Family Traditions Mixed Media Collage, Inspired by Carmen Lomas Garza

This winter, 1st grade artists finished their mixed media collage artworks that tell the story of a family memory or tradition. This project took us a few weeks! We began by looking at two paintings by the Mexican American artist, Carmen Lomas Garza. Students were asked to look at the artwork carefully and then think about what is happening and what supports their thinking. 

Carmen Lomas Garza, Barbacoa Para Cumpleaños (1993)

Students noticed that there is a girl hitting a piñata, a cake on a table, and many people of different ages gathered together, so it might be a birthday party, a backyard BBQ or a family reunion. A few students noticed the papel picado or cut paper flags hanging between the trees as decoration and made connections to their Mexican heritage or what they already knew about Mexican holidays, such as Day of the Dead. Our observations helped us to "read" the painting and understand the story visually, without words. We noticed that the artist paints the story, using a lot of details to help us understand what is happening. Carmen Lomas Garza is a Mexican American artist who was born in Texas. She paints about her experiences as a Mexican American and her paintings feature her family. 

Students thought about a time they have spent with their family and family traditions they have experienced. They tried to remember who was there, where it took place, and what people were doing. Then they made their own sketches and drawings of this memory. For many students, it was a family tradition or annual event such as Christmas, Hanukkah, or Thanksgiving. For others, they remembered their birthday or a sibling's birthday. Some students drew about a family summer vacation to the beach or a long roadtrip, while others drew about playing in the park, weekend picnics, and building snowmen. 

The following week, students used their sketches and created a painted background for their artwork. Removing the details, students painted paper with solid colors for their background, whether it was yellow sand, blue sky or white snow. We let the painted paper dry and the next class, students began adding the people and details in their foreground using a variety of different materials. 

Students cut and tore shapes from colored paper, tissue paper, fabric, felt, and yarn and put them together to created a mixed media collage of their family memory. Students thought carefully about how the colors, patterns and textures of the materials would help tell their visual story. They tried to make the setting clear, whether it was indoors or outdoors, daytime or nighttime. 

Students worked very hard on these mixed media collages, and wrote a sentence on the back about their work, describing the memory or tradition. We participated in our first gallery walk, which is when we walk around the room to observe everyone's artwork. During a gallery walk we make sure not to touch the artwork, just like at a museum. We also did our first turn and talk, where we picked a partner and shared our artwork with them. Students took turns talking about their work and asking questions, considering what their work was about, what they were proudest of in their work, and what was the most challenging part of creating it. Below are some examples of our work, with a description written by the student.

Kaleb, 1st Grade (Landay)
"Building a snowman with my brother."

Beatrix, 1st Grade (Landay)
"Celebrating Christmas with my younger sister."

Daniela, 1st Grade (Mandile)
"Sharing a Galette de Rois with my family."

Kaylie, 1st Grade (Mandile)
"Decorating the Christmas tree with my dad."

Nathan, 1st Grade (Mandile)
"Getting our Christmas tree."

Jacob S., 1st Grade (Mandile)
"Lighting the candle on the seventh night of Hannukah."

Ranvir, 1st Grade (Salvucci)
"Playing on the playground with my family."

Maya, 1st Grade (Salvucci)
"Celebrating Christmas with my grandparents."

Avantika, 1st Grade (Salvucci)
"My family at the beach."

Zoe, 1st Grade (Massa)
"At the beach with my brother."

Leo, 1st Grade (Massa)
"My family at the beach."

Amelia, 1st Grade (McIsaac)
"Decorating the Christmas tree with my family."

Mateo, 1st Grade (McIsaac)
"Decorating the Christmas tree with my family."

Cem, 1st Grade (McIsaac)
"At Launch with my sister."

Family Traditions Collage

Last month, 1st grade artists created mixed media collage artworks that tell the story of a family memory or tradition. We began by looking at two paintings by the Mexican American artist, Carmen Lomas Garza. Students were asked to look at the artwork carefully and then think about what is happening and what supports their thinking. 

Carmen Lomas Garza, Empanadas (1991)

Students noticed that there is a family gathered together in a kitchen, making food together. Perhaps it is for a holiday, birthday, or family gathering. Many students connected this to an experience they have had making food with their families, especially in preparation for a holiday or family dinner. We looked at another work by Lomas Garza and students noticed that there was a girl hitting a pinata, a cake on a table, and many people of different ages gathered together, so it might be a birthday party. Our observations helped us to "read" the painting and understand the story visually, without words.

Carmen Lomas Garza, Barbacoa para Cumpleaños (1993)

We noticed that the artist paints the story, using a lot of details to help us understand what is happening. Carmen Lomas Garza is a Mexican American artist who was born in Texas. She paints about her experiences as a Mexican American and her paintings feature her family. Students thought about a time they have spent with their family and family traditions they have experienced. They tried to remember who was there, where it took place, and what people were doing. Then they made their own sketches and drawings of this memory. 

For many students, it was a family tradition or annual event such as Christmas, Hanukkah, or Thanksgiving. For others, they remembered their birthday or a sibling's birthday. Some students drew about a family summer vacation to the beach or a long roadtrip, while others drew about playing in the park, weekend picnics, and building snowmen. 

The following week, students used their sketches and created a painted background for their artwork. Removing the details, students painted paper with solid colors for their background, whether it was yellow sand, blue sky or white snow. We let the painted paper dry and the next class, students began adding the people and details in their foreground using a variety of different materials. 

