The temperature falls and darkness sets in during Vermont’s winter months, but this time of year is also filled with seasonal fun. Students at Davis Community School in South Burlington recently tackled an art project: creating a mixed-media portrait of woodland creatures enjoying winter.
Teachers at the independent school for grades K through 6 led their pupils through an exploration of the practice of anthropomorphizing, or attributing human characteristics and activities to animals, said teacher Teresa Davis. “This is something students come across repeatedly in the books they read and in popular TV programs,” she said. “Students viewed several images by the Mexican illustrator, graphic designer and tattoo artist Indi Maverick, who is known for her drawings of animals wearing fancy sweaters and jackets.”
Students drew faces, bodies and other details in pen on old dictionary pages and music sheets. They added colorful clothing with scrapbook papers or watercolor paints. The mixed-media materials were then glued to their backgrounds, Davis said.
Background drawings of Vermont’s trees, snowflakes, mountains and even cozy kitchens were added with white gel pens.
This article was originally published in Seven Days’ monthly parenting magazine, Kids VT.
The original print version of this article was headlined “Cold but Cozy Collages | Davis Community School studentsimagine animals enjoying winter”
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This article appears in Kids VT, Winter 24-25.
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