Elaborately decorated elephants are used in festivals throughout India. There's some deserved controversy over the treatment of these celebrated animals--but many believe that it is precisely this elevated status that keeps farmers and other folk from killing elephants that destroy their crops. The way these creatures are used as canvases for decoration really is stunning though--and can be used to inspire some incredible art--thanks to the remarkable combination of observation and fantasy.In my kindergarten class we looked at a photograph of an elephant and made a list of words and phrases that described how we knew it was an elephant. In the picture we studied we noticed that the trunk stretched all the way to the ground. Children made pratice outlines with their fingers to plan their drawings and all the animal parts, then were given black crayons and invited to fill their canvases with elephants. When/if their crayons touched the edge of the paper they were allowed to say 'bump' out loud. It was a great incentive, and the room soon filled with the sound of 'bumps' and the sight of enormous elephants. Black and white paint was offered and children mixed the colors right on the board. Then detail brushes, white paint and other bright colors were introduced, and eventually other embellishments (sequins, tassels, buttons, etc) were offered, and applied with matte medium.
This would work well with older children as well. Invite debate about the controversy (including a reference to the street artist Banksy's use of a live, painted elephant in a recent exhibit in Los Angeles), and inspire them to choose an animal to decorate accompanied by a statement explaining their decision.
