My junior high classes recently finishes these mixed media poppies for Remembrance Day. Every year, we provide art for our school assembly which is masterfully produced each year by our gifted Music/Choir teacher. This year's poppies project were inspired by a poem, provided by the music teacher, which will be recited by a high school student during the assembly (on Zoom).
The poppies created here will be projected onto a screen during the recitation.
The author of this poem was an English Col. by the name of John F. Willcocks who wrote it in 2004. John fought for England in WW2.
by Col. John F. Willcocks
Why are they selling poppies, Mummy?
Selling poppies in town today.
The poppies, child, are flowers of love.
For the men who marched away.
But why have they chosen a poppy, Mummy?
Why not a beautiful rose?
Because my child, men fought and died
In the fields where the poppies grow.
But why are the poppies so red, Mummy?
Why are the poppies so red?
Red is the colour of blood, my child.
The blood that our soldiers shed.
The heart of the poppy is black, Mummy.
Why does it have to be black?
Black, my child, is the symbol of grief.
For the men who never came back.
But why, Mummy are you crying so?
Your tears are giving you pain.
My tears are my fears for you my child.
For the world is forgetting again.
I found the initial idea for the lesson HERE on the blog "That Artist Woman".
Gail always comes up with fantastic Remembrance Day art lessons!
Students stared by painting a 12 x 18" sheet of heavy white paper in grey tones.
They used tempera paint.
Then they painted at least two coffee filters shades of red. Let everything dry.
Once dry, students folded the coffee filter in half twice and cut out
petal shapes and glued it onto their background.
Using black construction paper, they cut out long thin stems and leaves and glued those on.
For a final touch, they glued on quotes from the poem that I had printed out.
I absolutely love the results and the uniqueness of each project!
Some Grade 7 - 9 results:
7 comments:
How did the students fold the coffee filters to cut them?
How did you have the students fold the coffee filter when the cut the poppies
Brandon: in half once, then half again.
I would love to use the poem at our Veteran's Day Memorial Assembly along with the art but want to give credit to the poet. Can I get the name?
Anonymous- from a quick Google search, it appears as if it is 'author unknown'. I'd love to know who wrote it as well as it's lovely.
Author: John F Wilcocks
Thank you Anonymous, I updated the post with the author's name.
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