Collage at New American Pathways

Penny Treese and her daughter Gabby jointly led this collage project with the kids in the after school program at New American Pathways- an organization serving newly immigrated families. 

This project had a lot of components and allowed the kids to utilize a wide variety of different artistic mediums in a single project. And Penny and Gabby kept the kids engaged every step of the way! 

Once they had donned their smocks (backwards collared shirts that hung down to their knees!) and rolled up their sleeves, the kids dove in. First, they used water colors to paint a sky-like back drop.

Next, they created a unique repeating pattern using waxy oil pastels. Then, in an unexpected turn they were told to tear up the page they just decorated into leaf-life shapes! 

Piles of torn paper aside, they next, used black paint and straws, and with careful instructions only to exhale, they created long, spindly branched trees. 

The finished product was a dark tree on a colorful sky with patterned leaves!