TOM from Home: Snow Day! (Grade 4-6)

Edwin Holgate, La Malbaie, around 1932. Collection of the Tom Thomson Art Gallery.

An activity inspired by Edwin Holgate's La Malbaie winter painting. Participants will be able to reflect on an imagine narratives inspired by seasonal scenes, buildings, and characters from an artwork.

This activity has been designed and created by Muriel Farmer, MA Candidate Nova Scotia College of Art.

Curriculum Notes: Activity participants will explore the elements of texture, line, space, and the design of proportions. Texture is emphasized by adding soft materials. Participants will think about the size relations of their imagined objects to the sleigh and horse in relation to the scenery. Designed for Grades: 4 - 6 (Ages 9-12)

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Materials:

• pencil crayons

• paper

• glitter

• cotton

• glue

• lined paper or journal

Description:

This activity allows for participants to explore Edwin Holgates La Malbaie. Participants will be able to investigate soft textures by replicating the snow with cotton and glitter. This activity provides an opportunity for children to imagine a narrative behind the town, horse, sleigh, and driver. They will depict what is being transported in the sleigh. In addition, participants may complete a supplementary journal activity creating their own narrative of a snow day.

Explore Edwin Holgate's La Malbaie

• Where do you think the horse and sleigh are going? Are they going to the Church? A House? A Shop?

• What do you think the driver is transporting? Is it something for adults or kids? Do you think it is fluffy snow or mushy snow?

• Would you explore this town? If you could spend one day in this town what would you do?

Edwin Holgate, La Malbaie, around 1932. Collection of the Tom Thomson Art Gallery.

Activity

Step 1

Brainstorm the objects you think are in the sleigh the horse in the painting is pulling.

Step 2

Use your pencil crayons and drawn the sleigh, horse, and driver.

Step 3

Drawn the objects you think are in the sleigh. What will your sleigh be transporting?

Step 4

Think about the environment. Where is your sleigh? Is it a town, forest, farm or somewhere

else? Think about the size of your sleigh in relation to the surrounding environment. How big

is a horse compared to a building or a tree?

Step 5

Glue on some cotton to your scene to create some snow! Look at the texture of the cotton, what type of snow did you create?

Step 6

Add your favourite glitter with glue to make the snow shimmer.

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Storytime

A supplementary activity, this activity can be written storytelling or oral storytelling.

What is your favourite snow-day story?

• Think of a time when you had a snow-day, what did you do?

• What happened?

• Who was with you?

• Did you go outside and build snow forts?

• Did you stay inside and play games?

Think about your story, does it have a beginning, middle, and end? What characters are in your story? Are there any animals or objects involved? Try to include a description of the environment, does your story take place at home?

Next, write your story down on paper or in a journal. You can also tell your story out loud to friends, family, classmates, and teachers.

Share your creations with us @TomThomsonArtGallery

For more information on Edwin Holgate visit this link