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I explored nature as my paintbrush by using a tanbark, a leaf and a small stone to paint on paper. I applied the thick paint on the leaf onto the paper and noticed how the patterns of the leaf were imprinted. I noticed the blending of the red and green paint as I used tanbark as my paintbrush to push the paint’s capabilities to portray the movement and rhythm as the colours bleed into each other. The small stone created a circular pattern as it merged with the paints. (Pacini-Ketchabaw 2018)

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The language of art can be explored through feeling the materials, movement and textures. It is through encounters with natural materials I was able to understand and become comfortable with various art materials. I collected natural resources such as rocks, leaves, tanbark, sticks and small stones to explore light, music, listening, clay and paint as materials. Reggio Emilia encourages children to interact with natural materials to develop the characteristics and qualities of art as a language. In an early childhood environment, children can construct knowledge through gestures and materials as they observe the characteristics of an art medium. (Pelo 2016)

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I explored natural light as a material by recording the rays of the light during different hours of the day. I observed how the light rays were stronger during the middle of the day than when the sun was setting. I felt the sun’s rays on my skin as I stood outside absorbing the sunlight and it was warm at 12:28pm. As I felt the warmth, I wondered how it would feel when the morning sun rose. It was much colder at 6:55 am when the Sun was rising, the sky was light orange and the light was appearing through the clouds. (Pacini-Ketchabaw 2018)

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Light can be described as a natural source that spreads in the space it is in. I observed the flow of light during various hours of the day and analyzed how it spread across more throughout the middle of the day, very less in the early mornings and when the sun was setting at around 7-8 pm. Reggio Emilia encourages children to explore and experiment to construct knowledge through play. The technology used in a Reggio Emilia environment can also enable children to learn more about light through light tables, overhead projectors, digital cameras and projected shadows. (Mahshulah, Syaodih & Rachmawati 2020)

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Technology such as light tables provide children the opportunity to build their social, creative and thinking skills as they explore light through investigations of patterns and silhouettes of the shapes they encounter. (Mahshulah, Syaodih & Rachmawati 2020) Furthermore in an Early Childhood Environment light can be incorporated by exploring natural lights during the various seasons throughout the year. Children can learn about light by describing the appearance of the sky when it is a sunny or gloomy day. During winter children can experiment with how shadows are affected by lightness and darkness. Children can explore light as they develop curiosity and ask questions about their encounters with light. (Thornton and Brunton 2010)

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I experimented with nature and music by creating sounds with natural materials that I found in my backyard. I wondered how much the sounds would vary depending on the sounds of the natural materials. The small stones made a tapping sound on the larger rocks, it was a very low sound. A bigger pebble made a louder noise in comparison to the smaller stones. The light leaf barely made any sound amongst the other natural materials. I used the tanbark as my drumsticks and tapped around the little setup I had made with nature. I tried to make a beat as I tapped the various rocks, I had set to encounter music as a material. (Pacini-Ketchabaw 2018)

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Children are encouraged to express themselves through language as they explore the natural environment which acts as a teacher allowing the child to construct knowledge. Children explore and develop abilities in speaking languages, painting, clay, music and dramatic play. Children who listen to music in a Reggio Emilia environment construct knowledge and derive meaning from what they hear. Songs such as ‘everybody cleaning up’ is used to establish meaning for the child that is now time to clean up after playtime and move to the next activity. I derived meaning from the various sounds I could make by exploring sound and music with natural resources such as pebbles, stones, tanbark and leaves. Some sounds were soft, others were loud. The tanbark could be creatively used as a drumstick to create music while the stones acted as my instrument. Music enables children to make their own thinking processes as they listen in their learning environment. (Edwards, Gandini & Forman 2011)

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Music can be implemented in an Early childhood environment to set up the space for children to encounter music as a language. As children engage in an activity that has been set up in a room, sound can be used to encourage the children to concentrate as they create. Music can be incorporated in the background, such as instrumental music to relax after a big day of outdoor play to feel a sense of calmness as the children create and learn indoors while listening to soothing music on the speakers. Music can be used to allow the children to feel a sense of focus in their surrounding space. (Pelo 2016)

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I encountered listening by sitting outdoors. As I closed my eyes, I felt the warm sunlight on my skin and I focused on all the noises that I could hear. I often do this when I need to take a break from something as feeling connected to the environment helps me feel a sense of calmness and peace. I could breathe in the fresh air and smell nature. I heard the noises of various birds; I wondered if it was a mating call. I could hear the wings flattering as the birds flew around perhaps going to their nests amongst the trees. I heard the insects around me such as the bees buzzing around the plants near me. (Pacini-Ketchabaw 2018)

