Primary Artists Make Their Mark

Reynolds’ book, The Dot, tells the story of Vashti, a young girl who insists to her art teacher that she can’t draw. In frustration, she makes a single dot on the blank page in front of her. Unexpectedly, that small mark begins her journey to discover the artist within. Primary Art Teacher Cathy Gruetzke-Blais shared Vashti’s story with each of her art classes and then challenged them to be creative with all the different ways they could use dots in their art. Some students painted dots in various sizes, others mixed paints to create a colorful palette of dots, and some students explored the power of negative space by cutting dots out of their paintings! Several students reimagined their dots as a flock of balloons drifting into the sky or a sea of hearts. Cathy encouraged her students to use all of the creative space they were given and then finish their work by signing their names with pride, setting a positive tone for the work they will do in art this year. “This project gets students warmed up at the beginning of the year to make their mark and see where it takes them,” she adds.