M: And green?
H: No, No green. And it made it, and that’s what got the artistic in.
M then asked H to please tell him the colours he used, so he could duplicate the beauty of his print.
Finn began to see images and big themes within the patterns of the shaving cream prints right away. He reveled in the sensory experience of the soft and supple foamy cream on his hands.
Finn: I’m a globby monster!
As he mixed the dye into the cream, Finn immersed himself into an imaginative world of power and destruction. He generously dripped red dye over a peak in the shaving cream, creating a beautiful volcano. And then when it came time to swirl the colours with the stick, he became the force itself!
Finn: I am the hurricane!
He took notice of the colours and involved himself with his choices.
Finn: That’s a nice yellow. It couldn’t get any nicer. I like colours with clearness, and that yellow is kind of clear.
There was something about the yellow dye, no matter what colour it was dropped upon, its pure yellowness came through, seemingly to dissolve the colour behind.
Finn seemed to love the gaseous, smokey, ambiguous forms that appeared in the shaving cream prints. And he decided to name each of his prints.
Finn: This one is the “fight of the Century!!” All the spirits are going to destroy each other!!!
Finn: This is Kings of Battle. That’s like all different nations of animals and the leaders are coming together. They’re like elements fighting. I like these colours.
Colin and Michael usually hate to have messy hands, but to my delight, they wanted to give it the shaving cream printing a go. They both pressed their hands into the cream, and spread it around on their trays, enjoying the experience. Michael said he was even tempted to eat it!
Colin and Michael played with the foam for quite some time, smoothing it, and moving it around their trays. They stayed present in the moment, right through each step of the process.
Abi took her time creating shapes and images with the dye on the shaving cream. She was meticulous with her designs, and so beautifully created a ethereal underwater scene.
Even her dad got his hands in the mess when he came to pick her up, and by the end of class, Abi was begging him to get some shaving cream so that they could do it together at home.
The best part about working with Abi is how she approaches art with playfulness and freedom. She is beginning to value the beauty of her final product, and is genuinely motivated to complete her work and experience that sense of accomplishment. Her creative mind is bright and shiny, and she has the passion, and natural ability to excel in her art skills. Her youthful spirit and attention to detail are such a beautiful combination. And it’s all evident in her ideas and masterpieces.