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Through the philosophical perspective of Reggio Emilia children are viewed as capable and competent. To derive the meaning of the world through curiosity, children listen and communicate what they see and hear to construct meaning. Listening is sensitive and allows us to feel connected to the environment through all senses, not just hearing. I was able to feel a connection to my surroundings as I closed my eyes and used all my senses to encounter listening. Listening allows for expression and communication through connection to place, children can develop social connections through listening. (Rinaldi 2011)

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In an Early childhood environment, teachers can instill themselves as thoughtful listeners towards planning for the children. Teachers can listen carefully when children have conversations and observe play to reflect children’s thinking to interpret what children have derived through play. Children are observers, they observe how we listen to them and in return will listen when their peers or teacher is talking. They will be able to establish meaningful connections as they develop their listening skills. (Pelo 2016) Children listen to the sounds of the natural environment and learn. Teachers add value to a child's learning as they listen to the environment and express their emotions through sound, music and movement. Children may choose to recreate the sounds they have encountered through deep listening to nature. (Rinaldi 2011)

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I explored clay as a material by combining it with natural materials. I collected pinecones, tanbark and leaves to experiment with clay. My initial observation of clay was fragile and sticky. It was easy to manipulate and the white colour would appear on my hands as I played with the clay. I used the tanbark to poke the clay and create a circular shape. The leaf pattern imprinted on the clay as I pressed the leaf harder onto the fattened clay. I used the stem to draw on the clay and the pinecone to create textures on the clay. (Pacini-Ketchabaw 2018)

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Clay comes from the earth and while I was engaging with the clay I could feel it on my hands. I was able to build a connection to the environment as I played with the clay. (Pelo 2016) Children can explore the properties of the clay as they experiment with the material. Children are able to understand the qualities of clay as they play with clay and other materials that are provided by their teacher. The role of the teacher is to encourage and support the children as they play with clay and use language that describes the clay to help them develop their vocabulary. It was my first time playing with clay and through exploring the material I was able to derive an understanding of its attributes. (Edwards 2011)

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Clay can be implemented in an early childhood environment by inviting children to participate in exploring clay as a material. Children can be encouraged to use their elbows, knees, toes and fingers to feel the texture of the clay. This encounter can begin a conversation aspect for the children to communicate with their peers and teachers how they feel, what happens to the clay when they press their fingers into the clay. Through experimentation and play children can construct knowledge about the properties of clay. (Pelo 2016)

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I explored painting on nature by collecting a tanbark, a large stone and a leaf. I used the tanbark and a leaf as my brush to paint on the rock. The leaf was much smoother in comparison to the tanbark. I watched the red and green paint blend with each other. I wondered what if I used the rock as my paintbrush now that it had all the paint on it and dabbed the rock onto a green leaf. A pattern of blended colours was imprinted onto the leaf. I was able to create textures and push the capabilities of the natural resources as I encountered paint. (Pacini-Ketchabaw 2018)

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Paint is an inviting material that enables children with multiple opportunities for exploring. Children can be encouraged to think with paint rather than use it as a tool and develop sensory skills in the process. The capabilities of paint can be pushed with movement and rhythm to explore blending and bleeding as the colours merge together. Children can be encouraged to experiment with paint to gather knowledge from their experiences and play with paint. During my encounter, I pushed the capabilities of paint by using nature as my canvas to observe the various patterns that I could create.  (Pacini-Ketchabaw, Kind & Kocher 2016)

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Painting is a space for children where they feel invited to be creative. Finger painting can be implemented to encourage children to know more about the paint when they feel the paint on their hands. They can explore rhythm and movement when the paint interacts with the paper. Through observing the blending of colours children can learn how to create colours by combining existing paints that they have. Children can recognize if the paint dries quickly on their hands and how it feels when it begins to dry. Teachers can ensure to use  vocabulary that links to painting to develop language as children encounter this material and describe their experiences to develop communication skills. (Pelo 2016)

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Paint invites for interaction with other materials such as paintbrushes, natural elements and an empty canvas waiting to be explored. Painting provides the potential to express emotions into actions on the canvas. As children encounter paint they immerse themselves into the rhythm of the paint and open their imaginations to improvise. Children can improvise their movement, speed and motion as they interact with paint as a material. During my encounter with nature as my paintbrush I improvised the speed of the tanbark against the paper and notices how the texture changed. (Pacini-Ketchabaw, Kind & Kocher 2016)

