During our Year 1 painting unit, the children have been busy exploring the work of a range of artists, including Mark Rothko, Sarah Morris, John Coatsworth and Wassily Kandinsky.

We spent time looking closely at each artist’s style, focusing on shapes, lines, patterns and, most importantly, their use of colour. The children particularly enjoyed discussing how different colours can make us feel and how artists carefully choose colours that work well together.

A key focus of our learning was Kandinsky’s ‘Squares within Concentric Circles’. After carefully appraising the piece, the children noticed how the artist used primary and secondary colours, as well as lighter and darker shades, to create contrast and impact.

Inspired by this work, the children then had a go at creating their own versions using watercolour paints. They practiced blending colours to make secondary colours, experimenting with making colours lighter or more intense, and thoughtfully selecting contrasting colours that complemented one another.

The results were fantastic, each piece was unique, vibrant and showed real care and creativity. We are so proud of the children’s growing confidence with colour mixing and their thoughtful approach to art this unit. What wonderful artists we have in Year 1!