Session 2 of Sunshine Days at Crossroads Farm: Art Day!

Day two of Sunshine Days at Crossroads Farm went off without a hitch! Today was our art themed day and we focused predominantly on the abundant sunflowers we have growing here.

The flowers provided immense inspiration for our young artists. Before we began painting, we sat in a circle and had a little discussion about the artistic process. We talked about how many artists get their ideas and creative motivations from the environments around them. This really helped when we went for a walk around the farm before we set up our paints and canvases. Keeping our minds open, the sights and sounds we observed while walking around may have found their way onto our canvases.

We also learned some interesting facts about sunflowers; did you know the world record for the tallest sunflower is 27 feet?! We were shocked! And we also briefly talked about the very famous artist who painted the well renowned series of sunflowers: Vincent Van Gogh.

In trying to experience the subjects of our paintings, we got up close and personal with our sunflowers to see what these beautiful, tall plants are really all about; we were so close, we even collected some sunflower seeds!

Then, it was finally time to paint! The children were allowed to paint anything they wanted; we only asked they paint something from their environment here on the farm.

These were the blossoming artists hard at work:

Some painted sunflowers...

Others painted our farm tractor...

Some painted pink flowers....

Others painted our farm animals...

And some painted a sky scene...

We worked up such an appetite, we let our masterpieces dry in the sun while we had lunch. Nothing says a day at the farm like a picnic lunch!

As we ate our lunch, the children were able to look at books about sunflowers, write an entry in their farm journals, water or continue decorating their mini box gardens, write a sunflower poem, or just explore the farm.

All in all, it was yet another beautiful day spent outside, enjoying the wonders Crossroads Farm has to offer. We can't wait until next time!

If anyone is still interested in participating, you can still sign up! Come to Crossroads Farm to fill out the forms and submit your payment. Alternatively, you can email education@nassaulandtrust.org to have the forms emailed to you and you can then submit your payment through our paypal portal. We hope to see you soon!