In preparation for a trip to Russia, I have been teaching my kids about the language and culture. I've always been a huge fan of Russian folk art, so naturally we have been doing some exploration of the culture through art. Matryoshkas are the nesting dolls that have become a widely recognized symbol of Russia. Few little girls can resist these adorable dolls and this week my daughter and I went a little matryoshka crazy.
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| One of my daughter's projects: a mixed media painting with watercolor and oil pastel. |
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| This is one of the books that inspired us. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn about Russia. It has none of the cliches that most books about Russia have and is filled with interesting information in small chunks. |
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| Step 1: To draw a series of matryoskas, you need round objects in various sizes for each head and face. Finding these objects is a great exercise for preschoolers in learning to distinguish sizes. Trace the head first and then use a smaller circular object for the face. Repeat for as many dolls as you want to make. |
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| Step 2: Draw the body. This is a great way for child to practice symmetry in drawing, a skill that many adults lack. |
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Step 3: Draw the facial features and decorations with crayon or oil pastel.
Step 4: Paint the bodies and faces with watercolor. The pastel or crayon will
resist the watercolor and the design will show through. |
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| The look before my daughter added a background. |
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| I just had to join in the matryoshka fun, too, with this picture . . . |
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| . . . and this one. Why should my kids have all the fun? |
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| Our finished drawing led my daughter to do an impromptu "puppet show" on Saturday. |
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Then on Sunday, we did matryoshka collages. You might recognize my daughter's
collage papers as being the tree rubbings from the summer.: ) |
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Again, I had to join in on the fun. This is a matryoshka meeting up with a firebird,
one of my favorite Russian fairy tale figures. |
I will hopefully share more on our Russian (and also Buryat!) studies in upcoming posts!