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Colour can be used to express emotions for adults and children. Colour can be associated to feelings and awaken our inner senses as we connect with the natural environment. Children can be encouraged to encounter colour by exploring paint. Children can learn about contrasting and complementing colours as they interact and play with paint to create new tones. Mixing colours enables children to learn how to create dark and light shades with paint and learn the names of new colours in the process. Through the exploration of colour children can construct knowledge to express emotions and portray this on their canvas as they encounter paint as a material. (Pelo 2016)

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Through encounters with a wide range of art materials children can discover and learn through their senses. The language of art becomes an inquiry and investigation for teachers as it is essential to recognize the disposition of learning for children such as curiosity, imagination, communication and collaboration. Teachers plan for children’s inquiries, offering a learning opportunity for children to interact, explore, investigate , question and understand the natural environment and its resources which are connected to the language of art.  Every art material has it’s own unique properties that can be explored as children explore and play with the material, constructing knowledge from their experiences. (Pelo 2016)

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References

Edwards, C, Gandini, L, Forman, G, & Reggio, CS (eds) 2011, ‘Chapter 1 Introduction: Background and Starting points’, The Hundred Languages of Children: the Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation, 3rd Edition: The Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation, ABC-CLIO, LLC, Westport, pp. 5-26

Edwards, C, Gandini, L, Forman, G, & Reggio, CS (eds) 2011, ‘Chapter 9 Teacher and Learner, Partner and Guide: The role of the teacher’, in Edwards C (eds), The Hundred Languages of Children: the Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation, 3rd Edition: The Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation, ABC-CLIO, LLC, Westport, pp. 147-172

Edwards, C, Gandini, L, Forman, G, & Reggio, CS (eds) 2011, ‘Chapter 13 The Pedagogy of Listening: The Listening Perspective from Reggio Emilia’, in Rinaldi C (eds), The Hundred Languages of Children: the Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation, 3rd Edition: The Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation, ABC-CLIO, LLC, Westport, pp. 233-246

Mahshulah, ZA, Syaodih, E & Rachmawati, Y 2020, ‘The ray of light: an activity approach of Reggio Emilia’, The 2nd International Conference on Elementary Education, Department of Early Childhood Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, pp. 1–6, viewed 14th March 2023 <http://proceedings.upi.edu/index.php/icee/article/view/687/603>.

Pacini-Ketchabaw, V, Kind, S & Kocher, LLM 2016, ‘Paint-Assemblage’, Encounters with materials in early childhood education, Routledge, pp.52-61

Pacini-Ketchabaw, V 2018, Material Inquiry Document, viewed 24th February 2023,                                 < https://vucollaborate.vu.edu.au/content/enforced/1752174-ECE6006-1-2023-H1B1-148824/MI%20doc%201.png?_&d2lSessionVal=rnhjSFmVRpjky8apMDQzo9h2w&ou=1752174>

Pelo, A 2016, ‘Chapter 1: General Guidelines for Studio Explorations’, The Language of Art : Inquiry-Based Studio Practices in Early Childhood Settings, Redleaf Press, La Vergne, pp. 17-45

Pelo, A 2016, ‘Chapter 3: Exploring colour’, The Language of Art : Inquiry-Based Studio Practices in Early Childhood Settings, Redleaf Press, La Vergne, pp. 59-90

Pelo, A 2016, ‘Chapter 4: Three Dimensional Media’, The Language of Art : Inquiry-Based Studio Practices in Early Childhood Settings, Redleaf Press, La Vergne, pp. 91-130

Pelo, A 2016, ‘Chapter 6: Growing a culture of inquiry through art’, The Language of Art : Inquiry-Based Studio Practices in Early Childhood Settings, Redleaf Press, La Vergne, pp. 163-178

Pelo, A 2016, ‘Chapter 7: Using Art Media to Grow Long-Term Investigations’, The Language of Art : Inquiry-Based Studio Practices in Early Childhood Settings, Redleaf Press, La Vergne, pp. 179-200

Thornton, L & Brunton, P 2010, ‘Exploring light and dark with early years’, Teaching Expertise, Wordpress, viewed 14th March 2023, <https://www.teachingexpertise.com/articles/exploring-light-and-dark-with-early-years/#:~:text=Playing%20with%20light%20and%20dark%20creates%20magical%20experiences%20that%20both,Dowling%20terms%20'gratuitous%20fear>.