Second phase of the project is practicing with the media and then creating the final paintings.  Sixteen classes and over 375 students will eventually have created their own painting inspired by their visits to Centenary Park.  For this second phase the children were asked to remember or to refer back to their sketchbooks and to focus on one particular image of the park.

First step is to paint a background on the paper with acrylics. Second step is to draw on top of the dried acrylic with conte or pastels.  The third step is to collage colourful scrap paper onto the painting.  The students worked directly into their sketchbooks so they could keep a record of their progress. 

I told the students, "There are many different ways to create a painting and I bet you already have a favorite way to work, but today we are trying something different."  I did a demonstration on how to use acrylic paint to create a background wash.  I talked about finding a balance between the right amount of water and the right amount of paint.  I showed the kids how to mix colours on their paper and to keep the colours in the palette clean.  The were encouraged to notice the effect of colour layering and how layering can create new colours much like creating colours on your palette.  I told them the proper colours of the paints and they all tried to remember the names. 

The kids came up with some really inspiring images and combining the three different methods was a great success for them. 

Next class involves planning.  The children will talk about what they want their message to be as a class and how that message is going to affect their individual paintings.