Collage paper cuts – Year 2

Collage paper cuts – Year 2

Year 2 have been learning about the life and work of French artist Henri Matisse. They shared story books about the artist and watched some short video clips of the artist working in his studio. They focused on his work from the later part of his life when Matisse became very poorly and was unable to continue painting at an easel. He found a new way to create art using ‘paper cuts’ which was essentially drawing with scissors. Year 2 had lots of opportunity to look at examples of his work and they talked about the shapes and colours that he used. 

The children started to develop their own compositions using irregualar, organic shapes using lots of different colours. They created their own compositions in their sketchbooks and practised overlapping and layering their shapes. They also tried placing their shapes separately to see what effect that created. The children learnt how to place their shapes and move them around on their paper before deciding finally where to glue them. 

Next, they looked at positive and negative spaces created by the organic shapes they created. They learnt that if they cut out a shape ( positive space) from a piece of paper it left behind another shape created by the hole that was left behind ( negative space). They chose two contrasting , coloured pieces of paper and experimented with positive and negative space and shapes. 

Finally, the children worked on a large scale, moving away from tables and instead using the hall floor to work on a big scale. Collectively, the class created irregular shapes of different sizes and colours and placed them carefully to create a large paper cut drawing. They worked on a large piece of white paper and brown paper to create two final compositions. 

Amazing work year 2!

What The Student Says

" I have improved my cutting. I can hold a pair of scissors better now."

"It felt good to cut out lots of different shapes. It was hard not to have any straight sides or corners."

" I liked placing my shapes and deciding where I wanted them to go before I glued them on the paper."

"It was lots of fun to work in the hall on the floor using massive pieces of paper. We all had to work together to get the drawing done."

What skills were developed?

  • developed and improved their cutting skills

  • learnt how to hold and use scissors correctly

  • learnt the difference between regular and irregular shapes

  • thought about and considered their own compositions

  • understand how to overlap and layer shapes for effect

  • learnt about contrasting colours

  • know the difference between positive and negative space

What the Teacher says

"The children have really enjoyed learning about the life and work of Henri Matisse and his use of collage paper cuts to create compositions. They have developed their cutting skills and know the difference between regular and irregular shapes. They have placed their natural, organic shapes carefully to create their own drawings. Year 2  have learnt the art of placing something and moving it around before deciding finally where it should go.  They worked brilliantly in their sketchbooks creating their own compositions and worked collaboratively to combine lots of different sized shapes to create two, large drawings.

Amazing work year 2!"

School Address:

Clapgate Primary School
10 Cranmore Drive
Belle Isle
Leeds
LS10 4AW

School Contacts:

Headteacher: Mrs Singleton
Deputy Headteacher: Miss Taylor
SENDCO: Mrs Woodhouse
Office: Mrs Austin, Miss Johnson, Mrs Belt
Chair of Governors: Mr Bache

Clapgate Primary Logo

Tel: 0113 271 6700
Email: clapgate@clapgateprimaryschool.org

© Clapgate Primary School 2024
Site by iTCHYROBOTItchyrobot Logo
Cookie Policy | Privacy Policy
Admin

Privacy Policy

We regard your privacy as important and any personal information you give to us will be used in accordance with the Data Protection Act and the General Data Protection Regulations.

We do not store personal information about individuals who visit this site except where they provide contact information via our contact us page and contact forms available on various pages throughout the website.

Any information you provide will only be used for the reasons specified and it will not be shared with any third party without your consent, unless required by law.

Your contact details are kept securely and are only accessed by authorised members of staff as part of the provision of school services. If you do not wish us to keep this contact information please tell us.

This website uses Google Analytics which provides statistical data about the usage of the site. This information is not used to identify individuals, but is collected to provide us with an understanding of the areas of interest on our site and how our site is being used.

If you are connected to the internet you will have an IP Address. This may take the form of a figure, such as 333.333.22.1. The address will be automatically collected and logged as part of the connection of your computer to our web server and may be used to determine the total number of visits to each part of the site. This data is not collected and used for other purposes.

This website contains links to other websites. The School is not responsible for the privacy practices of other sites or organisations and recommends you consult the privacy information on those sites.

This policy will be reviewed and updated versions will be posted on the website.

If you have any questions about the use of your personal information, the Information Commissioner is the independent regulator for both Data Protection and Freedom of Information.