Rainbow Serpent Prints and Assemblages: Inspired by Australian Aboriginal Traditions
Through our Del Mar Heights Global Village theme, first grade studies the continent and culture of Australia. Students are able to encounter animals, geography, and history as they learn about “The Land Down Under”. They also learn about the storytelling traditions of the Aborigines, including their fascinating Dreamtime tales.
Many of these tales involve a serpent of many colors, typically called The Rainbow Serpent. In some stories it is a peaceful being- a rainbow. In others the serpent takes on dangerous or mischievous qualities.
The first graders represented this mythical character in print and assemblage with great success. We began by visiting several Rainbow Serpent Tales, noting characteristics we might include in our artwork. Then we learned about print block creation and the use of printmaking tools. We crafted our own patterned print blocks to give the serpents’ skins their designs. The print blocks were inked and printed on large sheets of paper which were later cut, using math considerations to determine the cut points. These strips were layered and formed the serpents in one of two assemblage techniques: stacked or coiled. Finally, a head and tail were drawn using simple shapes with telling details. Bold black outlines complete the pieces.
Well done, First Grade!
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