Students cut and tore shapes from colored paper, tissue paper, fabric, felt, and yarn and put them together to created a mixed media collage of their family memory. Students thought carefully about how the colors, patterns and textures of the materials would help tell their visual story. They tried to make the setting clear, whether it was indoors or outdoors, daytime or nighttime. 

Students worked very hard on these mixed media collages, and wrote a sentence on the back about their work, describing the memory or tradition. We participated in our first gallery walk, which is when we walk around the room to observe everyone's artwork. During a gallery walk we make sure not to touch the artwork, just like at a museum. 

We also did our first turn and talk, where we picked a partner and shared our artwork with them. Students took turns talking about their work and asking questions, considering what their work was about, what they were proudest of in their work, and what was the most challenging part of creating it. At the end of class, we shared them with class on the rug so that everyone could take a look at the finished work, and we could learn more about each student's story. Below are some examples of our work, with a description written by the student.  

Ava, 1st Grade (Landay)
"Building a snowman with my family."

Adriana, 1st Grade (Landay)
"Celebrating Christmas with my family."

Anthony, 1st Grade (Massa)
"Christmas Eve with my family."

Emma, 1st Grade (Landay)
"At the park."

James, 1st Grade (Massa)
"Christmas Day - me and my family."

Megan, 1st Grade (Massa)
"At the playground with my family."

Tigran, 1st Grade (Landay)
"At the beach with my family"

Noa, 1st Grade (Torchio)
"Me and my family in our backyard."

Mary, 1st Grade (Torchio)
"At my aunt's pool with my family."

David, 1st Grade (Mandile)
"At a picnic in the forest with my family."

Graham, 1st Grade (Massa)
"At Cape Cod with my family, grandma and Papa G. I caught 21 hermit crabs in a day!"

Tyler, 1st Grade (Massa)
"Christmas Day with my family."

Ruken, 1st Grade (Salvucci)
"Trick or treating with my family and we saw the scariest house!"

Bianca, 1st Grade (Salvucci)
"At the beach in Maine with my family."

Faye, 1st Grade (Salvucci)
"At the beach with my family."

Tia, 1st Grade (Mandile)
"Celebrating Eid with my family."

Jayden, 1st Grade (Mandile)
"My family came to school."

Corinne, 1st Grade (Mandile)
"Every summer I go to the beach in California with my family."

Storytelling through Mixed Media Collage, Inspired by Carmen Lomas Garza

Last month, first grade artists created mixed media collage artworks that tell the story of a family memory or tradition. We began by looking at two paintings by the Mexican American artist, Carmen Lomas Garza. Students were asked to look at the artwork carefully and then think about what is happening and what supports their thinking.

Carmen Lomas Garza, Barbacoa para Cumpleaños (1993)

Many students thought that it was a birthday party, because the girl in the middle is hitting a pinata, which they connected to birthday parties that they have been to. Students also saw a cake and noticed that many people were gathered to help celebrate. Other students thought perhaps it was a family reunion, because there was a barbecue, family members of all ages, and a couple dancing. The painting is actually about a birthday barbecue, so our observations helped us to "read" the painting and understand the story.

Carmen Lomas Garza, Empanadas (1991)

We also looked at another painting where a family is gathered to make empanadas and we shared our own experiences with cooking or baking together with your family and making a lot of food for a celebration. We noticed that the artist paints the story, using a lot of details to help us understand what is happening, without any words. Carmen Lomas Garza is a Mexican American artist who was born in Texas. She paints about her experiences as a Mexican American and her paintings feature her family.

Students then closed their eyes and thought of a time they have spent with their family. They tried to remember who was there, where it took place, and what people were doing. Then they made their own sketches and drawings of this memory. For many students, it was a family tradition or annual event such as Christmas, Hanukkah, or Thanksgiving. For others, they remembered their birthday or a sibling's birthday. Some students drew about a family summer vacation to the beach or a long roadtrip, while others drew about playing in the park, weekend picnics, and building snowmen. 

The following week, students received their sketches. We focused on the background, or environment, in their drawing. Students painted paper with the colors in their background, whether it was yellow sand, blue sky or white snow. 

We let the painted paper dry and the next class, students began adding the people and details in their foreground using a variety of different materials. Students cut and tore shapes from colored paper, tissue paper, fabric, felt, and yarn and put them together to created a mixed media collage of their family memory. 

Students thought carefully about how the colors, patterns and textures of the materials would help tell their visual story. They tried to make the setting clear, whether it was indoors or outdoors, daytime or nighttime.

Students worked very hard on these mixed media collages, and wrote a sentence on the back about their work, describing the memory. At the end of class, we shared them with class on the rug so that everyone could take a look at the finished work, and we could learn more about each student's story. Here are some examples below, with a description written by the student. They will be on display next month downstairs in the glass case near the school entrance.

Darya, 1st grade (Massa)
"I am spending time with my family. We are swimming and eating."

Luanna, 1st grade (Mandile)
"This was when it was my birthday."

Abena, 1st grade (Torchio)
"I am at the park with my family."

Ellian, 1st grade (Torchio)
"The picture is Hanukkah and my aunt just sent me a menorah."

Tohka, 1st grade (Torchio)
"My mom and I make bread together."

Paulo, 1st grade (Torchio)
"I am at the park."

Morgen, 1st grade (Landay)
"I went to New Hampshire with my family."

Perin, 1st grade (Landay)
"I went to Florida with my family and went on a water slide!"

Mary, 1st grade (Massa)
"My mom and I went to a picnic."

Mera, 1st grade (Landay)
"I went to Maine. I stayed in a hotel with a beach."

Jasmine Serres, 1st grade (Landay)
"I went to the playground with my sister and my uncle."