All year, the Tamaracks had been admiring the mural that is displayed in the tent. It was made by Roots students in 2017. They were interested in doing a similar project so we started a collaborative art piece in January with our art teacher, Kay.
We decided to make something functional that could be used as well as displayed: a canvas mat for the floor of our tent.
In January, on the first day of the project, teachers helped us trace our hands onto pieces of fabric. Once we had traced our hands, we colored them in. These would become the leaves.
In February, Kay returned with materials to paint the larger elements of our mural. Julia, Addison, and Wren painted the bird. “We’re making a rainbow bird.”
Oliver, Jackson, and Hank painted the tree. They chose browns for the trunk and branches.
Frederick, Lakelan, Taylor, Mia, Josie, and Jacoby painted the backdrop of sky and grass.
Kay took the pieces of our mural home and put them all together into a beautiful and durable floor canvas for our tent. We surprised the Tamaracks with a special unveiling of the finished product.
Throughout the week, the Tamaracks spent time reflecting on the finished product and the process. They enjoyed finding the hands they had made on the branches of the tree and identifying features of the work that Kay had included, like a squirrel on a branch and a cloth border with paint from a previous project. A book documenting the process of creating this art piece helps us remember each person’s contribution and how it all came together. Find the full story of the project here.
We are very grateful to Kay LaBella for the donation of her time and materials for this and other projects that have so inspired us. We thank the Tamaracks for their creativity and enthusiasm and for leaving us a legacy that we hope will spark future generations of Roots students!
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