Junior Duck Stamp Artists!

Our bird study has officially started and with it we have launched our Junior Duck Stamp project! This is the kid version of the adult duck stamp competition where a piece of artwork is selected to be on the year's duck stamp needed for a hunting license. After lots of practice with different art media, the kids will select their best drawing/painting to submit to the K-2 contest. It is rare that we have winners from our submissions (once, a student earned 2nd place and we have had some kids get an honorable mention) though most winning art pieces come from kids who take private art lessons.

Part of the reason for this project is to help us get to know and understand a bird's anatomy as part of our bird study. There is much we will be learning about beaks, feathers, and feet that will shape our understanding of this animal group and about animal adaptations in general. It is also a project that promotes our conservation efforts in the 1-2s - we think it's important to keep the wetlands for wildlife!

The first step for kids was to select a picture of a goose, swan or duck that they would study and make the subject of their pictures. The rules of plagiarism are strict; you have to have the permission of the photographer, so we only use pictures that we have taken. The subject of the work needs to be a waterfowl found in Massachusetts so most of our pictures are of Canada Geese, Mallard Ducks, Wood Ducks, Hooded Merganser Ducks and Arctic Swans.  Over the course of the study, kids will make images of their bird using pencil, colored pencil, cray-pas, wet chalk, crayon wax resist, watercolor, tempera paint and cut paper.

We are lucky to have in-house artists like Mrs. A. and John Ward who can give lots of helpful instruction and guidance to the students. So far kids have completed a pencil sketch of their bird and are in the process of working on a colored pencil sketch. Most are pleased with their initial attempts but are excited to continue refining their practice over the next few weeks.

Enjoy the pictures below of kids working on their drawings this morning!