Going with the flow

Against the backdrop of Covid-19, teachers and parents are working like never before to support children and to help them fight stress and boredom. The effects of isolation can manifest in many different ways, so the teachers at CISS have gotten very creative when welcoming our MYP students back to school!

As the MYP Art Teacher, I kickstarted our art classes by introducing a type of art making that the students had never seen before called Suminagashi. This is a type of art that I had been using to cope with my stress during the quarantine, and I was very happy to be able to share it with my students!

The Art of Suminagashi originated in Japan, and it involves gently touching ink filled paint brushes to the surface of water, so that the coloured inks float on top of the water. The artist can create concentric circles by alternating between floating ink on the water, and then a soap solution. The soap pushes away the inks, creating negative spaces. The inks move with the motion of the water, and so artists can manipulate the design by blowing on the surface or dragging objects through it. Once the student is ready, they lay a piece of rice paper down on the water to capture the design, like a photograph.

The technique requires that the artist be patient, and carefully observe the movement of the inks on water. This activity let students slow down and focus only on the movement of the floating colours. Suminagashi is an excellent activity for promoting stress relief and meditation. 

Returning to regular schedule can be difficult for students who have not had a routine in place in their daily lives. Creative activities like this one help students to relax and shift their focus. As an added bonus, each student made several beautiful prints to take home!

Ms. Dugdale, Grade 7 Homeroom teacher, Art and Design teacher (Canada).