The sight of a field of ripening corn dotted with poppies would inspire any artist. In the absence of the real thing, show children a single poppy and introduce them to the paintings of fields of poppies by Claude Monet. Talk about the patterns created by the splashes of red among the greens and yellows, and suggest the children create their own poppy field images.
Let's work together
Invite a small group of children to create a large cornfield together. Spread thick paper on the ground outdoors and supply them with decorators' brushes to cover the surface with green and yellow watery paint. Comment on how the colours run to create the impression of ripening corn. Provide choices of 'poppy making' resources, such as red powder paint to scatter in clumps, drippy paint to splash in blobs, or sponge dish mops to create red prints. Invite children to try out the options on a smaller sheet of paper before deciding which one to use on the large field. Once the field is finished, display it on a board surrounded by green corrugated border roll to represent a hedge. Hang some prints of Monet's poppies alongside.
Be independent
Encourage individuals to create their own smaller poppy fields using techniques and resources of their choosing. Stick the finished fields on to a large sheet of paper to form a huge patchwork landscape, gluing dark green screwed-up crepe paper hedges between each one.
Try some of these suggestions:
- Colour the paper with green and yellow crayon and cover it with red spatters using a nailbrush.
- Paint the paper green and yellow, dip a thin paintbrush into red paint and wave it backwards and forwards over the top to create red splashes.
- Dip a cotton wool bud into red paint and pat it on to green painted paper.
- Mix green and yellow powder paint into paste and spread the mixture over the paper. Create red paper spots with a hole punch and scatter them over the top.
- Draw some tiny red poppies with a crayon and wash over them with thin green or yellow paint.
